The
Lexus LFA
The Lexus LFA is a supercar produced by a Japanese company named
Lexus. The company took 10 years to design and create this beauty. I feel that
the LFA is one of the company’s finest works. The car is known for its
screaming engine and amazing performance on the track. I feel that this
car is where perfection, simplicity and elegance are at its best. Only 500
models have been produced and each costs a stunning $400,000 making it one of
the most expensive Japanese cars ever made.
Under the hood of this beast lies a front-mid 4.8Lt 72 degree V10
engine with dual VVT-i (Variable Valve Train with intelligence) — mated to
a six - speed Automatic Sequential Gearbox (ASG) rear transaxle, with
forged magnesium-alloy shift paddles — that sends a stunning 564 HP
and 480 Nm of torque to the rear wheels. The special feature of this gear
system is that it can shift the gears really fast, in about 200
milliseconds!! With this much power, it can travel from 0-100 Kmph (0-60
MPH) in 3.6 seconds!! And has a top speed of 325 Kmph (202 MPH). Although the
specs may not be greater than the other existing cars, what’s really special
about the car is that it can reach it’s redline piston revolutions (0-9000 rpm)
in 0.6 seconds!!! With high speeds come good breaking. The LFA has a one
of the most advanced breaking systems in the world. It has a 6 piston caliper
system in the front and a 4 piston caliper system in the rear. The disc is made
out of 2 piece carbon ceramic material for ultimate strength.
The body is mostly made of carbon fiber which makes the car light.
The car is so sleek and aerodynamic that it has a drag coefficient of about
0.31.
The feature that I find very unique and interesting is that the body is
designed in such a way that the air is channeled to various parts of the car.
For example, the air scoops located over the rear fenders feed air to
the aft-mounted radiators and help cool the brakes, the horizontal hood gap
also feeds air to the engine and the 2 small aft vents expel air that is
collected by an underbody air scoop and used to cool the titanium exhaust
pipes. The main intention of the design is downforce for more
control. The spoiler rises up through a hydraulic system when the car is
travelling at high speeds, therefore giving the car lots of downforce.
The interiors consist of 2 seats that are made up of quality
leather. They are placed in such a way that the driver sits near the center of
the car therefore giving the driver ultimate comfort and control. The wheel is
made up of carbon fiber, leather and aluminum.
The center part is a long
aluminum block that contains many function and knob that lets the driver choose
between normal, auto, wet or sport mode. The center screen is touch screen and
has options to play music, use GPS navigation, etc. The interiors are
comparatively simple from the rest of the cars which make the driver drive at
ease.
The screen behind the steering wheel is a thin film transistor LCD
display that has a digital tachometer. This feature is not found in any other
car. The reason for a digital tachometer is, since the car the car can reach
0-9000 rpms in 0.6 seconds, the analog tachometers will not be that accurate!!
One of the ways to attract the buyer is to give them an option to
choose the color of the leather and metal that goes into the car, the color of
the car, color of the calipers and the color of the rear view mirrors and the
design of the rims, therefore giving the buyer a very personal approach.
The LFA has 2 versions, one is the regular coupe and the other is
the Nürburgring edition.
This car is specially made for the track. This car has
10 more horsepower than the regular, has better transmission and suspension
since its track restricted.
The LFA is also called as the “The King of the Nurburgring”. It
allowed the driver Akira Lida to complete one lap in just 7:14.64!!! For a
car with specs like this, that is a very impressive time and much quicker than
its competitors.
