Lexus LF-A 2011 Review

Two laps of a racetrack are hardly enough to compose a genuine impression of any car -- let alone a company's very first supercar. And when those laps are 'tethered' with chicanes and a lead car, the impressions must be delivered with even greater caveats...

But it's hard to blame Lexus for keeping a lid on proceedings. After all with a pricetag of $700,000 LF-As don't come cheap. And with production strictly limited to 500 units -- ever -- the cost becomes somewhat academic. The company would be hard pressed to get a right-hand drive production slot to replace its sole demonstrator were the worst to come to pass.

So cutting to the chase, that's all motoring.com.au got -- two laps of Sandown. About 15 corners, give or take a pit entry or two... Eight or so throttle applications. Perhaps the same number of pushes on the exquisite machined alloy floor-hinged brake pedal -- only one or two of them in 'anger'...

It's hard therefore to be demonstrative. These are very much first impressions.

That said they're impressions tempered with great respect for the level of technology that has been built into LF-A. As we outlined in our technical feature on the car, this is very much a showcase for all that's good about Lexus' engineering prowess and the company's intent to inject its cars with more sporting appeal moving forward.

Thus the LF-A is a rolling bucket of DNA from which Lexus promises to take regular samples to clone into its future models. If the company's true to its word, overall that's good news for the brand.

But back to the test day... The first thing that impresses is the level of craftsmanship. Exquisite carbon lay-ups and what look like hand-milled alloy parts litter the LF-A. It really is a car that rewards a good hard look. Indeed, from the hinges under the bonnet to the struts on the active rear wing, there's a feast of goodies to gaze upon.

Drop one of the beautifully crafted road wheels and the hardware in the wheeltub looks serious -- racecar serious. Big carbon ceramic brakes can't be missed and the serious piggyback dampers with spring preload and damping adjustment look like they are straight from a Le Mans car.

True, there's less 'drama' under the bonnet than we'd like (take a look at engine bay of a Lambo if you need a template) but at least the 4.8-litre V10 is not totally shrouded in plastic and there's some hint of what's going on... Am I the only one that's finds the engine bay of late model cars a total let down?

Getting into the LF-A is no harder than most sports coupes. There's no super-wide sill and the H-point, while low, is not extreme. The only slightly tricky part is working out how the special airbag-equipped seatbelt locks into place.

Pulling both the steering-column mounted gearshift paddles towards you engages neutral and the engine starts with a push of the wheel-mounted button. The bark is relatively subdued but there's no shortage of intent. The V10 revs freely on the throttle and as the car's already warm, it's time for my scant stint behind the wheel to begin.

Sandown is frankly not a track that brings the best out of a car like the LF-A. It's essentially two dragstrips joined by some squiggles. The only fast corner on the track is coned off with witches hats. As I floor the throttle out of the pits it's easy to reel in the IS-F that's being used as a lead car. I'm wishing the venue for the drive was Phillip Island... The island's fast flowing layout would suit this car to a tee, I reckon.

And I'm right, for with Sandown's stop-start nature the LF-A simply doesn't feel like a supercar. Sure, it responds keenly and predictably to control inputs but there's none of the Oh My God moments you expect... I'm sort of disappointed.

Though the car feels fast, it's far from breathtaking... In part this is because it takes a while to retune your internal 'tacho'. If you change gears by ear you change the best part of 3000rpm short of the real power.

Keep the boot in and at 5500rpm the LF-As V10 sounds like a seriously muscular V8, if a touch light on in the power stakes. Keep your right foot buried via the floor hinged pedals and there's more power available and a totally different soundtrack.

The car gets into its stride at around 6500rpm and is one rapid shrill cry through to the 9000rpm red zone of the tacho. And by then there's one of Sandown's slow corners in the way of fast flowing progress.

The LF-As is fast, but it's not the rock-hard turbo-boosted or large capacity stomp you expect from a supercar... This is chiefly due to its comparatively modest torque output. While the 40-valve V10 is rated at 412kW at 8700rpm, maximum torque is just 480Nm at 7000rpm. Locally-brewed turbo sixes and V8s pump out 15 per cent more.

If the latest Euro V8s are explosive the LF-A is more a slow burn... To be frank I expected more.

The brakes are strong -- plenty strong and the man who has done more laps in LF-As than anyone, US racer Scot Pruett, says they stay that way all day, everyday. Scott's one of the good guys in international racing and I have no reason to doubt him.

Wearing his Lexus hat, he's too polite to criticise the gearbox, however. I'm not -- it's the worst aspect of the car...

Like Audi's R tronic, the LF-A uses an automated single clutch gearbox. The changes are far from lightning fast and even on the fastest setting there's a noticeable halt in proceedings as the change happens -- contrast this to the lightning-fast (and smooth) changes of the best dual clutch set-ups. Not good enough, Lexus.

I'm no fan of the paddles separated from the wheel, either. At least the downshifts work well and the automated throttle blips give the V10 another chance to seduce you with sound.

The brakes are the strongest thing about the LF-A. The pedal is progressive and there's mega amounts of retardation available as the pedal is pushed further to the floor.

Steering is sharp but predictable. The turn-in is short of surprises (a good thing) and the stability control system is relatively inconspicuous. Impressive, even more so given the spits of rain that start during my drive... That said, Sandown's not the sort of track where there's long high cornering loads. It would be interesting to see how the calibration copes at other tracks. 

All too soon the drive's over. And I'm left with a slightly sour taste in my mouth. I wanted to be awed by the LF-A. Instead I've come away wondering, exquisite workmanship aside, what all the fuss has been about...

Worst of all I wanted to be left with a real appetite for the cars that Lexus will craft in the coming years from the lesson it's learned from LF-A. While I'm still eager to see where the brand takes its road models, alas on the basis of the LF-A I'm peckish rather than ravenous...

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