German Car Zone

Nissan and Lexus raid the ‘ringThe Nürburgring plays host to many heavily disguised prototypes, but these latest mystery machines from Nissan and Lexus look set to cause a stir with the Germans sports car establishment.

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A pair of mysterious test cars from Nissan and Lexus have been spotted doing the rounds at the Nürburgring in Germany. Both companies are in the process of developing new sports models to expand their model line-ups - in Nissan’s case, a compact sports car to slot in beneath the 350Z, for Lexus, an eagerly awaited supercar.

While the bodywork of Nissan’s test unit looks very similar to that of the 350Z, closer inspection reveals an arched roofline with riveted sections and some modifications to the doors that suggest this is a test bed for a sports model with a shortened wheelbase.

The car was accompanied by a Porsche Cayman at the company’s facility, which could indicate one of two things; this unit forms the basis of a more compact next-generation 350Z (one of the Cayman’s natural competitors) or an all-new compact rear-wheel drive sports model based upon Nissan’s Urge Concept shown at the Detroit Show last year. There have been recent reports that suggest Nissan has begun development of a new rear-wheel drive sports car inspired by the Urge, so the latter theory could well be the case.

Whichever direction the test vehicle takes, either scenario would suggest that Nissan aims to set high standards in terms of build quality and driving dynamics for its new model.
Meanwhile, Lexus has hit the Nordschleife with what appears to be the latest version of its LF-A supercar. LF-A prototypes have been spotted roaring around the Nürburgring since 2005, albeit in a more wedge-shaped guise than the current test unit.

The mish-mash of design cues shared between the 2005 (air scoops and c-pillars) and this model (front and side air intakes) suggest that Lexus is still very much in the process of fine-tuning the design . The temporary, for-looks-only brake lights tacked onto the rear clearly indicate that this prototype won’t tell us much about the car's finished appearance.

The nature of this car’s engine is another area that is still open to debate – the car’s layout suggests the powerplant will be mid-mounted, but rumours of anything from a V12 to a V10 or possibly a beefed-up version of the 5,0-litre V8 seen in the company’s IS-F super saloon have been doing the rounds. What most sources seem to agree upon is a power output of 373 kW and a top speed in the region of 320 km/h, placing the LF-A squarely in Audi R8 and Porsche 911 territory.

Nissan & Lexus, both are the next pioneer of the JDM ring ...!