Lexus LF-A 2011 2011 Review
The world's biggest carmaker has built its first supercar.Lexus LF-A
First Drive
Price: $750,000
Engine: 4.8-litre V10
Output: 412kW/480Nm
Transmission/Final drive: Six-speed robotised manual, transaxle
Wheels: 20 x 9.5 (f), 20 x 11.5 (r)
Tyres: 265/35 R20 95Y (f), 305/30 R20 99Y (r)
Fuel: 16.7L/100km
More photos of the Lexus LF-A at motoring.com.au
BACK TO SCRATCH
How’s this for commitment? When developing the LF-A, Toyota’s luxury division Lexus spent five painstaking years designing and engineering an aluminium body structure that could handle the toughest demands of the supercar world.
In those five years – the time it usually takes to design and build a car from scratch and deliver it to the showroom – that same aluminium body structure had to pass all the carmaker’s reliability and durability tests, as well as crash performance.
Having completed the company’s due diligence processes, the aluminium LF-A was in the final stages of going into production… And then the company scrapped it.
At the eleventh hour, Lexus engineers discovered they could build a better supercar by using carbon-fibre, the same super-strong but lightweight material from which Formula One cars are made.
Indeed, Lexus adapted much of the technology its parent company Toyota learned from its time in F1 racing – and ended up producing three different types and strengths of the exotic material, one of which invented a world-first, mass-production process to create carbon-fibre.
And so, despite the millions of engineering hours already invested – not to mention the financial cost – Lexus went back to the drawing board to create its ultimate supercar.
Even for Lexus, this was a whole new level of perfection.
TWO INTO ONE
It explains why the LF-A has been such a long time in the making; the company hasn’t built just one car over the past 10 years, it has built two.
Work on the original aluminium LF-A began in February 2000, but the first concept car wasn’t revealed to the public until the Detroit motor show of January 2005. Little did anyone outside the company know that the decision to switch from aluminium to carbon-fibre was about to be made.
In May 2005, at the request of chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi -- who would later go on to co-develop the Lexus IS-F sports sedan -- the LF-A team was called in to see the chief technology officer, who told them the car’s structure was switching to carbon-fibre.
He told shocked colleagues that the LF-A “did not have to be tied to a schedule” in order to build the car they wanted. To work with such time flexibility – effectively a blank cheque – is a rare privilege in the automotive world.
Lexus had already tested the LF-A at the famous Nurburgring circuit in Germany the year before, but the biggest test was to come. After being told that carbon-fibre was the new direction, Lexus engineers had to build up the courage to take to a brand-new Porsche Carrera GT with a knife. They cut the German maker’s supercar down the middle to perform an autopsy.
They wanted to see how Porsche had adapted F1 carbon-fibre technology to a road car. Other cars that were prodded and probed during the making of the LF-A included a Lamborghini Gallardo, Mercedes-McLaren SLR, Ferrari F430, Aston Martin DBS and another Porsche – no less than a 911 GT2.
And so, by the end of 2005, instead of gearing up for production, Lexus had decided to proceed with a complete carbon-fibre structure and body – and pushed the on-sale date of the LF-A out to early 2011.
All this extra time, money and effort would trim the LF-A’s weight by just 100kg but also provide a stronger frame from which the engineers could develop more agile handling.
One-hundred kilos doesn’t sound like much, but it meant the LF-A would now only weigh as much as a Toyota Corolla.
The lightest of the LF-As is the limited Nurburgring edition set to be released later this year. On this model, the rear wing is fixed, the engine gains 7kW (or 10hp), the gearbox has quicker shift times. Importantly, 50kg has been trimmed from the car’s overall weight (down to 1480kg), largely thanks to the fitment of lighter wheels and the removal of some creature comforts. (LF-As sold in Australia weigh 1530kg because they come with all the mod-cons.)
On all LF-As, the core structure, roof, doors, bonnet and rear hatch are made from carbon-fibre. Only the mounting points, front sub frame, rear crash structure and suspension are aluminium. The fuel filler flap, incidentally, is plastic because it’s a small delicate part.
The result is a car with an almost perfect weight distribution of 48:52 front-to-rear.
FIVE FAST FACTS
- After 5 years of planning, engineering and design the original LF-A was scrapped in 2005 and work restarted from scratch
- The LF-A car is available in the games, Gran Turismo 5, Forza Motorsport 3 and Shift 2: Unleashed
- The engine and exhaust notes were tuned in the same Yamaha sound studio used to test musical instruments
- The total weight of the LF-A is the same as a Toyota Corolla
- All ten Lexus LF-A cars coming to Australia have been pre-sold
HYBRID HYPOTHETICAL?
It’s a little-known fact that Lexus also went a long way down the path of creating a hybrid version of the LF-A. According to insiders it initially developed the hybrid alongside the V10 version and discovered that the hybrid was as quick as – if not quicker than – the V10.
But Lexus was so keen for the LF-A to be taken seriously by its automotive peers – as well as enthusiasts – it decided to build a supercar powered by more traditional means.
And so, in conjunction with performance engine partner Yamaha, Lexus pursued development of a compact, lightweight V10 that would slot under the LF-A’s sleek nose. The engine’s internal dimensions were changed twice before settling on 4.8-litres as the ideal displacement. With a 72-degree V-angle, it’s as compact as a V8.
