Lexus LF-A spied at the ‘Ring, again

By Alborz Fallah | May 15th, 2009

The Lexus LF-A has been spied yet again on the challenging Nurburgring race circuit in Germany as engineers hunt down the benchmark lap time of the Nissan GT-R.

Lexus has reportedly refused to sign-off on the LF-A project until it has toppled the 7.26 minute lap time of the GT-R and considering its extended development time this is proving to be quite difficult.

Without even having been released for public sale the LF-A will line-up in the Nürburgring 24-hour endurance race as a means of honing the car under extreme racing conditions.

Using a front-mid-engine layout, the prototype features a 4.8-litre, V10, engine classed as ‘close-to-production’ that develops more than 365kW, mated to a paddle-shift, sequential-manual transmission.

Marcoz

Even with its heavy camoflage, this car looks great, 10,000 times better looking then that ugly nissan gtr…
i hope they make it….
RoFlmaTiC

So I guess that 7:24 rumoured lap time isn’t true
Lukaas

Looking very sleek indeed.
The air dams on the fr bumper looks bigger too.

I agree with Lexus that they should only go ahead if this car truelly performs to the level of the elite exotics.

The IS-F already is such a “beast” that for Lexus to justify having another “sports” car, it needs to be considerably “better” than the IS-F.

The pricing will no doubt be Scaglietti range… 500~600K USD, considering that the car if to make production will be Lexus/Toyota’s pinacle performer.
JML

Marcoz Says:
“…this car looks great…better looking then that ugly nissan gtr…”

I’d agree it looks better than the GTR, but I think “great” is a stretch. The front end looks like an angry Pokemon.

So Toyota is going to delay the release until they can beat the GT-R. By the time that happens Nissan will be making hovercars.
SteveH

Lukaas, I doubt whether this will cost that much. I thought the rumours were around the $250k – $300k mark. They wouldn’t sell a single car if they priced them the same as the Scaglietti
nobody

I think it looks great, judging from the concept photos (can’t tell much by the spy ones). It certainly doesn’t look like something a “safe” person would drive. It’s a step up in the proper direction for the F line and Lexus in general. Wasn’t too excited by the IS F though it’s a good car for it’s intended purpose.

Really wanting this to be produced and if they are, hopefully they will make it to oz. It’d definitely be a more welcomed sight on the road then those horrid SC’s, which I’ve seen quite abit of…
NacaYoda

Am I the only one who loves the shape of the GT-R ?
Pious

No, I’m with you. The GTR isnt beautiful, but it looks like it means business, IMO, and it is certainly intimidating. This lexus looks pretty 90′s to me, no matter how good it might be, though it might be nicer under the cladding.
Lukaas

SteveH,

I read a little information from torquereport.com, that stated Lexus wanted to price this car at around Scaglietti range. I too dont think they should… should be around 250~270K, but apparently, they going all-out in terms of features and performance…. maybe not all out performance but atleast similarly packaged to that of the 599 GTB from Ferrari…
Miniskip

I think what Lexus have doen is [yet again] taken a number of design cues/features from a range of other ecisting sports cars moulded them together and hope that it works.

I mean to me it looks like it’s got: the front 1/4 panels off a Chev corvette/dodge Viper; front airdam off a Lamborghini; Doors and roofline off a Porsche; tail lights off a Mitsubishi 3000GT; wing mirrors off a Ferrari; side air intakes off a Alfa Romeo Schigera; rear 1/4 panels off a Cizeta; Exhaust off a Zonda; the spoiler off a Veyron.

