Lexus to field AGP celebrity-cars?

Luxury brand confirms it is in talks with Australian Grand Prix
prestige new cars  » Get the best price on a new Lexus Celebrities could be bashing Lexus hybrid cars around Albert Park during next year's Australian Grand Prix. The boss of Lexus Australia Tony Cramb has confirmed to the Cars games ales Network that the company is in discussions with the Grand Prix Corporation – but nothing has been decided.

"Nothing has been signed, no deal has been done," he told the Carsales Network.

"But we are in discussions with them [AGP organizers] about the possibility of being the vehicle supplier for next year's celebrity race."

If the deal goes ahead, it would be the first time Lexus has been used as a celebrity car -- and the first time a hybrid vehicle has been used -- in the lead-up to a Formula One race anywhere in the world.

Lexus is understood to be considering using the CT200h hybrid hatch. The new model (pictured with Lexus' LF-A supercar) is a Corolla-sized vehicle with Prius technology due to be released in Australia next February.

When asked if the hybrid car would be suitable for a racetrack, Lexus marketing manager Peter Evans told the Carsales Network: "Compared to previous celebrity cars [such as a Fiat 500, a Mini or a BMW 1 Series], the CT200h would have no problem at all around a racetrack -- especially in Sport mode.

"It could easily handle the track," Evans said.

The AGP celebrity car deal would mark a return to motorsport in Australia for Lexus. It competed in the Targa Tasmania road rallies a few times in the late 1990s and early 2000s. But the carmaker says it has no plans to use the vehicles in a one-make racing series after they were done as celebrity cars.

A spokesperson for the Australian Grand Prix Corporation would not comment on the Lexus rumours. The F1 organiser stated it was talking to "a number of car manufacturers".