Sheer euphoria awaits us as we get behind the wheel of the Lexus LFA on the Fuji Speedway in Japan
A typical Monday morning. Wake up really early, shave, shower and rush to work.
The only difference that Monday was that I was heading from Hakone in Japan to the Fuji Speedway. The race-track seemed uncharacteristically calm as I strapped on my driving gear. I could still smell the adrenaline the rioting sportscars had left behind. It was my sportscar’s turn to contribute to the tantalising sensations of the race-track.
As I walked towards the flag-off point, my reflection in the gleaming red sportscar grew larger. The Lexus LFA may not look like a fire-breathing monster, but can definitely behave like one at the slightest instigation. Carbon fibre-reinforced polymer (CFRP) material accounts for 65 per cent of the LFA’s body, which helped it shed no less than 100 kg. The LFA is sleek, athletic and low-slung, with Lexus L-finesse philosophy smeared all over it. It is wonderful, very much a sportscar and even has a speed-activated rear wing, but looks a little understated as compared to some radical European designs.
Lexus have decided to produce only 500 units of the LFA, just 20 per month. Even at Rs 3 crore internationally, Lexus are not making money on this sportscar; in fact, they are incurring a loss. This Japanese firm hired some very skilled hands from Yamaha to carve out the 4.8-litre, V10 engine equipped with dual VVT-i carrying the 1LR-GUE designation. Each motor is hand-assembled by a single engineer and bears his signature. This lightweight and potent engine can churn out 560 PS and 480 Nm that kick in at 6,800 revolutions per minute, 90 per cent of which is available right from 3,700 RPM. It has a top speed of 325 km/h and can rocket from zero to 100 km/h before you can say ‘Onomatopoeia’. Actually, it takes just 3.7 seconds!
Anxiously, I pulled the door ajar and sank down into the low driver’s seat to be greeted by a Scarlett Johansson of steering wheels. The Lexus engineers gave me some last-minute essential information, which didn’t register as I was too engrossed caressing the lovely carbon-fibre wheel. With a push of a button the V10 roared to life, bringing me back to earth. I could see colourful lights flashing on the instrument console. The multi-layered, single, central circular dial’s tachometer ran up the red zone to 10,000 RPM and back, indicating that the Lexus was ready for assault. It’s only then that I noticed the ultra high quality of the cockpit, which offered supercar exhilaration and Lexus sophistication.
The LFA had already captured my imagination and it was time for me to smoke some rubber on the Fuji Speedway. I was wary initially as I added weight to my right foot, but soon got the confidence to surge ahead. Lexus Chief Engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi’s voice echoed at the back of my head, “The relentless power and the accompanying exhaust note will give you the goosebumps.” By God, goosebumps it was. The Yamaha boffins who crafted this engine took help from their first cousins, who manufacture high-end musical instruments, to acoustically tune the exhaust note of the LFA to make it sound more Formula One-esque. From an elegant rumbling idle note to a nape-tingling wail in under three seconds.
If with power comes responsibility, then I felt nothing short of Peter Parker. The world passed by me in a fast-forward mode on the straight with the howling V10 in front powering the rear wheels. I crossed 100 km/h and was still in the second gear. Within a blink of an eye the LFA crossed the 200 km/h mark and I still had two gears left. Using the steering-mounted paddle I shifted to the fifth gear and reached 247 km/h before I let go of the accelerator as I approached a chicane. I never got to use the sixth gear, as I did some quick downshifts around the corners and the tachometer went in to a psychedelic frenzy as it hit the red-line.
The adoption of a front midship engine and rear transaxle layout to achieve the desirable 48:52 weight distribution give the LFA precise handling and great cornering agility. It is so well behaved on the track even at unmentionable speeds and also forgives some of the driver’s mistakes using the traction control and VSC (vehicle stability control) systems. There is no lunatic drama, just pure power and world-class sportscar engineering. But there’s always the option of switching them off and letting the rear-end teasingly attempt to overtake you. The LFA glided sideways as I saw Mount Fuji disappear from my windscreen. A little smoke from the rear tyres, a shot of adrenaline, some understeer and correction and a drive of a lifetime.
The chequered flag signalled the end of this dream run. I pulled over into the pits still under the influence of the heady experience and bitten by the Lexus bug. I’m sure many more will experience the same once the marque enters India next year. For the time being, I’ll be meeting Ms Johansson in my dreams.
I crossed 100 km/h and was still in the second gear. Within a blink of an eye the LFA crossed the 200 km/h mark and I still had two gears left
Story: Sarmad Kadiri
Photography:
