If you haven’t heard of the Lexus LFA, well then you probably aren’t a car enthusiast and so it’s safe to assume that if you’ve read this far, like us, you’re probably very much a car fan. It’s a supercar that hardly needs an introduction, however, the technology that lies beneath could likely fill an encyclopedia.
Only three Lexus LFAs will be coming to South Africa. The first arrived in May this year, while delivery of the second car is imminent. The third car will only be built next year, but Lexus South Africa has taken delivery of a fourth LFA especially for its stand at this year’s JIMS. It is a rare opportunity for South African enthusiasts to see the bespoke supercar up close.
As a refresher, the Lexus LFA is built using advanced carbon fibre technology. At four times the strength of aluminium, Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic (CFRP) gives the Lexus LFA an exceptionally stiff and strong structure, and also delivers major weight advantages, saving around 100 kg on an equivalent aluminium body. CFRP accounts for 65 per cent of the body-in-white, with aluminium alloy used for the remaining 35 per cent. Unlike the few other vehicles on the market that use CFRP construction, the Lexus LFA uses the same advanced resin technology favoured by cutting-edge aerospace programmes for its unmatched weight and strength properties.
The heart of the Lexus LFA is a bespoke, naturally aspirated V10 engine that sets new standards for compact dimensions, lightweight architecture and scintillating performance. The high-revving, 4.8-litre V10, boasts 412 kW and 480 Nm of torque, 90 per cent of which is available from 3 700 r/min all the way to the 9 000 r/min red line. Together with a rear-mounted six-speed sequential automatic transmission, this gives searing in-gear acceleration at all engine speeds and in any gear: 0 – 100 km/h takes just 3.7 seconds and the top speed is 323 km/h.
We could wax lyrical about the car’s braking, aerodynamics and sound, but have a feeling this video will speak louder than words.
It’s already one of the rarest supercars on the planet – but Lexus has gone a stage further with this special edition LF-A.
Called the “Nurburgring Edition”, it honours the famous German racing circuit where the LF-A was developed. Inspired by the competition versions that raced at the 20.8 kilometer track, it gets a huge fixed rear wing and front splitter, stiffer, more adjustable suspension and lightweight alloys with track-spec tyres.
Lexus engineers have also liberated an extra 7 kW from the LF-A’s 4,8-litre V10 engine, taking total power output to 419 kW. A range of four colours will be available – including gloss black, matte black and orange – while the production run is expected to be tiny, given that just 500 examples of the ‘standard’ LF-A will be built. Expect a price tag in excess of £400 000, or around R4.6 million.
For a Ferrari and Lamborghini challenging supercar with a hefty US$375 000 price tag, one would expect that Lexus and its parent company, Toyota, would at least avoid offering any sort of “Fast and Furious” style paint options – or the ability to customise the vehicle’s interior with weird colour combos on the all-new 412 kW V10-powered LF-A sports car. Well, think again.
As you can see for yourselves, by fooling around with the just launched LF-A online configurator, you can ‘rice-up’ the Japanese supercar in variety of eccentric exterior colors including ‘Passionate Pink’ and ‘Lavender’ that can be combined with coloured calipers and three different shades for the alloy wheels.
And that’s not all. Lexus also offers the ability to customize the LF-A’s interior by choosing diverse colours for the seats, the steering wheel, the carpet, the headliner, the door panels and lower part of the dashboard, just to mention a few.
Unfortunately for some, bobble heads, racing stripes and underbody neon lights are not available at this time.
Lexus have given the press a first look at its exciting LFA model at the Tokyo Motor Show. The LF-A was officially launched to the news that only 500 examples of the two-seat coupe will be sold when production commences next year.
The pinnacle of Lexus’ ‘F’ range of premium sports cars (that includes models such as the IS-F), LF-A combines a high-output 4,8-litre V10, matched to meticulous aerodynamic and chassis design characteristics. The LF-A’s body consists of CFRB (Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic) making it 100 kg lighter than a comparable aluminium body.
A low centre of gravity has been achieved via the use of a dry sump lubrication system, while weight distribution is bettered by locating peripheral engine components – such as the oil and water pumps – behind the engine. Optimal placement of the transmission and fuel tank have also helped centralise weight distribution to a more optimal range to give LF-A a 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution ratio. The driver’s seat is positioned near the LF-A’s centre of gravity for improved communication.
Lexus expect a price tag of US$375 000 (approx.) when customer selection begins in the second-quarter of 2010. Sales will be limited to 500 examples with pre-sales expressions of interest accepted from today.
