I also got to drive 032 at Infineon and have a picture of the car on my desk at work.

Has Lexus reached out to you at all for being their ultimate customer?

Did the LFA catch your eye back around 2011 or did something draw you to the car later?

Being in LA, have you connected with the guy who has the LFA with the most miles on it (previously owned by a lady anesthesiologist in Pittsburgh)?

 

What a jaw dropping story Alex. I am so happy for you, and I can see your logic and reasoning for having each LFA. You could have chosen any other car, but you have 3 LFAs, so that speaks for itself of how amazing the LFA is.

 

Congratulations Alex and thank you for sharing your story!

I shared this with my local car buds and we're all thrilled to hear #32 is holding-up beautifully.

For me, it's been just over a year with LFA #165. It now has ~3,000 miles and I do struggle with miles-vs-smiles dichotomy.

I don't yet have the means to acquire a "beater LFA", but like you I have 3 NSXs (just not all at once!).

For the last decade, I've been enjoying my Zanardi NSX #04 which now has over 100,000 miles. Your story has inspired me to enjoy both cars more.

 

awesome! i am glad that you drive your zanardi hard!! there is something in san diego with 2 zanardi i think but he doesn't drive the cars. very interesting to see the connections on owners between nsx and lfa!

 

Hi there,

Sorry for my late reply, I was having a race over the weekend.

Anyhow, as regarding to the LFA's transmission shifting speed even up to number 7, well it's a joke for a $400K Relentless Pursuits of Perfection... It does not sounds so perfect in world of prefection.

Both Ferrari and Toyota builds F1 racing cars were possible to minimize the shortest single clutch shifting time down between 40ms to 60 ms, and Ferrari was able to apply this technology onto the 430 Scuderia and 599GTO while Toyota Lexus was only able to engineer the LFA right around 150ms where the 360CS, 575M F1s and regular F430 F1s at 5 years before the LFAs.

Ferraris wins over the LFA on the single clutch F1 shifting comparison.

On AUTO mode: LFA is a joke; Scuderia is OK.

On WET mode: Both LFA and Scuderia are about the same, but Scuderia still shifts better and smoother.

On NORMAL Mode: LFA is once again another joke. It feels just like the WET mode not better in any particular way SLOW and CLUNKY; Scuderia is fine smooth and enjoyful to drive.

On SPORTS Mode: LFA is OK even at shifting speed at 7...; Scuderia at RACE mode CST Off 60ms shifting speed, You feel like you are Shumacher, Alonso, Kimi, and Massa... Ferrari wins hands down... The TOYOTA LEXUS LFA team should have had engineered the LFA single clutch transmission shifting speed and smoothness if not better, at least to the level of 430 Scuderia and or 599 GTO. I will dream that one day TOYOTA LEXUS LFA team come up with the updated LFA shifting to 60ms to match the perfect 9K_V10 0.6 seconds rev speed... That will really truly make the LFA "THE PERFECT RELENTLESS PURSUIT OF PERFECTION."

Yes indeed, I would love to try out the LFA on the track with better tires... The Bridgestone S001 is only an OK street tire... I have no comments over it, cause I can always change to other tires I like...

Cheers

A.

 

Good to know about it, last time I was in Infeneon Speedway was with my F430 in a Ferrari event. If you still remember the 100 miles you drove the #32 in Infeneon Speedway, please share with me about your experience, laptimes, and feedbacks, likes and dislikes... I would love to hear about it.

Thanks

A.

 

Hi there,

Please also do share with me about your experience of the #32 in Infineon speedway.

Yes indeed, Lexus did reach out to me and much welcome me to bring in my LFAs to their shop even for a free VIP drinks and ice creams. I am happy and enjoy the Lexus warm welcome and hospitality...

Yes indeed, my interest in the LFA started way back in early year 2000 when TOYOTA annouced to engineer a perfect super car starting with the initial schetch design from the famous Pininfarina designer Mr. Leonardo Fioravanti as one of his last work in the Automobile industry. Since than I had kept all detail information and following up the entire developments of the LFA from year 2000 to 2011... and the more I am trying to follow up with the LFA development, the more I want to buy it. (Obviuosly, I did not know about the slow clunky shifting speed till I actually bought them)...

Much like the Honda did in the 80s with the NSX... When Mclaren Honda was winning it all with Senna and Honda engineered the NSX shocked the sports car automobile industry and prooved to world that when Japs get serious, they are way serious... I bought 4 NSXs and now keeping three with me... My love and passion for the NSXs is up there with my Ferraris and LFAs...

Back to the LFA story... Finally I saw the #32 LFA for the first time in Las Vegas Speedway back in a BMW M Motorsports event, I was totally shocked and amazed by the LFA and knowing deeply in my heart that I will definitely come back and buy one. So I reach out to our local Lexus Dealer in LA back in 2012 about buying the LFA... I am not gonna say who and which dealer, but this was what had happened:

Me: Hi there, I am here to buy the LFA, can you help me out?

LS(Lexus Saleman): The LFA you mean? Do you know it's a $400K MSRP car?

Me: Yes, I know. I would much love to see it and buy it.

LS: OK now, there is a process of buying the LFA, and you must be prequalified by Lexus to be eligible. Have you bought any Lexus before?

Me: Unfortunately no, I have not bought any Toyota / Lexus before, but I had bought many Hondas and Ferraris, would that help?

LS: Sure, let me see what we can do here. etc....