I can also see hints of a Koenigsegg; Audi R8.. virtually every other modern iconic performance sports car there is

But unbfortunately it doesn’t work – not when compared to an Aston Martin
Wheelnut

I agree Pious it does look like a car more from the 90s than the 00′s – like a Toyota Celica with a “Veilside” Bodykit.
http://www.checkwebhosting.com Neutral

I think this looks better than the GTR too. Shame the Honda NSX replacement model is canned. It’s always good to have a 3 way battle. The Honda was also gunning for the GT-R laptime when it was still alive.
Wheelnut

Neutral – Don’t forget Mitsubishi.. Back in the days when the NSX and Supra were first released; Mitsubishi had the 3000GT which was an awesome car and was the only one that could match the iconic GT-R in terms of perforance and hanldling not to mention looks and features etc

Just as you would like to see the NSX make a comeback I would like to see Mitsubishi build a new 3000GT..
However; any car such as the NSX 3000GT or the LF-A [if it ever makes it to production] will have to be an awesome car inorder to even come close to the current GT-R.
figjam

the nissan gt-r is no doubt a good car but at last someone other than me has said how ugly it looks! i saw the LF-A at the melbourne motor a couple of years ago and in the flesh it looks awesome!i just hope lexus put it into production!
Wheelnut

Lex-ota have been umming and aahhing about whether or not to put the LF-A into production for the past couple of years – as they have with the next generation Supra.. which I think is ualmost reached 10 years.

Not only that but Toyota fans like to think that the invincible Toyota are capable of releasing a new car into a new market and having that car dominate and out class the much more fancied more established rivals in that particular class.

If that is/was true why then haven’t Toyota released the LF-A or the Supra.. I mean if Holden can make a car go from production to reality within 2 years – with the Monaro] and Chve can do it with in 5 years – with the Camaro…. then it should take Toyota no longer than 2 weeks to do the same thing; given that they are supposedly far more superior than all the other major brands with more resources more money not to mention better engineering better design better technology etc
SteveH

Wheelnut, nice way to stir up the usual Lexus/Toyota bashing. Maybe the reason the Monaro only took two years was because it was off an existing platform that didn’t need much modification to make into the Monaro? Same with the Camaro, thats off the GM global platform as well isn’t it?

I am sure that the Lexus, if released, will be more technologically advanced than a Monaro or Camaro. It will have overhead cams for a start.
Another Toyota Recall

Hey just as theres Holden and Ford bashing from people like yourself SteveH,pot calling kettle there I think.

Wheelnut’s right Toyota have been bumping their gums over this car for years ,if they’re going to make it then do it,otherwise keep on making white appliances Toyota thats what we’re all use to!
Wheelnut

So what if the Monaro or the Camaro are built on existing platforms? at least then GM-Holden know that the performance and hanlding characteristics of the VT or the VE Sedan [for example] can easily be transferred across to the Coupe and that the Monaro or Camaro will perform and handle equally as well.

Whereas if they chose to design and build a completely new platform from scratch you’ve got to spend a lot more time and money on research and development trying to get it to work perfectly; to meet rhe desired benchmark etc and you mignt never get it right.. the car could end up being an absolute lemon.
Wheelnut

If Toyota-Lexus have a number of existing platforms that are as good as if not better than those of its rivals [BMW] then why don;t they use them..

The more they delay the release of the Supra or the LFA the harder its going to be for them

Because whilst Toyota have been umming and aahhing about releasing the Supra or the LF-A [and continue to do so] – their rivals such as Nissan will continue to develop and improve the cars

If Toyota are so good and so confident in their cars then they should finally release it so it can be compared to the GT-R.. “in the real world” at least that way if or when it fails to beat Godzilla they will know where they have to make changes.
SteveH

The point about sharing platforms is that it will take a lot less time to develop a car from an existing platform, rather than a completely new one. That seems fairly obvious. Also, at the time of the Monaro, wasn’t GM the number one car manufacturer in the world? I am probably wrong, but if they were, shouldn’t they have had the facilites to get a new car out in ’2 weeks’.

Also, I doubt they will release the LF-A if they know full well it will be beaten by the GTR. That would not make much sense seeing as all of the current press on the car is about how it will beat the GTR at the Ring
Wheelnut

SteveH says: “I doubt they will release the LF-A if they know full well it will be beaten by the GT-R.”

