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2008 Detroit Auto Show: Lexus LF-A Roadster
DETROIT — Lexus is still trying to figure out how to make supercars. So if Ferrari can cut the top off a coupe and turn it into a Spyder, why shouldn't Toyota's premium brand apply the same treatment to its performance flagship?
If you sort of recognize the new LF-A roadster, perhaps it's because the topless two-seater is an evolution of last year's LF-A coupe, complete with the same V10 of "under 5.0 liters" that makes "more than 500 horsepower" and has a top speed "greater than 200 mph."
Lexus may be deliberately vague about the performance stats, but the in-your-face styling of the car should dispel any doubts as to the brand's intent.
The roadster, like the coupe, is constructed of aluminum and carbon fiber to keep the weight down while providing a rigid structure. A speed-sensitive adjustable wing keeps the rear end planted at higher speeds. The front-mounted engine drives the rear wheels through a torque tube that functions as a central structural member. Power is fed to the rear transaxle through a sequential manual gearbox.
Twin radiators are also mounted in the rear and cooled via massive air intakes above the rear wheelwells, with hot air vented through a pair of grilles in the rear end.
The LF-A rides on 20-inch wheels and high-performance tires — 265/35R20 in front and 305/30R20 in the rear — with cross-drilled, vented disc brakes all around.
Lexus notes that the roadster bears the brand's new performance-oriented F logo, denoting the car's status as a sister model to the new IS-F sport sedan.
What this means to you: At 200-plus mph, occupants are going to be picking some serious bugs out of their teeth. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
If you sort of recognize the new LF-A roadster, perhaps it's because the topless two-seater is an evolution of last year's LF-A coupe, complete with the same V10 of "under 5.0 liters" that makes "more than 500 horsepower" and has a top speed "greater than 200 mph."
Lexus may be deliberately vague about the performance stats, but the in-your-face styling of the car should dispel any doubts as to the brand's intent.
The roadster, like the coupe, is constructed of aluminum and carbon fiber to keep the weight down while providing a rigid structure. A speed-sensitive adjustable wing keeps the rear end planted at higher speeds. The front-mounted engine drives the rear wheels through a torque tube that functions as a central structural member. Power is fed to the rear transaxle through a sequential manual gearbox.
Twin radiators are also mounted in the rear and cooled via massive air intakes above the rear wheelwells, with hot air vented through a pair of grilles in the rear end.
The LF-A rides on 20-inch wheels and high-performance tires — 265/35R20 in front and 305/30R20 in the rear — with cross-drilled, vented disc brakes all around.
Lexus notes that the roadster bears the brand's new performance-oriented F logo, denoting the car's status as a sister model to the new IS-F sport sedan.
What this means to you: At 200-plus mph, occupants are going to be picking some serious bugs out of their teeth. — Paul Lienert, Correspondent
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