jpvarghese

iTrader: (1)

You never know if you don't ask, right?

flipside909

A good eye can tell if a car has been altered even with "bolt on" parts. Mainly the movement/markings on bolts holding down the parts.

motohide

It's quite easy to get a LFA engine to spin at 10,000. IN fact I think it already can if you ignore the tuning state, and durability to an extent, as it already taps out at 9400rpm and considering how conservative in reliabilty Toyota is in general, the engine can spin another 600rpm. My 4A-GE 20V black head in my Corolla redlines stock at 8500, but I have used it at 9000rpm limit for extended 2nd gear use in SCCA, and has been dead on reliable.


However the LFA's engine design is a state of tune by many hundreds of factors, like any precisely build engine, so power will not increase by raising rpm count without re-computing and swapping different profile camshafts, piston designs, and harmonic balancing, as well as injector pulse, timing, and ECU controls and valvetrain overlaps. It's easy to do for Toyota if they needed, but it is a VERY expensive process to offer such drastic change in parts for a car they only intend to build 500 copies. Beyond 7000rpm, things get very fine toothed and factors such as spark timing advancing beyond BTDC and and fuel burn speeds become critical where it was not before it reached such engine speeds. So its a pretty tricky art to make it work well, and not simply being capable of spinning, but to make a positive difference in output with drivable character retained.

motohide

Actually a very focused ended NA engine like LFA's will need a lot of design changes to make a forced induction system work well. The very high compression rate must be dropped to accommodate a larger supply of oxygen, and thin connecting rods must be beefed up to prevent damage from short unavoidable and occasional detonation, and inherent short stroke design of the crank is also in question, as forced induction works much better with lower engine speeds and larger stroke per cycle. It's sort of different from a mundane automobile engine designed to general use on different cars, and LFA's engine is very finely tuned for sports high rpm, high output NA use, and as such, its not as easy and effective with items akin to a common bolt-on mild supercharger or turbocharger kit, and that goes for applications like NOS too, since NOS also does the same end effect of boosting oxygen levels in the cylinders and firing more fuel/air mix in the process.

This is why and the same reasons, most kits that pertain to similar engines like Honda S2000 engines, not making large boost levels or huge output difference with stock internals intact, when there is a bolt-in turbo kit installed. That's only attained with total exchange of internal piston/rod replacement, and sometimes even the crank on these engines too.

I'm not saying its impossible and somebody will do it.... Just saying its not a slap in deal though, like on a 3S-GTE or a 2JZ-GTE.

motohide

As far as easily swappable performance systems can be:

A muffler system that is made with different state of tune, perhaps for higher output and less regards to Yamaha music, but that would not yield much more I think since the LFA system seems pretty open and well tuned already.

A tire choice catering to racing only use.

A seat/interior race equipment, ie 4 point harness, steering wheel, altered larger paddle, less interior trim, basically a track-ready model. (similar to NSX-Type S-Zero offered in Japan)

Fixed wing with larger down-force capability.

Other than that there isn't much LFA is not equipped for even for racing use. It's cooling system is phenomenal, and brakes are as good as you can equip it, and the only thing really that can improve for strict racing environment is actually mostly in the process of REMOVING stuff, like heavily appointed interior console interface, and luxurious trim, that weigh the car down...

I mean think about it, the suspension setting is tuned at Nurburgring and electronically tunable probably to further adhesion levels of tire change, and race tires often only require simple alignment changes on cars like this, and body chassis is carbon mono already, so all the usual tuner stuff is there already, and more so than most highly tuned cars!!

ashtray

iTrader: (12)

I'm liking everyones opinions. They're fun to read and its still pretty respectable. Some sarcasm, so just remember this could be considered a fantasy thread.

iii

In short terms, I'd assume so. I'd be surprised if this car is still manufactured after 2013.

07grIS350

Steering wheel swap can be difficult since the start button is on it.
What do you think can be done about the rear wing that seems to slow the LFA in straight line run? we've heard a few comments from pro drivers on this. Also we saw it lost the lead in the Fuji battle at the end of the straight.

07grIS350

I think Lexus would be glad to complete the 500 cars run.

TF109B

There was even talk of a car AFTER the LFA. Japan would be enough to make it possible. There was enough demand from Japan ALONE to cover all 500. The Nurb edition should be quite a performer IMO. Increased power, even though slightly, lighter weight, better tires, more focused suspension, more downforce... everything motohide just said pretty much.

ashtray

iTrader: (12)

I'm thinking if anyone could afford one of these, I'm sure they could pay someone for the R&D of whatever they want as far as forced induction or even some simple like exhaust and intake. There is always room for improvement as well as error. But still with patience and money and the right imagination or creativity, I think we'll see one sooner or later. I say SUPERCHARGE.

motohide

Not really, START button can be relocated anywhere as its only a switch.
However, since the diameter and thickness is tailored with the paddles, one really can't go too far off from where it is now. Besides, after driving it, I found it to be VERY good anyway, right where it is, even the steering ratio and diameter seems to be right in line, right where I like it. With or without gloves, this works for me fine.

The rear wing actually balances and produces a good bit of rear contact patch stability, and without it, it will hurt laptimes on places like FUJI significantly as turns 2-5 are very high speed and downforce is just as important. As you saw in the Corvette how much Hattori had to lift on the throttle to get around the sweepers, as the rear couldn't say planted to deliver the torque required in the high-G corner at high speeds. There is so much throttle needed to blast down it towards the chicane yet the car couldn't be pushed against the air when there are so much lateral load. The tire needs to deflect enough to stay put against the lateral G, but at the same time, because its deflected so much, that it can't push the car forward in the same way it was simply going down the straight without the lateral loads. Wing helps to do keep that as much as possible, on a high-speed track like Fuji, is a huge advantage.

On the contrary, if this was a simple low speed autocross, the wing, and its braces and actuating mechanisms all just hurt a lap time since there is not enough downforce generated to offset the cost of having so much weight mounted on a far end of a car. In such case, removing it entirely will probably help rotate the car in smaller corners. That's racing, there is an ideal form for any given venue, and again, its pretty much very different for each place, each weather, surface type, speed, and 1000 other factors that give experts an advantage in real racing.

motohide

I think the appropriate words are, rather, "WE HOPE the car will remain in production as long as possible."

motohide

Sure! Once the cars are in the hands of an owner, they can take it in any direction they want! While the majority will probabaly be fine with the already stratosphereic performance levels beyond most driver ability, there's always a few that will just want more, just for the sheer sake of it all. Just like why people modify a Saleen S7 or Bugatti Veyron... Or buy things as extreme as Zonda R and Gumpart. It's such passion for cars, that all of us are just fascinated by, and how kids dream, and adults check off the bucket lists.

LFA is nearly perfect for a LEXUS product of 2011. That is not to say in 2013 it will still be. Its a machine and it can sway according to the demands and improve with further efforts.

Just look at the NSX or a Porsche 911. Both cars proved to be ideal for any given year, and as new ideas develop, things just got better each year. Some prefer the attributes of an older specific model, while others seek the newest and the fastest, or the interior appointments of one over another, or engine, etc.. I know a lot of folks who love the docile nature of the Series 1 NSX, despite it being slower on paper, many of them are faster in them since Series 2 just got that much more peaky and demands even more skills from the driver. All these are just different ways people love cars, and I'm sure after all 500 are delivered, the LFA will be seen in many different forms by the tastes of owners.

07grIS350

Once again, you are making perfect sense. I guess the GT-R can do with less down force since it has the most advanced AWD grip there is. That allows for it to 'fly' on the highspeed sections at the top end. So the trick is actually make the LFA stick to the track more in order to reduce the lap time at Fuji.
It sounds more and more like at good set of race tires is the easiest way to accomplish this.