There are so many exciting features of the LFA that describing all of them would need an entire book to cover each aspect in detail. Let’s start with the exterior design; the Lexus design team has used the L-finesse philosophy in designing the LFA: the large air scoops, sharp cuts and extremely low centre of gravity that the team has painstakingly created is remarkable.
The carbon fibre reinforced plastic (CFRP) that comprises 65 percent of the body and a new unique system developed to join the CFRP to the aluminium sub frame shows the unique engineering that has gone into the building of the LFA. Toyota developed their own circular loom to intertwine the CFPR strands into a strong and lightweight structure. Lexus will be using this component in future cars as well. The LFA has a curb weight of mere 1485kgs.
The LFA engine has been built by keeping the weight down to a minimum. Titanium and aluminium have been used extensively in building the 4.8 L V-10 engines, which is as small as a V8 engine and weighs as much as a V6 engine. The engine has been placed in the front, under the hood as far as possible. The engine revs from idle to 9000rpm, in 0.6 seconds. The LFA rockets from zero to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and tops out at 202mph. The engine cuts out at 9,600rpm. A conventional analogue rev counter could not measure the crank speed; therefore a digital rev counter had to be used. Ten individual electronically controlled throttle bodies of the naturally aspirated engine provide predictable throttle response.
The LFA features a dry sump lubrication system which is placed in the front. This enables placing the engine low in the bay to lower the centre of gravity and enables it to handle high speed cornering in excess of 2G.
The automatic sequential 6 speed paddle shift controlled gearbox enables the driver to always remain in control. The transaxle layout enables high speed cornering ability. There are four drive modes: normal, sport, auto and wet for the driver to select from.
The double wishbone front suspension and multi-link rear aluminium suspension system ensures minimum weight delivering high speed agility. The twenty inch forged aluminium wheels have asymmetric Bridgestone tyres. The brake systems are carbon ceramic with six piston callipers in the front and four at the back which provide steady braking even at 202mph and the floating disc construction ensures that there is no temperature expansion.
The twin radiators are placed in the rear and there are side air scoops to cool the radiators. There are three titanium exhaust pipes placed at the rear in an inverted triangle. A lot of detail has gone into making the LFA roar like a Formula One car. This is a breakaway from the whisper quiet environment that Lexus is renowned for. These are some of the exciting features of the true super car from Lexus, the LFA.
Discover more about the Lexus LFA cars, visit the Lexus website for more information.
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