With the success of similar cars like the Nissan GTR, Lexus
has recently taken a shot at developing its own supercar, the LFA. The LFA
starts at around $350,000 and reaches 60 in 3.6 seconds with its devilish
launch control system. It also produces astounding numbers like 1.0g in lateral
acceleration and stopping from 70 to 0 in 156 feet. The most impressive
performance test this car excelled in was the slalom which is a fairly standard
test done on sports cars where a car has to weave through cones set up in a
straight lines and a certain distance away from each other. The faster the car
can move through the slalom the better. The Lexus completed this test at 75.2
MPH, which is one of the fastest ever recorded. Then again, uniquely impressive
performance should be expected from a car that costs almost $400k.
Lexus chose to use a V10 engine for the LFA for its ability
to rev higher than the V8. The engine redlines at 9,000 RPM but doesn’t have a
fuel cutoff set until 9,500 RPM. Lexus claims that this engine can rev from
idle, to redline in 0.6 seconds, which is so fast that an analog tachometer
couldn’t accurately track it so they used a digital one instead.
For its chassis it uses a carbon fiber-reinforced polymer
center monocoque. According to the manufacturer, the material matches
aeronautical grades and is woven by a laser monitored in a circular loom,
currently one of only two in the world. This ultra light material saves
approximately 220 lbs of mass over the equivalent aluminum alternative. The
weight distribution of the Lexus is nearly perfect with 50.2% at the rear and
49.8% in the front combining to a total weight of around 3,300 lbs.
With its 5.0 Liter V10 producing up to 500 horsepower and
354 lb-ft of torque the LFA is able to reach speeds of over 200 MPH. This power
plant gives the LFA a weight-to-power ratio of an astonishing 5.9 lbs per
horsepower.
The LFA uses a 6-Speed Automated Sequential Gearbox, which
can be operated with paddle shifters, mounted on the steering column. The
driver can also choose between four modes: auto, normal, sport, and wet. In
sport mode the LFA can complete shift times in 200 ms; these lightning fast
shifts are what allow quarter mile times of 11.6 seconds.
In the end this is Lexus’ first attempt at creating a genuine
super car. Their idea was to bring something completely unique to the table
with exceptional performance, and with the LFA, they did just that.