Pictured in tandem with the Toyota Supra undergoing testing in Germany, the snaps published by motor1.com sees the LC 500 badged LC F prototype sporting a heavily redesigned front bumper with huge air intakes on either side, extended wheel arches and at the rear, a wider diffuser and stacked quad exhausts.

Unseen so far, the interior will mainly receive bespoke F touches such as those on the LS and NX, while underneath its skin, uprated brakes, sportier suspension and quicker steering are likely to feature, along with a drop in overall weight.

Open to speculation though is the LC F’s choice of engine, which was initially expected to be a 4.0-litre twin-turbo V8 producing in the region of 447kW. New rumours though have suggested the fitment of the standard LC’s normally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 revised to punch out more than the current 351kW/450Nm, while a hybrid mill, expected to be a thoroughly re-worked version of the LS500h’s 3.5-litre V6, has also been mentioned.

Given the lack of rear-end disguise and only minor levels of masking around the front, the LC F could make its debut towards the end of this year with sales likely to start in early 2019.