Lexus LFA breaks cover before Tokyo unveiling

[Dimman]

Keeping the LFA transmission complaints to a single thread...

(Context is regular driving, not full out on the track.)

"Unfortunately, the mechanical execution isn't in line with the brand's premium-quality image. Off-the-line clutch engagement varies from rough on level surfaces to wah-wah wailing on inclines. Like the Nissan GT-R (kind of surprised me, btw it's a twin clutch for those unaware), the LFA struggles through tight and slow uphill bends, where torque delivery is anything but smooth. There is a fair bit of clickety-clonk noise involved, too, and the occasional whiff of overheated friction material wafts through the cabin. Maneuvering the Lexus is reminiscent of driving Ferraris with the early F1 automated manual gearboxes."

Blue is my comment, not authors.

[Siriusly.Andrew]

that reminds me of when I was first learning standard transmission lol. I had anything but smooth shifts. Of course it didn't take long to learn how to minimize shift shock (mostly for passenger convenience) but this SMT reminds me of those early days lol. Just its much faster than I was / am.

But do you think an ECM update (not ECM, but the one for the transmission) could possibly help smooth things out for when the vehicle isn't racing? I suppose that'd be like having the different modes on a switch like the GT-R, it can shift smoother when in driving modes vs racing mode.

[Matador]

Originally Posted by Dimman

Keeping the LFA transmission complaints to a single thread...

(Context is regular driving, not full out on the track.)

"Unfortunately, the mechanical execution isn't in line with the brand's premium-quality image. Off-the-line clutch engagement varies from rough on level surfaces to wah-wah wailing on inclines. Like the Nissan GT-R (kind of surprised me, btw it's a twin clutch for those unaware), the LFA struggles through tight and slow uphill bends, where torque delivery is anything but smooth. There is a fair bit of clickety-clonk noise involved, too, and the occasional whiff of overheated friction material wafts through the cabin. Maneuvering the Lexus is reminiscent of driving Ferraris with the early F1 automated manual gearboxes."

Blue is my comment, not authors.

Why do you keep harping on the same lame ass review?

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by Siriusly.Andrew

that reminds me of when I was first learning standard transmission lol. I had anything but smooth shifts. Of course it didn't take long to learn how to minimize shift shock (mostly for passenger convenience) but this SMT reminds me of those early days lol. Just its much faster than I was / am.

But do you think an ECM update (not ECM, but the one for the transmission) could possibly help smooth things out for when the vehicle isn't racing? I suppose that'd be like having the different modes on a switch like the GT-R, it can shift smoother when in driving modes vs racing mode.

I'm sure it can, Ferrari's got better over the years.

But...

BMW and Ferrari have abandoned the tech.

Both going to twin clutch. Add to that list Porsche (and the VW group as a whole), Mitsubishi and Nissan using twin clutches for high-performance sequentials and the fact that the LFA's started development 9 years ago (at the peak of single clutch auto-manual hype), all leads me to support my statement of agreement that the LFA's transmission is the significantly weak link of that car.

Who am I to argue with the engineers of the best sports-car companies in the world?

All the wonderful, rave reviews of the LFA and the transmission are track-only reviews.

Edit: Error on my part: Not ALL VW group cars use twins. I believe the Lambos use singles but we will see what happens when they are replaced... Mur(...some other letter...)go is done, replacement is coming.

[Chemist]

Guys, guys! It's a simple matter of obtaining an SLS and an LFA and testing them ourselves. Back to back, through the frozen tundra of Canada and the majestic yet terrifying rocky crags of the Himalayas. Through open ocean and the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Through windmills and double parked tractors!

Only then will your opinion be truly informed, your eyebrows plucked, and your minds massaged with rosemary rubbing oil warmed slightly above room temperature and applied firmly yet lovingly by a soft bosomed cleaning lady who visits you on the weekends.

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by Chemist

Guys, guys! It's a simple matter of obtaining an SLS and an LFA and testing them ourselves. Back to back, through the frozen tundra of Canada and the majestic yet terrifying rocky crags of the Himalayas. Through open ocean and the bottom of the Mariana Trench. Through windmills and double parked tractors!

Only then will your opinion be truly informed, your eyebrows plucked, and your minds massaged with rosemary rubbing oil warmed slightly above room temperature and applied firmly yet lovingly by a soft bosomed cleaning lady who visits you on the weekends.

I'll be accepting donations for that. (Minus the eyebrow plucking. If these cars are as fast as everyone thinks, those will have been torn off in a high G turn.)

