Unofficially “Official”: LFA2 in the Works?
Our editor team was recently one of the few automotive and enthusiast groups to attend a private viewing and driving event with the upcoming Lexus RC F, hosted at the Fuji Speedway in Japan. The event was quite an experience in itself, but we surely did not expect the surprise we got at the end of our itinerary. We were expecting a personal tour of the Toyota City and different plants, but at the end of our tour our guide graciously invited us to stay for a private “meet and greet” dinner and insisted that it would be worth it to change our travel plans.
When we entered the dining room in one of the headquarters, RC F Chief Engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi was there already and we found it the perfect time to privately ask more questions about the RC F. Soon after that, LFA Chief Engineer Tanahashi Haruhiko also came in; our team was very excited as these two individuals are really the behind-the-scenes driving forces responsible for the significant increase in excitement level of Lexus vehicles the past decade. But the real shocker was when Toyota President and CEO Akio Toyoda walked in; we were stunned!
The first part of the dinner was relatively quiet, but that all changed when mid-way through the dinner he said, “Folks, you are among the most vocal and respected presses in the world. You represent a lot of auto enthusiasts and as you have noticed, we are making a change in direction to make Lexus a younger, sportier, and more exciting brand. That’s why I am here today with Haruhiko-san and Yaguchi-san because we want to hear from you about the future, and no question is off limit. So let’s talk freely.”
Alright, here we go…
We started asking about the status of turbo engines. They admitted that even as efficient as current Lexus engines are, tighter regulations mean it’s only a matter of time before they have to go down the forced induction route. One of the other event participants commented that Lexus seems to be late to the game and is playing catch-up, which they didn’t agree. They said it’s good to be first, but it’s more important to do things right. Their current naturally aspirated engines are competitive and efficient enough to power current models while they perform additional R&D on stronger and more reliable setups. They hinted that they are working on both 4-cylinder and 6-cylinder setups, but when pressed about the possibility of an 8-cylinder setup, there were some exchanged glances and we received a “we will just have to wait and see” answer.
Conversation turned to the Lexus F model direction, and Yaguchi-san led the conversation given his involvement in most of the upcoming F model development. A reminder that he is the mastermind behind the Lexus IS F and coming RC F. Yaguchi-san agreed that Lexus needs more F models and pointed and smiled at Toyoda-san while begging him to allocate more staff (good sign!). When asked why they decided to discontinue the IS F, Yaguchi-san smiled and said it’s a strategic move to allow Lexus to focus on the success of the RC F, but he hinted for us to have faith in a future 4-door F model. We immediately asked if he’s referring to IS F or GS F, he got serious and replied “why not both?” Now that’s exciting!!! One of us joked with Toyoda-san and asked about his rumored private TMG Sports 650 project as future LS F. He said the car served a lot of purposes, to evaluate the turbocharging technology on large displacement engines, chassis and suspension design on heavier and larger cars, overall drivability and dynamics of such vehicles, and most importantly the balance between performance and interior comfort.
We ended the discussion about F models with a focus on Lexus SUVs, since competitors like BMW have the X5M / X6M and Mercedes have the ML63, GL63, and G63 AMG models. Yaguchi-san laughed and said that he himself doesn’t see the need of such vehicles, but to further boost the Lexus brand and the F line, this move may ultimately become necessary. He said they first have to work on the existing SUV lineup and re-design to make them viable for future F models. Sounds like Lexus is indeed working on a lot of F model projects!
The discussion turned to F Sport models and it sounded as if Lexus plans to introduce F Sport trim across their entire lineup, including a GX and LX F Sport coming in the next year or two. The ES F Sport will start when their latest Kentucky plant goes into production in 2015. Another interesting tidbit of news is the potential comeback of the Lexus HS, which was discontinued in the US due to poor sales. Lexus believes that with the addition of the spindle grille coupled with an F Sport variant and improved dynamics, the HS could become a hot seller. We will just need to have faith on this one.
