Video: Lexus LFA sights and sounds
October 22, 2009 by George Skentzos
Following its belated debut at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier today, footage of the new Lexus LFA has been released letting us hear as well as see the new supercar for the first time.
The video stretches from the car’s development – which was prolonged thanks to the GT-R upping the ante for Japanese supercars – to its feats of endurance before finally showing off the end production model.
Tags: Lexus LFA
Jesus christ, may god have mercy, that noise…
Amazing, quite frankly. Just like the shown prototypes thrown around the ‘Ring, they maintained that noise in the production model.
One thing Lexus do know how to do (whether you like their cars or not) is make a good commercial. The direction and filming is perfect.
“One thing Lexus do know how to do (whether you like their cars or not) is make a good commercial. The direction and filming is perfect.”
I agree. Compare that clip to the latest HSVs…
C’mon, that’s just not fair! Even BMW got it’s advert of guys driving inside the confines of an artist canvas pulled from telly for insighting reckless driving.. How would Mr Scrubby feel about this add????
Man that high revving engine makes it sound like an F1 car
I wish I could own one :(
That really reminded me of a F1 sound. Beautiful! Too bad it looks like a bad ’90s supercar made by some backyard company…
What a noise, even more savage than M5, reminds me of the Carrera GT. In fact, i’d say it sounds even better than the Gallardo, the Gallardo’s noise sounds bit artificial somehow, this sounds more pure motorsport.
Styling is subjective, and i think it’s not too bad, what is disappointing is the use of single clutch paddle shifts. They really should’ve gone with dual clutch like everyone else, i wonder if this is because the drivetrain design was frozen a few years ago before the rise of twin clutch gearbox and they simply waited too long to bring it to the market.
I like it. I like it a whole lot. The noise is superb, and even though I’m not too keen on the rear end visuals in isolation, from side-on the look of the car works. Here’s hoping it will be as good to drive as it looks and sounds.
Maybe they cant put that much power into a dual clutch
When I think of sports cars I never think Toyota, but let me say I appreciate this car trying and also the use of carbon fibre throughout most of the car is trying to do something different.
The rear tail is an idea from the Lancia Themma, but then again I allow only the Japs to copy Italians and Germans because they find ways to make elite technology affordable to semi mainstream.
In closing-
I allow this car to be made.
Well you wont be thinking of this car,when you think Toyota.You will be thinking Lexus,as they are essentially totally independant and separate now.
If you really appreciate, don’t use the word “Jap”.
I cant be bothered finding the stats, is it a sequential auto, an auto with a self-shift function or a single clutch automated manual?
If its a sequential auto that makes sense, cause thats raceeeee car stuff!
Otherwise… not so much.
They probably didnt want to make the same mistake as Nissan with that fragile dual clutch transaxle those silly chickens put in the GTR.
Oh what an absolute hoot sounding engine – F1 noise ftw!
it could probably go under a truck. like they do it in fast and furious. not a tall looking car
And there I was, thinking that Lexus couldn’t make a good supercar. It sounds just like one of the old V10 F1 cars. Awesome stuff.
Here are some quotes from another website who have driven the car:
“Although the car is extravagantly expensive, Lexus says it will lose money on every one. We believe it. The last car that incorporated a similar level of technology, performance, and exclusivity was the $650,000 Ferrari Enzo. At $350,000, the LFA begins to look like something of a bargain.”
and
“We drove the car on a mixture of autobahn and dual-track roads, as well as at the Nürburging. Everywhere, all day long, it’s an absolute missile.”
Yep, they’ll loose a packet with only 500 units going to production. Worst business case i’ve ever heard.
Hopefully they make use of all the development and bring out another version in 3 or 4 years.
Its obvious a 5-6 year research and development for this car… the budget would of been massive…
and only to produce 500!
thats a cardinal sin in Toyota efficiency…
Which brings the following possibilities…
(1) A couple of other “sports” variants will be produced using the “technology” used in this vehicle. The engine for one can give birth to a V6 and V8 variant.
(2) Not so much the Carbon Fiber, but the layout of the car/chassis and engine has never been done in a Toyota vehicle before and with this vehicle, they just set a new benchmark which will eventually be used to produce “affordable” “mass production” sports vehicles in the future.
The cost of development on this would have been absolutly massive.
But it is completly justified, Lexus has done this before, all the v8 engines lexus use are still related to the original 1uz-fe v8 that was developed for the ls400, and developmental costs for that was about the 400 million USD mark.
The technology in the car will be adapted throughout the whole Toyota/Lexus line-up.
As you just said, the engine will probably be downsized for other applications, and the platform wil be used in other cars too.
All manufacturers do this, for example the Audi r8 has its own chassis, but most of the other parts are sourced directly from Lamborghini.
The only way they justified making a new platform is because the R8 chassis is going to be the basis for the next murci.
All manufacturers have been doing this for years
I find it quite interesting that for some reason they only want to make 500 of them. They will undoubtedly all sell out in a very short amount of time once they go on sale.
Are Toyota doing this just to see how much interest they can generate with this car and then lead it to bigger better things or smaller better things like some have suggested.
The amount of motor shows and promotion they have put into this car is a crime not to make more than 500 of them.
It truly is a crime not making 500 of these isn’t it?
They’re probably doing this in order to generate interest and create a “Halo” car, kind of like the R8 or the SLS.
Haha, how much bigger and better can they get though?, I’d be inclined to say that this car would be a lead in towards smaller better things. Though you have to remember that this is not exactly going to boost Toyota’s cred, the car isn’t under that badge, the LFA will only be associated with the Lexus brand.
I was a bit dubious on the whole thing until that video… if only I could afford one
Its so beautiful.
Hoping the toybaru sounds like this!!!! haha
that noise is just aaawwsome.
Great video, great sound, great rest-of-car, but those headlights still stand out for all the wrong reasons. And there is nothing wrong with the proportions either. I don’t think the front headlights belong on that car. It ruins it for me.
This is why Manufacturers spend billions on motorsports.
crikey toyota are good at making fridges… the best i’ve ever heard, and bloody fast by the looks of things!