In contrast to Lexus’s anaesthetised
traditional product (eg, SC430, ES300)
the LFA feels hyperactively alert. The ride
is very firm and ruthlessly controlled, the
nose constantly darting and fidgeting over
bumps and road cambers. This is not a
car in which you make relaxing progress;
every input is met with an immediate
reaction, but nothing responds as instantly
as the throttle pedal.
Lexus went to incredible lengths to
ensure the LFA’s V10 possessed unheard
of levels of response, including ultra-
lightweight internals, 10 individual
throttle bodies and ‘response prioritised
control logic’, which estimates the
volume of intake air based on the throttle
position to ensure the correct level of fuel
is injected instantaneously. If the driver
possessed the required skill, it feels as if
he or she could meter out the power in
0.5 per cent increments.
With Sydney’s sprawl behind us, it’s
time to floor the throttle for the first time.
Such is the volume and intensity of noise
that erupts, it feels natural to pull the
upshift paddle, only to discover a mere
5000rpm was used – just over half the
LFA’s vocal range. Pick a gear – any gear,
but third is good – sink your foot to the
carpet and you enjoy a gradual crescendo,
the engine note changing timbre as the
rpm rises. This mechanical shriek is no
accident, but the result of months of
work by Lexus engineers, who reportedly
listened to Formula 1 CDs and DVDs on
loop in an attempt to capture a similar
sound. They succeeded admirably.
Windows down, extending the V10
through overhanging trees or past rock
faces is as close as you can get to an
automotive religious experience without
driving through Vatican City. With the
noise at its zenith, it envelopes you
like an invisible, audible fog. It’s fast,
too. While it lacks the brutal violence
of the Aventador’s V12, the LFA is
still prodigiously rapid, the rate of
acceleration increasing in concert with
revs in a way only naturally-aspirated
cars can manage.
The LFA’s preternatural responses are
somewhat a double-edged sword, though.Gorgeous details are
littered throughout
the LFA. The
extendable wing, for
instance. The caliper
paint, meanwhile,
slowly fades from blue
to gold over time.WINDOWS DOWN, EXTENDING
TTHHEE LLFFAA’SS VV 1100 IISS AASS CCLLOOSSEE
AAASSS YYYOOOUUU GGGEEETTT TTTOOO AAA RRREEELLLIIIGGGIIIOOOUUUSSS
EEXXPPEERRIIEENNCCEE IINN AA CCAARR
DONK IN
D E TAI L
Name: 1LR-GUE
Active years: 2010-2012
Specs: 4805cc, 72-degree V10,
40v, DOHC, 10 independent
throttle bodies, aluminium block
and heads, titanium-alloy
conrods, port injection, dry
sump, 85.8kW/litre, idle-
9000rpm in 0.6sec