GAZOO Racing Lexus LFA

GAZOO Racing brings its race-prepared Lexus LFA to the Goodwood Festival of Speed fresh from another class-winning finish te year’s Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race.

The car competed in this year’s gruelling contest around the legendary Nordschleife circuit, entered in the SP8 “near production” category. The number 83 LFA was a clear class winner and finished 15^th overall. En route it set a fastest lap of eight minutes 44 seconds – 11 seconds quicker than in 2011 – at an average speed of more than 108mph.

The racing LFA is closely based on the road-going Lexus, of which just 500 examples are being built. Features specific to the competition model included a roll cage, safety fuel tank, additional aerodynamic features and tuning of the handling to suit the circuit.

The road-going LFA was created by a small, passionate and dedicated team of engineers whose achievement has been to push the boundaries of technologies materials and engineering at every stage to produce a car like no other to have carried the Lexus badge.

Constructed using advanced carbon fibre technology, the rear-wheel drive LFA is powered by a bespoke, high-revving 552bhp 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine, matched to a rear-mounted six-speed sequential automatic transmission, giving 200mph-plus performance.

The engine produces 480Nm of torque at 6,800rpm, 90 per cent of which is available from 3,700rpm all the way to the 9,000rpm red line, thanks to Dual VVT-i technology, equal length exhaust manifolds and high-volume, 12-hole fuel injectors. This gives searing in-heat acceleration at all engine speeds and in any gear: nought to 62mph takes just 3.7 seconds and maximum speed is 202mph.

With a kerb weight of 1,480kg, the LFA has a power to weight ratio of 373bhp per tonne, while specific output of 115bhp per litre is among the highest of any current supercar, aided by a high, 12:1 compression ratio, low friction internals and optimised intake and exhaust flow.

In spite of its potency, the V10 is an object lesson in compact and lightweight packaging, being about the same size as a regular V8 engine and weighing about as much as conventional V6. It is also as reliable and refined as any other Lexus power plant and exceeds Euro 5 emissions standards.

The engine was developed in conjunction with Yamaha through the established collaborative partnership between Toyota Motor Corporation and the Japanese specialist engineering company.

The formidable performance of the V10 is managed through an equally advanced transmission, a purpose-designed six-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox (ASG) that drives the rear wheels via a limited slip differential. To help achieve the optimum 48:52 front-to-rear weight distribution, it is contained in a transaxle mounted over the rear axle.

The ASG is operated by paddle shifts mounted on the steering column and is engineered for exceptionally fast shifts: an upshift can be made in just 0.2 seconds.

The LFA has one of the most advanced and powerful braking systems fitted to any production car, appropriate to meet the demands of its 200mph-plus performance capabilities.

The brake discs are made of Carbon Ceramic Material (CCM), which is lighter than steel and gives fade-free performance in all conditions. The front discs are 390mm in diameter and 34mm thick, gripped by six-piston aluminium callipers; the rear discs measure 360mm across, are 28mm thick and are fitted with four-pot callipers. All use high-friction micron pads, manufactured exclusively for use with CCM brakes.

The track-tuned suspension is the result of intensive development work carried out by Lexus at the Nürburgring to give the best possible balance between control and comfort. The bespoke wishbone front/multilink rear design makes extensive use of aluminium alloy for high strength and low weight.

The 20-inch forged aluminium BBS wheels are shod with asymmetric Bridgestone tyres: 265/35ZR20 at the front and 305/30ZR20 at the rear.

The LFA boasts class-leading aerodynamics to achieve drivetrain cooling and superb high-speed handling and stability. Extensive wind tunnel testing helped produce a wind-cheating profile with a drag coefficient of 0.31, a remarkable achievement given the degree of downforce the car creates at high speed.

Airflow is precisely controlled over, under and around the car. A carbon fibre rear diffuser and flat underbody generate significant downforce, with an active rear wing, complete with a gurney flap on the leading edge, boosting the level further still.

The race-tuned steering gives outstanding response and feedback to create a perfect dynamic link between car and driver. The constant-rate rack and pinion system uses an innovative column-assist Electric Power Steering System that does not sap engine performance.

LEXUS LFA TECHNICAL SPECIFICATIONS