Toyota/Lexus officially registers the LFA trademark

The whole will-they-or-won't-they ever build the Lexus front-mid-engined two-seater supercar saga has been a big roller-coaster ride full of both <A HREF="http://www.lexusf.com/forums/showthread.php?t=549">negative</A> and <A HREF="http://www.lexusf.com/forums/showthread.php?t=891">positive</A> hints and rumors. Fortunately, recent news and trends have been more of the latter. We now have word, thanks to k3vo a Canadian national Moderator on our sister my.IS website, that, on 27 November 2008, Lexus parent Toyota Motor Corporation filed with the Canadian Trade-Marks Office Trade-mark Application No. 1419801 for the mark LFA [sic] for intended use in association with automobiles and structural parts thereof. Four days later, on 1 December 2008, U.S. Trademark Application No. 77623634 also for LFA was filed with the United States Patent and Trademark Office.

Several observations are in order, the most prominent being that the fact that Lexus registered the LFA name is one more hint or confirmation of sorts that, as of now, they are proceeding with plans to put it into production. For another, it kills the other rumored naming possibilities of GT 500 (partly because that name has been associated with Shelby-modified Ford Mustangs dating all the way back to 1968) and LF-1 (rumored to have been the target of objections from Formula 1 racing supremo Bernie Ecclestone). Finally, as k3vo reminds us, <A HREF="http://my.is/forums/f104/lf-lose-its-hyphen-376240/">the LF-A lost its hyphen.</A> Thus, notes to self and to all LexusF.com members: the ultimate Lexus must henceforth be referred to as the LFA.