In the end, a heart with 412kW of power and 480Nm of torque was born – with 90 per cent of peak torque stretching from 3700rpm all the way to the 9000rpm redline. Enough grunt to sprint to 100km/h in 3.7 seconds.
Lexus and Yamaha created such a lightweight and responsive design, the LF-A’s V10 can free-rev to 9000rpm in 0.6 of a second, equivalent to the reflexes of a motorcycle or F1 engine.
So attracted was the chief engineer to the sound of the V10 – as opposed to a V8 or V12 which were also briefly considered – the engine and exhaust notes were tuned in the same Yamaha sound studio used to test musical instruments.
“Personally, I think sound is the most important element that gives rise to the state of euphoria in a supercar,” says the chief engineer, Tanahashi Haruhiko.
“In the LF-A’s initial plan, the first item I put under required performance was sound. This is highly unusual, as a typical supercars’ plan would normally list engine performance or handling at the beginning. The main reason I chose to use a V10 was its harmonic sound.”
Engineers had to strike a balance between extracting the most power as well as delighting the senses.
Countless exhaust and air intake designs were trialed. Between testing sessions, engineers repeatedly listened to various CDs and DVDs with Formula One sound tracks as their inspiration. It might have looked like easy work, however it was anything but.
During the process, engineers discovered the human ear could detect tones that even the hi-tech testing equipment could not. For example, engineers discovered that the human ear detected the richest sound when the surge tank (the hollow cover atop the engine that creates resonance in the same way as the body of an acoustic guitar does) vibrated at 400Hz. So they modified the shape of the surge tank and reinforced it with internal ribs to create the exact rigidity that would have it vibrate at 400Hz at certain engine revs. This testing alone took up to two years.
There are acoustic ‘flaps’ behind the firewall to meter sound into the cabin as engine revs rise. The lower part of the dash emits 400Hz sounds, and the upper part of the dash emits 800Hz sounds. It’s unlikely any other car maker has gone to such trouble to enhance a car’s aural delights.
One of the LF-A’s three exhaust outlets is actually a resonator that creates extra exhaust crackle. This is a strategy Ferrari arrived at in its own development of the 458 Italia.
The underbody is covered with flat panels to reduce air turbulence and improve stability at high speed. There are tiny ribs on the inner edge of the tapered door mirrors, to direct air away from the side glass. Even the clear lumps on the shark-like headlamps are designed to improve airflow.
The rear spoiler tucks away neatly until the LF-A reaches high speeds. It is so effective at creating downforce that Lexus keeps it stowed most of the time, to reduce fuel consumption. Above 80km/h, however, the rear spoiler rises by up to 210mm and reveals four elegant and superbly crafted aluminium, hydraulic struts. They look so good it’s a shame to keep them hidden.
The massive air intakes in the front bumper help the engine and brakes keep their cool. The LF-A is the first Lexus with carbon-fibre discs -- they’re the same type used by Ferrari, Bentley and the Corvette ZR-1, among others.
The gearbox is a six-speed, single clutch, robotised manual; the driver selects each ratio via levers on the steering wheel, the same way Formula One drivers do.
The gearbox itself is mounted between the rear wheels and connected to the engine via a torque tube in the spine of the car, under the floor, in the hump between the seats.
To bring the driver and passenger as far inboard as possible, and closest to the car’s centre of gravity, engineers designed the exhaust system to be positioned under the torque tube, rather than either side of it, which would have pushed the driver and passenger further apart. It’s a neat and unique solution.
KEY TO SUCCESS
Inside, the LF-A blends straight-forward functionality with sportiness. There is no fancy proximity key (the chief engineer’s wife kept losing the proximity key to his company car, so the rumour goes) but there is a start button on the steering wheel because Haruhiko-san believed that was one of the great pleasures of supercar ownership… Even if you must first turn an ignition key…
There are a dozen colour and trim combinations but customers are most commonly choosing black. One of the cabin highlights is the digital display that slides across the instrument panel. Like something from a science fiction movie, expect to see it on other Lexus models (perhaps even the new GS) in the future.
In addition to two front airbags, all LF-As come with airbags in the seatbelts -- a world first for front-seat use. (Ford of North America introduced seatbelt airbags in the rear of its Explorer SUV at the same time – January 2011).
LF-As sold in Australia also come with a 12-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, navigation and (shock!) Bluetooth wireless phone connectivity. You’d be surprised how many supercars don’t have this feature. But if you’re tempted by the $750,000 pricetag (excluding on-road costs), there’s bad news. All 10 cars coming to Australia -- of the 500 total be made over the next two years -- are sold.
Incredibly, after initially ordering just five LF-As, Lexus Australia was so overwhelmed by demand, the number of cars eventually doubled. Indeed, Australia now has the fourth largest allocation of LF-As in the world behind Japan, North America and Germany.
On per-capita basis, Australia is punching well above its weight. And clearly, there are enough Australians who believe the LF-A has been worth the wait.
Please see our Editorial Guidelines & Code of Ethics (including for more information about sponsored content and paid events). The information published on this website is of a general nature only and doesn’t consider your particular circumstances or needs.
