Test Drive Lexus LFA 2010 - 2013 coupe
Lexus LFA. All or nothing
Lexus LFA. Price: 375 000 *. On sale: order from October 2009 Coal, graphite and diamond have a single formula. But can coal and graphite compare the price with a diamond? Full! As it turned out, in skillful hands, even trivial carbon fiber can turn into a diamond price at half a million dollars. Meet: The first serial carbon diamond in the LEXUS diamond fund: LFA sports car cost 375 thousand
Test pilot
Vladimir Makkaveev, 32 years old, car journalist, driving experience 13 years, personal car - Volvo C30
Japanese manufacturers seem to be seriously decided to emerge on the original European holdings. Porsche, Ferrari, Lamborghini has always been for the Japanese with a laddied piece, not so much from a financial point of view, as with an image. And here, as if broke through. First, its GT-R supercar presented a modest Nissan. Now the turn of odious lexus has come. Exactly a month before the official premiere of the first LEXUS sports car at the Tokyo Motor Show, we went to the German Nürburgring Autodrome, to get acquainted with a car, which is still over the birth of the legends.
Nürburgring saw hundreds of automotive prime ministers, from silver arrows 30? X to modern Formula 1 cars. But only the units of them on the intrigue can be compared with the phenomenon of the world of Lexus sports car. The fact that LFA is pure water image project, there is not a share of doubt. Even with a fantastic cost of 375 thousand. The limited circulation of 500 cars does not leave a single chance of payback. But, it is taking into account the limited circulation, the cost and image of the brand, Lexus LFA was supposed to be something out of the row of the emerging diamond of the world of sports cars.
Against the background of such enthusiastic expectations, the first impressions of a date with the LFA during the presentation in the grandiose, just rebuilt the business center of Nürburgring were ambiguous. It can be seen that the Japanese designers tried to surprise the public, but it is just as obvious that they worked with a blank sheet. Lexus LFA is completely deprived of a gentical code. On the one hand, it adds to him individuality, on the other, LFA looks like a certain pinch of futuristic solutions and is clearly unauthorized the grace compared not that with Ferrari or Porsche, but also less catch Audi R8. Inside the same LFA is just a toy covered with skin of a computer simulator with a movable liquid crystal dashboard and 4.8? Lithing heart with a torque of 480 nm. But this is just the first impression. In muddy water goes out the shine even the brightest diamond. And Lexus LFA is not created for smooth exhibition halls and glass boxes of car dealerships. It is born for expanding racing route. Here on high-speed direct, in rapid turns and slow studs of the LFA Grand Prix in their elements, and it is here that his true face and talents are revealed on the racing track asphalt.
I remember, Enzo Ferrari somehow noticed that the races improve the car's breed. Lexus LFA brightest proof. The Japanese diamond is almost completely built on Formula 1 technologies.
Carboral aluminum chassis. Concounted by classic racing standards suspension: double transverse levers in front, multi-dimensions from behind. Sequental automatic transmission with a switching speed of 0.2 s. Ideal, from the point of view of the balance of 10? Cylinder motor, 72? The welded collapse of the engine cylinder block. Autonomous throttle damper case for each cylinder and lubricant with a dry crankcase in one of its voice spinning up to 9000 revolutions per minute 560? A strong motor inspires on racing feats. According to decibels, the pure and high sound of the Japanese engine may, and does not expand to those working for 1617 thousand min-1 Motors of F-1, but the timbre and donor can take the soul of the most sophisticated fans of royal racing.
Even several quick circles on the Grand Prix highway had enough to understand that this time the Japanese had a surprise honest car with excellent course stability and stunning handling. LFA perfectly holds the track, the teeth clings for asphalt and even on a relatively short starting direct Nürburgring time to accelerate to 235 km / h, not to mention almost 3? Kilometer straight to the northern loop Galdenkopf Tiergarten, where the speed comes up to 290 km / h. With an incredible holder and acceleration rigidity, Lexus is controlled with a feline inherent brand ease. Even in the skid of LFA goes surprisingly gently, eagerly forgiving small flaws in management. And this is just a crystal honesty of the car. Maximum, for which the auxiliary electronics LFA is dried, at the achievement of 9000 min-1, blinning from shame, tachometer praises about mercy. But no question of compulsory switches does not go. The Japanese deliberately did not make it difficult to complicate the ASG box with two clutches. Despite the 4 modes of operation of the Transmission Auto, Sport, Normal and Wet, all of them, with the exception of the manual sport, by and large are intended only to get to the racing route. In the automatic mode of operation of the transmission, there is not even a sport button. LFA does not accept half-sized solutions: all or nothing! Kings of green ad
With a three-time world champion of Scots, Jackie Stewart 22? Milometer Race Ring Nurburgrin Nicknamed Green Hell. And, I must say, this definition is like an infinite mining serpentine of 176 turns in the Eiffel Mountains. Today, the legendary racing highway, on the asphalt of which Karachchiol, Nuvelary, Funky, Stuart and Clark, the track, where in 1976, almost burned in his Ferrari Niki Lauda, \u200b\u200bthe place of pilgrimage of speed fans from all over the world and test landfill for automotive concerns. Formally Nordschleife paid unilateral public road, where anyone can catch up with the breeze. But green hell, albeit a reduced to 20.832 km, still does not forgive mistakes. Only the best pilots on the best planet cars can be exchanged here for 8 minutes. 730 In general, the grandmaster border, affordable only to racing cars and best sports cars. The first racing LEXUS racing concept two years ago showed here 724. Pre-seventive LFA flies hell just 2 seconds slower.
Love not love
The design of the movable dashboard varies depending on the ACP mode. The driver can independently configure the switching speed: from 0.2 to 1 s. Original
The LFA pedal node moved to the serial version of straight with a racing prototype starting in endurance races. Sports
Driving
Despite the racing glory and the honesty of the transmission, on the LFA highway forgives many mistakes.
Salon
Highly individual. The barrel selector modes of operation of the ACP on the right of the steering wheel is very original.
Comfort
Good sound insulation. Despite the sports suspension, on the wobbers of the racing route behaves very gently, but urban bumps, of course, not for him.
Safety
Maximum possible. But the car with such characteristics is absolutely safe may not be by definition.
Price
For Russia is not defined.
Advantages and disadvantages
+ Stunning dynamics, soft handling, exceptional honesty of transmissions.
- Small overweight, doubtful resource.
Specifications
Brand and Model - Lexus LFA
Dimensions - 4505x1895x1220 mm
Engine - gasoline, 4805 cm3, 560 hp / 8700 min-1
Transmission - automatic, sequential, 6? Speed
Dynamics - MAX 325 km / h; 3.7 ° C. up to 100 km / h
Competitors - Ferrari F430, MB SLR McLaren, Nissan GT-R
Our opinion
LFA is good! But is it worth such money? In this case, the price is determined not only by the characteristics of the car: the perfection of the LFA is multiplied by the elititude of the brand and the exclusivity of the model. And something tells that by December 2010, when they start collecting 20 LFA per month, all 500 copies will already be sold.
Posted by: Vladimir Makkaveev
A source: Magazine 5 Wheel [November 2009]
