You gotta factor in the elevation of Fuji as well. It's 1800ft. above sea level. Might not sound a lot, but I'm sure it affected the NA cars more than the gtr and gt2. The vette should have killed in the straight, it did but fell off everywhere else? This is a reason these videos are purely entertainment. Kino is fast but Iida could be faster. Seiji Ara might be as well, not just Tsuchiya. Lots of variables, but at least we got to see the videos for free!

 

Yep. No point in going over and over why LFA lost to this specific challenge. This was not about fastest car showdown for objective points. The video is more of a accurate presentation of details of the cars, and how all of them are great performers in today's choices.

If Lexus only saw lap times as valuable, then LFA would have been a very different car. And there are 100 ways to beat a GTR with simple or extensive modifications, of course.

But I am glad it is the way it is... As one of the best exercise of putting engineers at work, to create a carbon chassis street car with exotic machines and parts, using knowledge of today, created with methods to match the utter reliability and quality Toyota seeks in its own products, and has intrinsic features that stir the souls of those who like things TOYOTA way. This was similar in project goals as 2000GT was 30 years ago, and revisiting such design goals, is what this car represents. Product for the people who are resourced enough to acquire one, but for the internal staff at Toyota, a once in a 30 year exercise to which they can all be very proud of to tell about it to the world.

 

Also, remember Kinosheita said the LFA was understeering quite a lot and the front end grip was not what he hoped for. That could be the reason why Kinosheita's racing lines were not good at many occassions.

Watch at 8:52 LFA's front end wiggling badly side to side as the GT2 RS is on its tail.

That is quite different from what nearly all other testers (including Scott Pruett and Justin Bell) have said that LFA's front end has tons of grip and has a very neutral balance especially due to its rear-bias front-mid engine layout.

 

XRS, the unstable front end is from Fuji's undulation and LFA being forced off the line into unused pavement surface. And any car under heavy braking there has a tendency to creep side to side as the rear unloads while front tires alternate in levels of grip. Also, the understeer is not Kino****a's lack of skills compared to others you mention, it is from the very nature of track surface, and differing tire and brake temperatures, as well as safe margins these drivers took to not smash up two cars into a deadly hard and laterally loaded braking zone into turn 5. He didn't hope for less understeer, he merely said there was that tendency in the specific area, and it isn't that he wanted anything on the LFA changed for that reason.

 

I don't know. Definitely, lots of understeer happening with the LFA consistent with what he said.

Ofcourse, I am not saying Kinosheita lacks skills or anything. All I am saying is the tires were completely not suited for that track (or not yet broken in) and were not offering the proper grip for precise turn-in since LFA according to other people like Scott Pruett or Justin Bell has a very neutral balance.

 

You're forgetting that Scott Pruett and Justin Bell have driven the car on tracks that are not high speed long sweepers like Fuji. Fuji is a big track and good powered, balance cars are not going to do well here. Regardless of the tires...the LFA performs well on technical tracks like Nurburgring, Laguna and etc. I'm pretty certain the guys at Best Motoring warmed up the LFA tires and broke them in properly before running the car hard. If not, then you have a safety issue. Also the LFA needs to be broken in for the first 200-300 miles before you can start driving it hard.

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c_jqH...layer_embedded

 

Here is a full list of lap times around Fuji speedway.

This basically shows cars that can corner fast ultimately have the fastest lap times. You can see both GT3 and GT3 RS with "only" 444 HP are above LFA that are way slower in a straight line than the LFA.

Heck, even SLS AMG that LFA has beaten in every othe track test is above LFA on its Fuji lap time. Even the R35.1 GTR had similar lap time as the R35.2 of 1:53.x, which is much quicker than LFA's lap time.

So what my point is? That Lexus LFA used in the Best Motoring was not functioning optimally or the tires were not suited for the conditions (resulting in the understeer I mentioned above with traction off) or the driver simply failed to extract the best performance out of the car.

I wish there was an official lap time by Lexus of the LFA to compare.

1:55.1 is just way too slow a lap time to simply be ignored for a car that was built with the philosophy that LFA has been.

http://www.fastestlaps.com/tracks/fu...post_2005.html

 

Gazoo's driver impression videos on the LFA:

http://gazoo.com/campaign/impressionmovie/

One has been loaded with 2 more to come soon. I hope Motohide will do some great translations again!

 

I really doubt the LFA was not functioning optimally...despite the fact it was run fresh just after delivery. The excuses have run out. The LFA got beat by the GTR and the 911 GT2. Done deal.

 

Yup. Run what you brung. This was a race of stock, factory cars. If this is the way you can buy them, it was the way it was raced. There can always be an excuse for the car that didn't get the top spot.

 

 

Also to add to this...and I cannot stress this enough...people who are in the market to buy the LFA will buy the car if they really want it. I'm sure those looking at purchasing the LFA isn't worried about piddly stuff like sub-par tires it has or what car should have gotten with a better driver. That stuff doesn't matter....Period!

 

the same applies to every other exotic and supercar out there. there is nothing perfect, people buy cars for what they like, and most of the time they realize the shortcomings. very few of them find excuses to hide the shortcomings or justify their purchases

 

Looks like a possible Nürburgring Edition in testing..

I see a “Fixed” Carbon Fiber Rear Wing and what looks to be color matched Canards up front.

Joe Z