Quote:
Originally Posted by MatadorRacing_F1
A MkIV supra has 315 ft/lbs max torque. The LFA makes that much torque from 3700rpm. 354 ft/lbs max.
The Gallardo, R8 V10 and Ferrari 458 can all barely muster 40 ft/lbs more than the LFA's engine. Low table my ass.
The Author is supposedly a respected reviewer, but I'd have to guess that his driving skills suck? The LFA is sharp, it was designed to be that way. Better weighted throttle? Jackasses will say anything to promote Euro car superiority.
You want quotes? check the links I posted.
"This is a supercar of the athletic, flyweight variety rather than a bung-a-big-engine-in-and-hope affair."
"It's all very sophisticated in the way it handles, too. In the immediacy of its responses the LFA feels a little bit like a Porsche GT3 RS, but it has none of that car's rawness; it might have hyperactive dynamic responses, but the LFA's edges are smoothed off, making it a surprisingly approachable car."
" In fact the only place the LFA feels anything other than rock steady is in the braking zone for the right turn before St Mary's. And that is an off-camber, over-a-crest job, which the car approaches at almost 140mph, so we can probably forgive its little wiggle from the rear."
"What Goodwood's fast, flowing corners and longish straights do show off beautifully, however, is the explosive mid-range pace of the LFA. The way it piles on speed between 75mph and 130mph is truly astonishing."
Supercars are not "do-everything for you" masterpieces. That's the Job of the Playstation 3/X-Box 360 esque GT-R and Evo. Back in the days, supercars would kill you. With modern traction control on, it will help you go faster. Turn all the toys off, they probably still will. They are meant to be respected, because the approach the limits of driving performance. That is what a supercar is about.
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40 ft-lbs is a lot of torque. Also all those cars peaks are WAY lower than the LFA's.
I checked the links. Guys gushing about track performance. And you guys crap on me for being obsessed with only one aspect of cars...
As for the 'Ring times that a getting thrown around all the time, this is the one track where a marginally more familiar driver can account for many seconds of performance improvement. I would prefer to see maybe an 8 lap average of Tsukuba instead. More reflective of the cars' performance as opposed to driver memory.
Well from the 5th gear vid they show that the LFA can bite you in the ass very easily. Its break-away characteristics are snappy, not progressive. This is bad for 99% of drivers. More and more this car is looking like a one-trick pony. Excels at the track. Mediocre everywhere else.
The Benz has a better engine. It has an even more rear-biased weight split. It has a better transmission. It out-brakes the LFA. It is just over 100 lbs heavier than the all-carbon LFA. It handles exceptionally well under every single driving condition, whereas the LFA is only exceptional at the track.
I don't think I fully explained before but this was a 3 day test in Germany. And the cars were tested on the track and the Autobahn/public roads. As 'real' cars. Almost all other super-positive reviews are just: "Here's the LFA. Have fun with it. Come back in 5 laps. Tell everyone what you think." The LFA's transmission is crap (5th Gear vid even mentions that it is slow) in real-world driving conditions. That was the primary complaint. And the SLS is REALLY GOOD.
They called them essentially equal, performance-wise, but the LFA's transmission killed it.
However what was glossed over in the review is that the SLS is now on my personal list of
UGLIEST CARS EVER MADE!
The LFA's looks are growing on me. Mainly because from the side it looks like a Mk4 Supra, the details aren't great, but the shape is right on.
For the LFA lovers, probably the best vid of the car I've seen. Enjoy: