Looks like the Lexus LF-A supercar will be having its own tuning program real soon. Recently, Lexus North America and Los Angeles-based auto tuner, CEC, struck a partnership where the latter will be tasked to create a tuning program for the LF-A supercar. The program will be limited to just three models with each car coming with a number of modifications that will be built specifically to the whims of each of the car owners.
According to CEC, the whole scope of the tuning program will only cover aesthetic improvements, which means that the car’s overall performance will be kept untouched.
Claus Ettensberger, founder of CEC and the guy who was the first to get a speeding ticket in the Lexus, said: "We looked at the LFA and what Lexus engineers had done, and knew it would be crazy to try and improve it from a performance or engineering standpoint."
Despite having no performance upgrades, CEC still managed to boost the supercar’s output with another 10 horsepower – from 560 to 570 horsepower – while slicing off the shift time to .15 of a second.
The three modified LF-A’s have yet to be revealed, but word that somebody’s actually building them is getting us all excited about the possibilities of what they’re going to look like. It might be tooting their own horn, but according to Sherif Yassa, CEC’s vice president, the three modified LF-A’s will be unlike anything we’ve ever seen before.
"We believe these three CEC Tuner Edition LFAs will be the most expensive and rarest of all the LFA supercars that Lexus will manufacturer and sell worldwide," said Yassa.
Knowing what we know about Lexus and CEC, we’re not doubting them the least bit.
Few technological advancements have been as important in the auto industry as the development of carbon fiber. Lighter yet stronger than most materials that were once used in building vehicles, carbon fiber has become an integral element in the development of some of the world’s fastest and most powerful cars on the planet, including Formula One race cars.
On their end, Lexus knows a thing or two about supercars with the development of the LF-A. The company has even taken to new lengths to provide the LF-A with the best possible materials by building their very own carbon fiber loom to create the carbon fiber materials that will be used in the LF-A.
The revolutionary loom is able to weave three-dimensional carbon fiber shapes that will be put in the company’s supercar, including the steering wheel and the A-pillar. Knowing the great lengths company’s go through to outfit as much carbon fiber as possible on their supercars, Lexus saw fit to take the game to a whole new level with the invention of the carbon fiber loom, a technology that’s the first of its kind in the world.
Eventually, the machine will also be used to create materials for other Lexus models, signaling a concrete step in helping bring the weight down and improve performance of the company’s future vehicles.
Check out the video featuring Lexus’ new carbon fiber loom. If there ever was any indication just how fast technology is shaping the auto industry today, this is it.
Over the past couple of years, we’ve seen the Lexus LF-A in varying shapes and colors, drooling over these Japanese supercars every chance we find. All that time, however, the LF-A was nothing more than just a prototype because the production version wasn’t even being built yet.
All that changed on December 15th of last year when Lexus officially began production of the LF-A at the Motomachi production plant in Japan. A little over a month later, the first-ever production model – a bright orange version similar to the Nurburgring Package - of the LF-A was rolled out of the production block.
The work on the car is done by 170 people all of which have a specific role in the build of the Japanese supercar. Among them include specialists that only handle the carbon fiber components found in the car. In addition to that, the building of the LF-A and all the subsequent procedures done on each car are recorded and kept on journals, with each of these journals estimated to be 3,500 pages long.
We can’t blame Lexus for being this meticulous when it comes to building their maiden supercar. It took them a few years and a number of prototypes to get to this point, so we understand why they’re being very detail-oriented with the Lexus LF-A.
The American magazine, Car And Driver, had the amazing opportunity to drive two of the most impressive sports cars out there: the new Lexus LF-A and the Ferrari 599 HGTE. And yes, both were painted in white to no doubt add a little something to the comparison. The two models were matched up on the streets of Wales.
The LF-A is powered by a 4.8 liter V10 that delivers a maximum output of 560 HP at 9,000 RPM and a peak torque of 354 lb-ft at 6,800 RPM. It can sprint from 0 to 60 MPH in just 3.7 seconds and won’t stop until it reaches a top speed of 202 MPH. The Ferrari on the other hand gets a V12 engine with 611 HP as well as a number of changes to increase the car’s driving dynamics. Don’t put them in the winner’s circle just yet, though, because the HGTE was still slower than the lightweight, mid engine V8 powered F-430 Scuderia
So how did the Ferrari 599 HGTE fare against the Lexus LF-A? Check out the video to find out!
Lexus hasn’t been able to sleep easy as of late with the Germans rising up with their new vehicles. According to Autoweek, the Japanese luxury automaker is mulling a few new ideas to stay ahead of the competition.
Lexus will likely stop building the LFA once the 500 units have been delivered, so if you were lucky enough to buy one, congratulations. If not, Lexus is considering the LFA Roadster once again. According to the story, the roadster version of the supercar might be built in greater numbers, but it could take up to a year for it to be released.
Although not as exciting, the Lexus VX might be entering the model lineup as a step-up from the RX crossover. The VX could feature seven-seats and more interior room, as well as improved driving dynamics. The company is also considering a rival to the BMW X6, but let’s hope they don’t.
Finally, the CT200h hybrid hatchback is nearing completion and we are highly anticipating its release. The rest of the models in the lineup will be getting a few updates here and there.