[4agze]

I'll take he LFA any day vs the SLS

here is the top gear laptime 1.22.8 on wet track, faster than a Mercedes SL65 black series, koenigsegg & Ferrari 430

[Matador]

"Hammond, does this car do 1,158mph"

"Yes"

ROFLMAO....

[Matador]

Tiff Needell: "I'm not grinned this big in ages. I'm not joking you. In fact on a sunny day in an empty track, it's worth every penny."

Car and Driver: "But it’s more involving than the Nissan and a much more special experience. In many ways, its closest natural rival is the Ferrari 599GTB, although the Lexus is more visceral and exciting and better balanced and more nimble. At the same time, the LFA is easy to drive at everyday speeds, quiet at cruise, and refined, just like a Lexus should be. The $350,000 Lexus LFA is the richer man’s Ferrari 599GTB. It’s also a bargain."

"Because the torque is thinner in the midrange, you can steam at full throttle out of corners with no fear of the LFA’s breaking loose at the back. Even given its long gestation, the LFA does not drive like a car from a company new to the genre and eager to impress. It drives like a car from a company that has done this type of car many times and isn’t worried that customers won’t be pleased."

Motortrend:"The LFA feels far lighter and more balanced than the GT-R in every phase of driving; it's a rush like no other. Sure, if a GT-R can catch it off guard, so can a Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Corvette ZR-1, and Dodge Viper -- all for a lot less money. But citing times, trap speeds, or dollar signs as enough reason to elevate any one of those over the LFA is missing the point entirely. The LFA belongs in the elite supercar club as much as any choice Porsche, Ferrari, or Corvette. It looks and sounds like nothing else on the road, and is as fiendishly fast as it is complicated and indulgent -- the very embodiment of the country and motoring culture from which it comes. As for what its worth on the street? Every penny."

Road and Track: "And although the gearbox is mildly clunky in traffic, with a few rattles and hisses as the clutch engages and disengages, this is by far the best single-clutch hydraulically actuated transmission on the market. An epic soundtrack makes this rolling blockbuster an experience you won't soon forget."

[Dimman]

Originally Posted by MatadorRacing_F1

Tiff Needell: "I'm not grinned this big in ages. I'm not joking you. In fact on a sunny day in an empty track, it's worth every penny."

Car and Driver: "But it’s more involving than the Nissan and a much more special experience. In many ways, its closest natural rival is the Ferrari 599GTB, although the Lexus is more visceral and exciting and better balanced and more nimble. At the same time, the LFA is easy to drive at everyday speeds, quiet at cruise, and refined, just like a Lexus should be. The $350,000 Lexus LFA is the richer man’s Ferrari 599GTB. It’s also a bargain."

"Because the torque is thinner in the midrange, you can steam at full throttle out of corners with no fear of the LFA’s breaking loose at the back. Even given its long gestation, the LFA does not drive like a car from a company new to the genre and eager to impress. It drives like a car from a company that has done this type of car many times and isn’t worried that customers won’t be pleased."

Motortrend:"The LFA feels far lighter and more balanced than the GT-R in every phase of driving; it's a rush like no other. Sure, if a GT-R can catch it off guard, so can a Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Corvette ZR-1, and Dodge Viper -- all for a lot less money. But citing times, trap speeds, or dollar signs as enough reason to elevate any one of those over the LFA is missing the point entirely. The LFA belongs in the elite supercar club as much as any choice Porsche, Ferrari, or Corvette. It looks and sounds like nothing else on the road, and is as fiendishly fast as it is complicated and indulgent -- the very embodiment of the country and motoring culture from which it comes. As for what its worth on the street? Every penny."

Road and Track: "And although the gearbox is mildly clunky in traffic, with a few rattles and hisses as the clutch engages and disengages, this is by far the best single-clutch hydraulically actuated transmission on the market. An epic soundtrack makes this rolling blockbuster an experience you won't soon forget."

I concede.

But only after the faint hope beating in my heart over Toyota re-applying for the 'Supra' trademark.

It seems I was mistaken. Apparently the LFA was simply a purchase-funded test mule for the upcoming Supra, which will now destroy all comers having ironed out all the LFA's bugs.

Hey I can dream...

Just give me an 'H' manual with it...

[Matador]

^ LOL. I would like to think that hence why I say not until the LFA is in it's last customer's hands. lol












I'd still buy one If I could though... you know, to further the good of Toyota enthusiasts... lol

[Mr. Z]

Here you r



In the brackets on top it says 2011. The proof for November 2011s release i think.

The source is the-blueprints.com

Z

[ichitaka05]

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[Midship Runabout]

Originally Posted by ichitaka05

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^