LFA on the cover of Autoweek and review
01-25-11, 02:42 PM
#16
Lexus Champion
Thing is, I'm not sure if that's true that these LFA's have fiberglass panels instead of carbon fiber ones. It could be, then again it might just be someone that heard something that isn't true.
01-25-11, 02:45 PM
#17
Lexus Test Driver
Agreed. The ZR-1 carbon fiber parts (hood, fenders and door panels) are lighter than its fiber glass components (rear quarter panels, entire rear). However, carbon fiber is a lot more expensive, which is why it is used so little on ZR-1.
That's false. Depending on the C/F used, it can be up to half as much. You can search around for it. My dad works on boats from yachts to fishing vessels, and carbon fiber is much lighter than fiberglass. Even carbon fiber fishing poles are what's best, the lightest and strongest. Say you have a steel hood. It might weigh 55lbs. a comparable fiberglass hood might weigh around 25lbs. but going to carbon fiber will save you around 10lbs. more. Fiberglass and carbon fiber are different, and the weight and strength is different as well.
Thing is, I'm not sure if that's true that these LFA's have fiberglass panels instead of carbon fiber ones. It could be, then again it might just be someone that heard something that isn't true.
Thing is, I'm not sure if that's true that these LFA's have fiberglass panels instead of carbon fiber ones. It could be, then again it might just be someone that heard something that isn't true.
02-06-11, 07:45 PM
#18
Pole Position
finally got a chance to read the whole article. in a sense, i find it pretty interesting. it doesn't get into too many details about the car or throw out a lot of numbers. rather, as mentioned in the article, it seems like they are doing it for lexus. out of the 4 pages (minus all the pictures), one was about the sales, one about the "spec", and the rest mainly on scott's perspective on the car.
one thing i am glad is they were able to get scott to drive the car again. i think most would agree that he probably knows a lot more about what the car is capable of with the numerous hours and miles in the car, on the track. i think he hit it when he commented on how balance the car is. in fact, he said that the lfa is a fast, fun car that you can drive every day, so it seems like the lfa is a very balanced car, making it "safe" to drive. and he also pointed out strongly again that the brakes are the most impressive thing about the car
i was pleasantly surprised to see his criticism on the car as well. he thinks the car shifts a bit slow. my feeling is it has to do with the tranny not being dct. although on paper it takes 0.2s to shift, but i guess that transition provides the kind of feedback scott experiences. he also doesn't like how the shifter are placed on the column instead of the steering wheel. i wonder what's lexus reason behind this too. i would think it does make more sense to have the shifter mounted with the wheel so it sort of turn as well with the steering wheel (driver shouldn't have to change the hand position when driving). these two criticisms are from scott himself, not anyone from autoweek.
the remaining part on sales, it got me thinking a bit. first of all, i think it's clear that lexus is hurting for sales on the lfa. first sign is there are still cars around, some 60 of them. second, it doesn't seem like anyone is "looking" for the car anymore, as in how it all started by lexus accepting applications. it's dry to the point that lexus is doing anothr round of car loans to magazines, basically to boost the exposure of the car (this is written in the article). article also pointed out how the hype was that all cars were spoken for and that's actually far from paid for, and seems like people backed out.
obviously, nothing is clear in the article about how many cars are sold in each region, but it did say that "parts of the world that were going to order X number of lfas asked for rain checks..." so it seems like whatever allocations left, they basically got pushed state side. it still remains pretty unclear why they chose to put the cars here, especially if demands are really that high in some other regions.
another question is how many cars are actually going to dealerships rather than to real customers. those are actually counted as "inventory" rather than sold. if they are not included in the available 60, that can be problems to lexus still.
it will be interesting to see how lexus goes from here to sell the remaining cars. they already have to do a second press push, and evidently, we see that lexus are trying to get the car to different meets / events to show it to the exotic market (where real buyers are in btw). there are also some other things going on where lexus is doing things differently (compared to how they started) trying to sell the car. their window is definitely narrowing. with newer cars coming out soon (LP700 among others), and how these exotic cars wind goes up and down quickly, lexus needs to do it the hard way.
btw, i still prefer orange over yellow
one thing i am glad is they were able to get scott to drive the car again. i think most would agree that he probably knows a lot more about what the car is capable of with the numerous hours and miles in the car, on the track. i think he hit it when he commented on how balance the car is. in fact, he said that the lfa is a fast, fun car that you can drive every day, so it seems like the lfa is a very balanced car, making it "safe" to drive. and he also pointed out strongly again that the brakes are the most impressive thing about the car
i was pleasantly surprised to see his criticism on the car as well. he thinks the car shifts a bit slow. my feeling is it has to do with the tranny not being dct. although on paper it takes 0.2s to shift, but i guess that transition provides the kind of feedback scott experiences. he also doesn't like how the shifter are placed on the column instead of the steering wheel. i wonder what's lexus reason behind this too. i would think it does make more sense to have the shifter mounted with the wheel so it sort of turn as well with the steering wheel (driver shouldn't have to change the hand position when driving). these two criticisms are from scott himself, not anyone from autoweek.