So, after some chat and discussion over some 20 minutes or so... It looks like I was not likely to be eligible to buy the LFA, and yet even if I was prequalified by Lexus, ones still needs to follow the process through the $56K downpayment, $5K monthly payment for first two years, than finally pay off the remaining some $210K. But it looks like all the LFAs were all pre-sold already, so you can only wait after the LFAs hit the uesd car market some two years later... etc...

Well, I still manage to get my 3 LFAs happily 3 years later... Things worked out perfectly.


Last but not least, nope I do not know the gentleman with the most mile in the LFA... Surely would love to meet him someday, and we can just chat about the LFA all day long.

Cheers

A.

 

Have to disagree with you on the LFA transmission. I absolutely love the way it shifts in sport mode in the 2nd to slowest shift speed. To me it duplicates a manual transmission box without the leg work. I hate my Porsche PDK, way too torque converter auutomtic feeling for me. I guess you can just call me old school......

 

Thanks for your opinion.

The LFA is surely to be on my top list above my others cars NSXs and Ferraris...

Cheers

A.

 

Really, Thanks for your opinion...

I am glad that we have different opinions, that way we can get to know more about the LFAs from different angles and feels. From my own side, maybe becuase I have been with Ferraris too long and much spoiled and in love with my Scuderia speedy shifts...

Yes indeed, the LFA single clutch do gives you a very mechanical feel that is fine to me, you can actually FEEL the gear change in it. But I still wish to have that speedy lightining quick shifts though... Another thing is that Ferrari can shift from from 1st gear to R and back to 1st without stop in N while the LFA will needs to stop in N which is another difference, I am OK with both way.

One thing here though, the LFA clutch life most likely may last longer and less trouble than the Ferraris... I will need to find out about the #32 see if it is still on the original clutch even after 31K miles... If so, than the LFA single clutch wins over Ferraris with long lasting trouble free quality and reliability...

Cheers

A.

 

Thanks for sharing...

I do have my NSXs with high driving miles, and still enjoying driving them mile after miles. Let's see someday to drive the #32 over 100K miles...

The NSX Zanardi edition is one fine piece of machinery. I absolutely love it.

Cheers

A.

 

Lost most of my response due to the firefox browser crash. Anyway, I will make it brief this time. The shift speeds are a bit deceptive since manufacturers determine the shift speeds based on their own criteria. No one standard for it. The biggest controversy was the E46 M3 SMGII, which was touted as "only 80 ms", but I have driven an SMGII M3 and I can shift faster in a 6 speed manual than that etc. The 6 speed manual M3 had been proven to be a bit quicker than the SMGII M3. I would not put too much stock into the marketing numbers. The best indicator I have seen is, how the speedo reacts when the shift occurs. How long does the speedo freeze for? etc.

Anyway, I think LFA and Scuderia trannies go about it different way. If my memory serves me correctly, Ferrari said, they create an "overlap" such as, as soon as the disengagement of the previous gear starts, the engagement of the next gear starts in order gradually and smooth "slide/slip" into next gear thus having a minimal jerk. LFA in maximum attack goes full disengagement and then slamming the next gear in. The best way Clarkson described it was "someone hit me in the back of my head with a hammer". Essentially, throwing your head forward and then pulling it back upon acceleration.

Anyway, talking about it purely on an acceleration progression basis through the shift, below video shows both cars accelerating. If I look closely at the speedo, the LFA transmission does not look slower (or visibly slower). Both seem to pause for a split second (the speedo) followed by a surge of acceleration. Though, from the sound perspective, the LFA seems to be doing more of engage/disengage while the Scud is gliding through the gear

This graph has been posted by gengar taken from the manual. LFA's shift times change a lot even in level 7 depending on the throttle position. I also heard(in the video below of the "most miles LFA") that even how you quickly you flick the shift paddles, also determines how quickly it will shift. If you flick it quickly, it will shift the fastest while if you pull the level and release, it would be slower etc.

Last but not the least, the LFA downshifts are just quite possibly the most perfectly rev matched downshifts imaginable.

Anyway, just my two cents. You can take it with a grain of salt, if I am just babbling nonsense.








This is the guy. He talks at lengths about his LFA.

 

Thanks for your detail information about the Scuderia Up shifts vs the LFAs, and thus the video clips as well... Judging from watching the video clips carefully and my own driving experience, I still think the Scuderia shifts noticebly faster and smoother as you have mentioned the difference in gearing engadgement. As for downshifts rev match, both Scuderia and LFAs are perfect in their own ways. I love them both, I could never get tired of enjoying the engine sounds of rev matching down the next lower gear...

The controversy of single clutch paddle shifting between Scuderia vs LFA, I am a bit bias on the Ferrrari sides maybe cause I have had with the Scuderias over 8 years vs 8 months with LFAs. I am just more used to the Ferrari paddle shifting mechanism...

Anyway, I will drive both cars more and pay more detail attention especially to the LFA by flipping the paddles faster to see if it will make any differences or not... Maybe I will change my opinions about the LFAs later...

Cheers

A.

 

wonderful stories A, just wonderful. i love your posts, stories, and super unbiased objective views on different things. so awesome! please do stick around! i miss the week i had with #032, all those miles and miles. i drove me to spend all the time to write the comparo between the lfa and nsx. one day, i hope i can get behind the lfa again, it's just a fantastic car!

very interesting post on the shifting. it echoes a lot with how i feel about it too. it shifts hard but not as quick as i wish.

 

We can go out to drive sometimes!!!

Attached is a photo I took while visiting Porsche dealer...

A.