Following a sighting during hot climate testing in Southern Europe, our spies now have a hunch that the Lexus LS test mule they’ve spotted may well be endowed with more power under the hood.

A quick glance at the photos hint at additional ducting and cuts through the LS’ signature Spindle Grille as well as on the sides. If you know anything about how engines work, this hint could point towards the fact that it may well be making more power than what we’ve previously seen on previous models. If our spies are to be believed, they’ve indicated that this particular LS was louder than usual as well. While we may consider it having a revised exhaust system, the rear section of the car appeared to be running the hybrid version bumper – meaning there were no exhaust pipes to be seen.

Currently Lexus has an LS500 F Sport in its lineup, but when you consider stacking that against the likes of AMG and BMW M it appears the F Sport is at a loss for power. Hopefully this new model changes that. While there are no release dates yet stated, we may likely see this particular model make its debut at the Frankfurt Auto Show in September.

In recent news, Toyota announced a major reshuffling of Toyota Gazoo Racing which saw key personel from Toyota Motorsport GmbH moving to TGR. With this latest development, it is possible that this particular Lexus LS might become the second car by Gazoo to be sold outside Japan.