WE’VE YET TO hear an official announcement from Lexus, but British car mag Auto Express is already claiming that it has the lowdown on the upcoming LF-A, and that it’s shaping up to be something very special indeed.

According to Auto Express, the LF-A will boast a 410kW (550hp) 4.8 litre V10 engine, a six-speed automated manual transaxle and a top speed just over 350km/h.

Front-end styling will also be markedly different from what we’ve already seen on previous prototypes and concepts, and a high-performance variant that uses the same aero package as the race-going prototypes that recently competed in the Nurburgring 24-hour will be on offer too.

Surprisingly, it appears that Lexus will only build 500 LF-As all up, and pricing will range between AU$284,000 and $385,000. That’s a lot of money for a Japanese car, but considering it’s faster than the only other Japanese supercar - the Nissan GT-R - and far more exclusive, Lexus shouldn’t have too much trouble shifting all 500.

The Lexus LF-A is widely believed to be locked in for a debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show this October, where it’ll likely share the spotlight with Toyota’s upcoming low-cost RWD coupe. Is Auto Express on the money with its latest claims? We’ll find out then.

[Auto Express]