Things got very interesting when discussions shifted to the Lexus LFA. Since the vehicle production has ended, we asked our team of experts if the technologies are trickling down well to the rest of the models and they answered with a strong YES. They said not only are they applying a lot of the technologies in the mainstream vehicles such as the new IS dash, but their research has also allowed them to vastly reduce the cost associated with these processes, which is actually a big part of the challenge. They said we should expect to see more and more cutting edge technologies from the LFA in their upcoming vehicles.
Naturally, we asked about the future of LFA and asked about the test mules including the LFA code AD-A, AD-B, and AD-X running around the Nürburgring and also the latest Gazoo LFA code X. There was a short silence but Haruhiko-san started gave out the details a lot of us have been hoping for. He said that it only makes sense for Lexus to continue the effort, given what they have developed so far and the establishment of the LFA Works factory line.
He said they have proven that Lexus is capable of making a supercar that you can drive everyday by going back to fundamentals including weight and center of gravity, keeping the car “simple” and “pure”. He said the next step is to start injecting more aggressiveness and extremeness, making the new vehicles even more exclusive, special and exciting.
Carbon fiber is still one of the best materials for vehicle construction when it comes to weight and strength, so they will continue down that path. They will boost the use of carbon fiber from the current 65% in the LFA. They are also working on next generation carbon fiber technology to further improve the strength and reduce the weight.
For the engine, it sounds like Lexus is going to stay with V10 configuration, but with a higher redline. We already know the current LFA engine is capable of going over 10k RPM in test environments, and they are going to make that a reality in the LFA successor. To help with durability and strength, they will make use of even more titanium parts. The shocking and exciting news came next, they will likely incorporate BOTH turbocharger AND hybrid technologies in the car for added power. Unfortunately they refused to give us more details, but they did say expect more than one turbocharger. This will take bespoke to the next level!
They say the final combined output of the car will be targeted at under 1000hp and will definitely adapt a full time AWD system and next generation sensor driven look-forward VDIM. They said AWD is inevitable because of the tremendous power output. But the shocking part is that the targeted weight is to be “under 3000 pounds”. That would be incredibly amazing considering that the car will also have to hold the entire battery pack and electric motor.
Another interesting thing that Haruhiko-san brought up was the seating configuration. In an effort to pursue the ultimate balance, they are even considering the original McLaren F1 cockpit design, where the driver seat is right in the middle of the car. Now that’s something we have not seen in a long time.
They commented that car like this again is more of a demonstration of their technology and development, and they are not trying to “beat” anyone. But they are most definitely studying the Porsche 918, McLaren P1, and LaFerrari. It makes a lot of sense to understand how the current cars ruling today’s supercar segment will influence design; the Porsche 918 makes right under 900hp but weigh 3700 lb, the McLaren P1 with over 900hp and 3000lb, and the LaFerrari generates over 900hp at mere 2700 lbs.
Of course we had to ask about the anticipated price. The LFA almost touched the $400k mark and we could only imagine the next level for the supercar. . They said that they are not putting a cap on the cost yet, but it will likely approach the 7 figure mark and they expect an extremely limited production run of less than 100. For the very few who can afford it, given the price tag on the Porsche 918 and LaFerrari, this actually seems to be quite a bargain. Haruhiko-san said the car will likely make its debut late 2016 or early 2017.
Looking back at our private dinner, we are truly blessed that Akio Toyoda is in control of the Toyota empire again. We see how a successful leader can change the culture and direction of a company to benefit enthusiasts. Being a huge fan of sports cars himself, Toyoda-san has done much to make the Toyota and Lexus brands younger and sportier, and his passion and energy are infectious. Together with exceptional chief engineers such as Tanahashi Haruhiko and Yukihiko Yaguchi, we are really seeing a different future of this Lexus brand.
We’ll have to wait another few days to complete our review on the Lexus RC F driving event, but it sounds like we have many interesting things in the future to look forward to.
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APRIL FOOLS!
Yeah, so it’s not real. But what if it were?! Come on Lexus, who wouldn’t love to see a Super LFA?
