Lexus is entering into the exclusive sports car market with its new 2012 LFA. The production of the new car will be limited to only 500 worldwide and at a price of about $375,000 (approximately R2,9 million) Lexus are being very selective about who they sell their new model to. This won’t be an easy car to add to your collection.
Lexus manufacturer, Toyota where concerned about the LFA’s weight savings and so the engineers chose specified aluminum alloy construction over traditional steel but when it was discovered that the aluminium would not enable them to achieve the desired lightweight objectives, they decided on carbon fibre as the material of choice. Expensive and difficult to work with, the automaker relied on its 150-year-old textile manufacturing experience to cast and mold the material to specifications.
The LFA offers a 6-speed sequential transmission, front-engine, rear-wheel drive coupe with carbon fibre composite making up most of the chassis and body. The LFA weighs 3263 lbs and features a 4.8-litre V-10 that produces 553 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque. Gear changes are electronically managed, with instruction sent to a rear transaxle gearbox containing a single-clutch automated sequential transmission as a dual-clutch design wasn’t possible with the LFA.
While the interior is a mix of carbon fibre, aluminum, leather and soft Alcantara covering nearly every surface, there is a noticeable lack of cup holders, storage nooks and cruise control.
The Lexus website states that “the LFA marks a special milestone for the Lexus brand. A new flagship atop the F Portfolio, The LFA brings a distinctively different flavour to Lexus.”
