ELEVEN years after Lexus embarked on building its most technologically advanced car, the stunning LFA has finally arrived on Philippine shores.
The LFA has a limited production run of only 500 units, making the arrival of Lexus Manila’s lone allocation all the more special. To mark the occasion, Lexus Manila recently held an official launch with members of the media, Lexus customers and friends in attendance.
“We want to share this rare and priceless automobile with the discerning public. Our doors will be open to showcase the LFA, the ultimate testament to everything that Lexus is capable of,” explained Alfred Ty, Lexus Manila chairman.
The Philippines, Singapore and Brunei are the only countries in the region to receive LFA allocations, and Lexus Manila said the Philippines is the only country in Asia to hold an official launch event for the LFA, which was held at the Lexus Manila showroom at the Bonifacio Global City in Taguig.
The guest of honor at the event was none other than Haruhiko Tanahashi, the LFA chief engineer, who flew in from Japan for the occasion. “The LFA is a thoroughbred supercar unlike any other before it. Astonishingly lightweight, powerful and balanced, it is engineered to achieve one single goal—to deliver a truly supreme driving experience,” Tanahashi said.
The LFA, which stands for Lexus Fuji Apex, is a hand-assembled, rear-wheel-drive supercar that Tanahashi and his team began developing in the year 2000 from scratch.
“The LFA showcases what Lexus is capable of. It is a statement that Lexus is more than just the looks. It is more than just the pleasure of its quiet elegance. It is more than just everything that Lexus already is,” said Daniel Isla, president of Lexus Manila.
In Lexus’s quest to keep the LFA’s weight to an absolute minimum, Tanahashi’s team opted to use carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) instead of aluminum for the chassis and bodywork.
Very few people are aware that Lexus has a sister company under the Toyota group, which is one of the world’s most advanced textile weaving companies. Tapping into the group’s weaving expertise, the LFA engineers were able to develop sophisticated three-dimensional carbon fiber looms. At four times the strength of aluminum, CFRP at the LFA’s center section creates an exceptionally stiff and strong structure while allowing for 100 kg in weight savings over a similar aluminum body.
The gas engine is a high-revving 4.8-liter V10 which is as small as a traditional V8 engine and as light as a conventional V6 engine. The engine propels the vehicle from zero to 100 kph in 3.7 seconds and on to a top speed of 325 kph. This engine develops 560 ps and 480 Nm of torque and can rev from idle to 9,000 rpm in just 0.6 seconds. A traditional analog tachometer needle will not be able to keep up with such a quick-revving engine so in its place is a digital LCD tachometer.
One highlight of the Lexus Manila launch was the time Tanahashi gunned the engine to let the audience hear what the LFA chief engineer likes to call the “roar of an angel.” At high revs, the V10 produces a Formula One-inspired wail that got the audience applauding and cheering in approval.
Tanahashi’s team went to great lengths to achieve a 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution vital for an ultra-high-performance car. Wherever possible, key components were installed with the wheelbase and located as low as possible. The 73-liter saddle-shaped fuel tank straddles the center tunnel. The windshield washer tank is even located next to the fuel tank instead of underneath the hood.
With such explosive performance potentials, the LFA naturally requires highly sophisticated passive and active safety features. Unlike conventional traction and stability systems which are activated only when the vehicle approaches its dynamic limits, LFA’s Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system is an integral part of the engine’s electronic control unit (ECU) and is therefore able to quickly and smoothly act before the vehicle reaches these limits.
Despite concessions to aesthetics and the need to create downforce for stability at very high speeds, the LFA still manages to have a drag coefficient of only 0.31.
And now for the bad news for the tycoons and taipans dreaming of having an LFA in their garage: Lexus Manila has no plans of selling this LFA, not even to the highest bidder. With the global scarcity of the LFA, the tycoons and taipans will have to keep dreaming—at least for now. Or they, just like everyone else, may content themselves with viewing the LFA up close and personal at the Lexus Manila showroom.
