LEXUS SWEEPS SUPER GT

Lexus has claimed a clean-sweep of the Japanese Super GT sportscar series, winning the drivers' and teams' championships in both the GT500 and GT300 classes.

The Lexus Team Petronas TOM's squad claimed the GT500 drivers' and teams' title in an SC 430, while the Racing Project Bandoh team came out on top in the GT300 class in an IS 350.

The championship wins are the first time Lexus has claimed both the top-tier GT500 class and the lower-level GT300 category in the same season.

Team Petronas TOM's drivers Juichi Wakisaka and Andre Lotterer scored enough points to earn their second title together, by guiding their SC 430 to second place in the season finale at Motegi.

The GT500-class SC 430 made its Super GT debut in 2007, winning at its first attempt, before going on to score a championship title later the same year with Wakisaka and Lotterer.

Racing Project Bandoh's series victory came after a hard-fought battle at Motegi, where the team's IS350 came out on top of a six-car fight for the title.

Drivers Manabu Orido and Tatsuya Kataoka held off a late-race charge for third place from their nearest title rivals in a Ferrari F430.

The Lexus pair claimed the final podium spot, and with it the GT300 crown, in just the IS 350's second full season of competition.

Lexus Australia chief executive, John Roca hailed the result and praised the efforts of the two title-winning squads.

"Winning not one, but two sets of titles in Japan's premier sportscar category is truly an amazing feat for Lexus," Mr Roca said.

"SC 430 is a proven product on and off the track, but the performance of IS 350 is very exciting, as it comes in just the car's second year of competition and highlights what a great package it really is.

"Lexus Australia would love to see IS 350 in Australia and we are working hard to gain approval from Japan to bring the road going variant to Australia."

Cars competing in the Super GT Series are highly-modified versions of production models. However, all use naturally-aspirated V8 powerplants developed by their respective manufacturer.