Topic: Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition turns a lap around the ring in 7:14.464

[Mike]

They are calling it the fastest car in it's class which I take to mean 'production' car on stock tires?  Crazy fast time as it beats all the other heavy weights like the Viper ACR, GT-R, 911 GT2 RS, Corvette ZR-1, etc.  Doubt even on a fully dry track if the GT-R would beat it.

http://youtu.be/z67KeFZLjX8

[rrocket]

Very, very impressive.  Imagine how much quicker it would have went if it had DOT race tires like the ZR-1??  Instead it turned the lap on Potenza RE070.

Fastest serial production car.  Not too shabby.

[TopGun]

I can buy a ZR-1 easily.  Could I get a LF-A if I wanted one?

[Allen]

 

[rrocket]

I can buy a ZR-1 easily.  Could I get a LF-A if I wanted one?

Yes.  As long as you have the coin. When I inquired about it, all I had to do was leave a deposit.  It was a 1-2 year wait though.  Which is the case for many supercars that are built to their owners tastes.

[Jaeger]

The LF-A just completely destroyed the ZR-1.  Period.  Predictably, some really don't like that, so cue the excuses.

I can buy a ZR-1 easily. 

If I could buy a ZR-1 "easily" there would be one in my driveway.

Jaeger

[rrocket]

If I could buy a ZR-1 "easily" there would be one in my driveway.

Jaeger

I think what he means rather than plunking down his own cash is the "availability" of the Vette vs. LF-A.  Certainly it would be much easier to find/buy a production line ZR-1 than it would an almost all hand-built LF-A. The ZR-1 is built on the same line as the other C6 Vettes.  The LF-A has a special assembly line along with some one-off machinery and special carbon fibre looms. 

You are paying for the performance, technology and exclusivity of the LF-A. 

Here's a neat article about an owner who visited the LF-A plant:

http://lexusenthusiast.com/2011/01/20/lexus-lfa-buyer-tours-the-lfa-manufacturing-facility/

[CanuckS2K]

If I could buy a ZR-1 "easily" there would be one in my driveway.

Jaeger

I think what he means rather than plunking down his own cash is the "availability" of the Vette vs. LF-A.  Certainly it would be much easier to find/buy a production line ZR-1 than it would an almost all hand-built LF-A. The ZR-1 is built on the same line as the other C6 Vettes.  The LF-A has a special assembly line. 

You are paying for the performance, technology and exclusivity of the LF-A. 

Here's a neat article about an owner who visited the LF-A plant:

http://lexusenthusiast.com/2011/01/20/lexus-lfa-buyer-tours-the-lfa-manufacturing-facility/

And if money wasn't an issue I would have ZERO issues plunking down the money for an LF-A.

[Frontier1]

Is that the $400,000 car with the Yamaha engine?

[rrocket]

Is that the $400,000 car with the Yamaha engine?

No.  Yamaha did the acoustical design of the engine so it had that sweet F1 sound.  The closest I've read was that like the IS-F, the cylinder heads were "co-developed" by Yamaha along with some of the intake, particularly the sound.  Not sure why it would be a big deal if Yamaha did the engine a full 100%.  Yamaha has built some of the greatest 4 stroke engines ever made and used to make Formula 1 engines among others.  Yamaha 5 valve per cylinder design was later adopted by Ferrari (and others) after Yamaha's 20 year patent expired.  Other automakers have also used Yamaha's engine building/design expertise.

Yamaha and Toyota have had a very long relationship.  Their first notable one was the design and engine in Japan's first "supercar", the 2000GT.

[aquadorhj]

Is that the $400,000 car with the Yamaha engine?

yup.

those with ford taurus SHO (not the new one, the original) should be very proud, as their v6 was also Yamaha developed.  

Conan had no trouble selling that to other celebs. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uukjz0Gyv8s

hmm.  if i had 400k just laying around somewhere, (and enuf money for every other life necessities already in the bank) i would totally get a lexi lfa.

[rrocket]

^^^^IIRC, the V8 SHO engine was assembled in Japan by Yamaha.

Yamaha is like Cosworth...they often use some of their engine expertise/design/tuning for car companies.

[Mike]

^^^^IIRC, the V8 SHO engine was assembled in Japan by Yamaha.

Yamaha is like Cosworth...they often use some of their engine expertise/design/tuning for car companies.

You are correct, and a modified edition is now driving around Volvo's

[Julie]

 

[TopGun]

The LF-A just completely destroyed the ZR-1.  Period.  Predictably, some really don't like that, so cue the excuses.

Predictably you would think the addition of other perspectives or additional context as excuses.  So be it.

Something I don't think has been raised in other than the title, is that this is the Nürburgring edition - only 50 of these will be made available.  Don't forget, there are only 500 LFAs (including the 50 discussed) that will be built.  The Nürburgring package adds $70,000US to the $375,000US base price.

Taking a look at the 2 mile Laguna Seca lap times, the LFA is "completely destroyed" (by almost 2 seconds a lap) by...wait for it...a Corvette Z06 Carbon.  MotorTrend did test both.  http://www.fastestlaps.com/tracks/laguna_seca.html

And with all that said, my guess will be that this solidifies the business case for a flappy-paddle transmission for some next Corvette.  I don't know how many shifts are made around the 'Ring...but my guess would be a lot...and a computer can just shift much quicker than a human.

[ktm525]

^^^^IIRC, the V8 SHO engine was assembled in Japan by Yamaha.

Yamaha is like Cosworth...they often use some of their engine expertise/design/tuning for car companies.

You are correct, and a modified edition is now driving around Volvo's

With a "sealed" camshaft bearing that fails (corrodes)  and turns it into a non-driving around Volvo.

[Mike]

^^^^IIRC, the V8 SHO engine was assembled in Japan by Yamaha.

Yamaha is like Cosworth...they often use some of their engine expertise/design/tuning for car companies.

You are correct, and a modified edition is now driving around Volvo's

With a "sealed" camshaft bearing that fails (corrodes)  and turns it into a non-driving around Volvo.