the remaining part on sales, it got me thinking a bit. first of all, i think it's clear that lexus is hurting for sales on the lfa. first sign is there are still cars around, some 60 of them. second, it doesn't seem like anyone is "looking" for the car anymore, as in how it all started by lexus accepting applications. it's dry to the point that lexus is doing anothr round of car loans to magazines, basically to boost the exposure of the car (this is written in the article). article also pointed out how the hype was that all cars were spoken for and that's actually far from paid for, and seems like people backed out.
obviously, nothing is clear in the article about how many cars are sold in each region, but it did say that "parts of the world that were going to order X number of lfas asked for rain checks..." so it seems like whatever allocations left, they basically got pushed state side. it still remains pretty unclear why they chose to put the cars here, especially if demands are really that high in some other regions.
another question is how many cars are actually going to dealerships rather than to real customers. those are actually counted as "inventory" rather than sold. if they are not included in the available 60, that can be problems to lexus still.
it will be interesting to see how lexus goes from here to sell the remaining cars. they already have to do a second press push, and evidently, we see that lexus are trying to get the car to different meets / events to show it to the exotic market (where real buyers are in btw). there are also some other things going on where lexus is doing things differently (compared to how they started) trying to sell the car. their window is definitely narrowing. with newer cars coming out soon (LP700 among others), and how these exotic cars wind goes up and down quickly, lexus needs to do it the hard way.
btw, i still prefer orange over yellow
02-06-11, 08:12 PM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
The increased 60 US allocations were announced sometime in September and that is what the article talks about when the number went up from 110 to 171.
According to LexusEnthusiast.com, Lexus just last week gave the latest updated number and it is "around 20 still up for sale left".
I think Scott feels the LFA single clutch could have even been faster. Dual clutch I don't think is the answer since the main advantages of dual clutch are on the streets since single clutch automated manual has proven to be far more consistent around the track with up and downshift times and then there is the weight advantage as well for the single clutch. The BorgWarner unit shift times is around 200 ms on paper, which is the same as LFA's single clutch transmission. The uninterrupted power of dual clutch is a great feature, but it takes away from all the mechanical feel and sound of the shift.
I am really waiting for Gengar's detailed review of the LFA when he gets to do the training program at Infinion.
Lamborghini also officially has announced to stick with single clutch in the foreseable future.
Last edited by 05RollaXRS; 02-06-11 at 09:03 PM.
02-06-11, 08:59 PM
#20
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So what Lexus did is not unusual at all. There was way to much time, passion, love, effort, money put into this car to just sell it like a normal Lexus.
02-07-11, 01:11 AM
#23
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What Lexus attempted to do was entirely unusual. Ferrari first allocates cars to dealers based on dealership sales. Once cars are allocated to dealers, the dealers set their criteria based on largest to smallest prior customer. Lexus did no such thing. This way with Ferrari there was little to ***** about. If the first customer didn't want the car, it would move down to the next customer and so on. In the case of the 599 GTO, we hear that there are cars sitting in showrooms unsold somewhere but a search doesn't show the circumstances. If this is the case it also means the cars have gone through the list and buyers who were the largest customer didn't see the value in buying and flipping the cars. The cars in the Seattle area were immediately snapped up by two of the largest Ferrari collectors in the area who were at the very top of the list. I hear the 599 GTOs are available but I only found one in Memphis and no price.
02-07-11, 02:31 AM
#24
Lexus Test Driver
As usual, the "application process" is overblown only by those who didn't actually go through the experience. As I've posted in many other threads, it was only a brief phone call. The only thing I was asked about was my prior Lexus ownership history.
02-07-11, 05:00 AM
#25
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Agree, Lexus wanted to sell directly to the buyers, so the application was the way to "get to know" the customers. I am not sure how some serious buyers can get rejected. I did not even speak to anyone from Lexus Canada initially. After I accepted the allocation, they asked my dealer to do a credit check and collect the rest of the deposit; that was it.
02-07-11, 06:16 AM
#26
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That's false. Depending on the C/F used, it can be up to half as much. You can search around for it. My dad works on boats from yachts to fishing vessels, and carbon fiber is much lighter than fiberglass. Even carbon fiber fishing poles are what's best, the lightest and strongest. Say you have a steel hood. It might weigh 55lbs. a comparable fiberglass hood might weigh around 25lbs. but going to carbon fiber will save you around 10lbs. more. Fiberglass and carbon fiber are different, and the weight and strength is different as well.
Thing is, I'm not sure if that's true that these LFA's have fiberglass panels instead of carbon fiber ones. It could be, then again it might just be someone that heard something that isn't true.
Thing is, I'm not sure if that's true that these LFA's have fiberglass panels instead of carbon fiber ones. It could be, then again it might just be someone that heard something that isn't true.
02-07-11, 06:24 AM
#27
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he also doesn't like how the shifter are placed on the column instead of the steering wheel. i wonder what's lexus reason behind this too. i would think it does make more sense to have the shifter mounted with the wheel so it sort of turn as well with the steering wheel (driver shouldn't have to change the hand position when driving). these two criticisms are from scott himself, not anyone from autoweek.
02-07-11, 07:05 AM
#28
Pole Position
O that I know, but Lexus is not yet ranked up there with the Italian exotics. It's important for them to show the world what they can do by quickly getting the cars into the hands of car enthusiasts. Perhaps on the second gen LFA (if there is one), they can do this process.
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