Aaahh yes but remember when Lexus announced that they were going to build the IS-F and not only Lexus [but also their fans] made claims that it would beat the best from Germany…. there were people saying that it had no chance of beating the M3 or the C63 – yet Lexus released it anyway…. and whilst it didn’t beat them it came close and as a result Lexus could see where they had to make a number of changes to help it get that little bit closer.

You never never know if you never have a go
SteveH

Agree with the IS F reference, but if Lexus were saying they were trying to be better than the Ferrari F430, Lamborghini 560-4 and the GTR, you could understand if it fell short of each car in different areas. However, because it is because compared only to the GTR, it really should beat that car before it is released.
SteveH

And besides, if they released it and it was slower than the GTR, that would be far too easy for all of the Lexus haters to pull out the usual remarks.
Wheelnut

SteveH: And besides, if they released it and it was slower than the GTR, that would be far too easy for all of the Lexus haters to pull out the usual remarks.

Well release it then; and prove them/us wrong.
Camski

Released by Lexus -
550hp (410kw)
Top Speed 218mph (350.8km/h)

Looks promising =)
Wheelnut

I’d rather have the 800hp Ford Fiesta that Former World Rally Chammp Marcos Gronholm will be piloting at Pikes Peak – Now that’s a Supercar!
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

Top speed should be ” 218mph (350.8km/h)” its last go was 199 not quiet enough to be called a supercar just yet
Camski

I spose, but then again, define supercar =P

In term’s of straightline, that’s plenty fast especially if that 350km/h is achieved (and not electronically limited of course).

If you’ve seen any of the video’s, it sure does sound supercar at least =P That V10 is a real screamer even by comparison to a Gallardo/M6 – what have you. With any luck that sound will be maintained in the production (to be?) model.

Might I add, anything with power north of that of a C63 is pretty scary, with a ECU reflash that thing puts out 400+kw’s and if you ask me, mid to high 3 second runs to 100 is pretty super-car-ish to me =D (all the way to 300km/h+ easy)
Wheelnut

Aaahh Toyota themselves have admitted [for once] that the speed and performance of the LF-A – whilst impressive [for some] isn’t enough for it to be considered a “supercar”.
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

With that theory Camski you could put plenty of door slammers and Nitro funny cars in that segment too then
Wheelnut

As for the sound.. you will only ever hear it if/when the car is travelling at top speed etc which I suspect will most likely be never particularly when you’re driving in bumper to bumper peak hour traffic.. that is if it makes it into production – it could end up being just another “Supra”
Realcars

A v10 Supra. Big deal!

Still can’t catch the Nissan.LOL.

Toyota seems to be trying too hard to drop the mundane image.
Realcars

Wonder if it uses the Camry platform?LOL.
ZoomZoom

One of these caught on fire at the Nurburgring 24 hr race
Camski

Bavarian Missile – Yeah I guess =P But then again there’s some excellently tuned cars out there like 335i’s and IS350′s (even if they are styled funny with added kit) that’re putting down more than 400kw’s and with a shot of N2O… =O

Wheelnut – Yes and no. Not so much top speed but top engine speed maybe. I guess most of the time you won’t hear it but on the same note, if you’ve ever sat next to an idling Murcielago or even a something with a few less cylinder’s (think 430 Scud) that’s pretty damn loud – a tasteful loud too, no rice burners here. My 63 from get go with stock exhaust is plenty loud without the annoying drone the Scud puts out from the low capacity (small cylinders) V8 and demand’s plenty of attention without the supercar appearance =)
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

http://www.autoblog.com/2009/05/29/video-lexus-lf-a-supercar-burns-it-up-at-the-nurburgring-24/
Wheelnut

Zoom Zoom: I Just watched the video of the LF-A which caught fire at the Nurburgring 24hr [on Autoblog]- and you could hear the snap crackle and pop
Bavarian Missile (.)(.)

LF-A = Looking For Acceptance!

Apparently the Lexus was fast than the Astons around the track {although they were basically stock} however the Lexus spent 6 hours in the garage with mechanical problems……awwwwwww

Congrats to the Germans again ,another win!