Filed under: Coupe, Performance, Etc., Lexus, Toyota, Luxury

Click above to view the video after the jump​

According to reports, Toyota's chief test driver, 67-year-old Hiromu Naruse, has died in a crash on highway 410 near the famed Nürburgring race track in Germany. He was driving the recently spied Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition (above) at the time of the accident, and reports say he veered into oncoming traffic and collided head-on with two others test drivers in a BMW. The two BMW test drivers survived the crash, though one is reportedly still in critical condition. German video of the crash scene after the accident took place can be viewed below. Police are investigating the crash and have yet to determine its cause.

Naruse was heavily involved with the development of the Lexus LFA supercar he was driving, along with many other past sports cars from Toyota's history since he joined the company in 1963. Enthusiasts today call him the "Godfather of the LFA," though he was involved in the development of sports cars for Toyota going as far back as the storied 2000GT from the late 1960s. The prototype of a special edition version of the LFA that he was driving when the accident occurred was reportedly worth 1.5 million euro.


Gallery: Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition Spy Shots



[Source: Rhein-Wied, Rhein-Zeitung, Spiegel]Continue reading BREAKING: Toyota's chief test driver dies behind wheel of LFA in Germany

BREAKING: Toyota's chief test driver dies behind wheel of LFA in Germany originally appeared on Autoblog on Wed, 23 Jun 2010 13:55:00 EST. Please see our terms for use of feeds.



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Hiromu also had a hand in design and suspension work on almost all of Toyota's sports car, starting in '65 with the Sport 800, 2000GT, Toyota 7, Celica GT, MR2, MR-S, Supra. Sad to lose such an incredible mind.