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I’ve done Lexus events at COTA and an actual track day in my own LC500… the Lexus events are lead-follow format and you can’t go 140+ without ramming the instructor car… the fastest I’ve hit is 138 at track day at COTA.
How did you hit 140+?
The instructor figured out that our group of 3 was pretty fast so he went faster. We passed like 2 other groups that day. We did 12 laps on the big track that day, I hit 140 maybe 6 of those times on the back straight between 11 and 12. We were pretty quick on the pit straight too but swapping the front car to the back slowed us down a little.
I got our group's token for skid pad that day and did a hot lap with Scott Pruett in an RC-F, he got it to 145 on the back straight so our instructor wasn't going flat out, but pretty close. That was in 2022. For 2023 we did Road Atlanta but Pruett wasn't there, so Roberto Guerrero was doing the hot laps in a GS-F.
Regarding trans oil temp problems. Many times heat exchanger is actually more trans oil warmer. On cold environments it heats up gearbox oil quicker on cold startups to get oil into operating temp faster more than cools it in heavy use. On track use gearbox oil needs its own circulation and large enough cooler. Temperature difference between hot coolant and gearbox oil simply isn't there for heat exchanger to function efficiently cooling gearbox oil. Actually thermostat blocking circulation to exchanger and oil just runs in lines but do not go in to exchanger would be more efficient. Not sure if LC exchanger has something build in but its definitely not helping much if anything when both water and oil are hot.
I had my first track day in my unmodified LC500 and I pushed the car at 9/10 pace with stability control active at all times. There were a few seconds faster that could be improved by being more aggressive however stickier track tires are what's needed to go faster.
Performance was absolutely amazing from the engine and brakes. The transmission is an amazing mind reader until it overheats at every 3 laps (~8min). Although the outside temp was nearly 100F I was REALLY disappointed that I missed a ton of track time stuck in the pits waiting for the High Trans Temp warning to go away. The car never went into limp mode but I had to pit 4 times on Saturday and 6 times on Sunday to allow it to cool off for about 3 minutes.
The LC impressed EVERYONE that a LEXUS LC500 was at the track and fit in with the group's huge array of big dollar Porsches and BWMs. The LC got more looks than the countless Porsches that cost triple the price. With equivalent tires the LC wouldn’t be embarrassed in the same run group.
I posted a couple videos on YouTube as my username LC500.
09-12-23, 08:22 AM
