Lexus surprised everyone with the LF-A Roadster at the Detroit Auto Show.
Lexus did not hold a separate press conference about the roadster version of the upcoming LF-A coupe. The LF-A Roadster has not been confirmed for production, but if the public interest is great enough it could happen.
The Roadster is powered by the same V10 engine as the coupe that puts out more than 500 horsepower and has a top speed greater than 200 mph.
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PRESS RELEASE:
January 13, 2008 - Detroit, MI - The engineers and designers at Lexus continue to use their groundbreaking LF-A premium sports car concept as a medium for expressing their ideas about what a high-performance sporting vehicle not only can be, but should be. In this latest expression of the LF-A, they have removed the car’s top to create a high-performance roadster.
The LF-A Roadster is based on the sturdy yet lightweight carbon-fiber and aluminum body used for the LF-A coupe, which helps maintain the structure’s strength and rigidity even without a top.
Like its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster is powered by a high-revving V10 engine that approaches 5.0 liters in displacement. The V10, capable of more than 500 horsepower and test-track speeds greater than 200 mph, is mounted in front of the passenger compartment but behind the front-axle centerline in what the LF-A’s engineers refer to as a “front-mid” configuration.
The engine is connected via a torque tube and propeller shaft to a transaxle that is controlled by paddle shifters. The torque tube is a structural member that adds rigidity to the drivetrain and chassis while also reducing vibration.
Styling is rooted in the Lexus L-Finesse design philosophy, conferring the LF-A Roadster’s front end with a compact, low-profile, aerodynamic shape. Like its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster stands just 48 inches tall, but the Roadster configuration adds a speed adaptive rear wing.
The rear is marked by a pair of wrap-around, arrowhead-shaped taillights that bracket a pair of large grilles. These grilles vent the heated air from the car’s two rear-mounted radiators into the LF-A Roadster’s aerodynamic wake. The radiators are fed cool air by two large intake ducts mounted just above the rear wheel wells. This aft radiator positioning not only allowed the designers to keep the car’s front profile low and tight but also aided the LF-A’s chassis engineers in their search for optimal weight distribution.
Helping to provide balance and scale to the design, which features an overall length of 175.6 inches and a wheelbase of 102.6 inches, are high-performance tires on turbine-styled alloy wheels. The front tires are 265/35R20s, while the rears are 305/30R20s. Like the LF-A coupe, the brakes consist of 14.2-inch cross-drilled, vented discs up front, and 13.6-inch cross-drilled, vented discs at the rear. The front brake calipers are six-piston units and the rear calipers use four pistons each.
An “F” logo, located on each front fender of the Roadster, indicates the vehicle’s status as a part of the new “F” marque. The name is derived from the original “F” designation for the first Lexus LS prototype. That vehicle was internally coded “Circle-F,” with the “F” standing for “flagship.” The Circle-F designation further evolved into the code name Flagship One, or F1, and the first F1 concept developed into Lexus’ first vehicle, the LS. Since then, the “F” code has come to signify a special vehicle program within Lexus that falls outside the normal engineering and development process. In addition, Fuji Speedway is the IS F’s home circuit, and the shape of the F-logo was inspired by many of the track’s turns. The all-new Lexus IS F sport sedan is the first production vehicle to carry the F marque.
Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept Preliminary Specifications
Body Type: Two seat roadster
Powertrain
Type: Front-mid-engine, rear-mid-transaxle
Engine: V10 (under 5.0-liters)
Transmission: SMT (sequential manual transmission)
Horsepower: More than 500
Top Speed: More than 200 mph
Tire Size
Front: 265/35R20
Rear: 305/30R20
Dimensions (inches)
Overall Length: 175.6
Overall Width: 74.6
Overall Height: 48.0
Wheelbase: 102.6
Comments (18)
Dead sexy. Lets hope this lights the fire under Acura's arse to get the NSX out.
What what kind of gas mileage they're getting out of it?
Posted by Gary | January 17, 2008 12:38 AM
Posted on January 17, 2008 00:38
looks like toyota is finally trying to get away from boring
Posted by charlie | January 17, 2008 12:40 AM
Posted on January 17, 2008 00:40
"What what kind of gas mileage they're getting out of it?" - Gary
Who give a ____! This is a supercar (but it's probably similar to other 500hp exotics...8-12mpg city).
I'm all for high efficiency in commuters and can't stand soccer moms that drive 3-ton SUVs to Target or rednecks that drive full size trucks 50 miles daily on the freeway.
Posted by Noya | January 17, 2008 7:30 AM
Posted on January 17, 2008 07:30
@ Noya
I totally agree with you. I think it's ridiculous the GOV charges a gas-guzzler tax on a Lamborghini or a Ferrari. No one drives them daily, and no one cares about gas mileage that has one.
----------
I personally don't really care for the way the LFA looks, but the engine sounds lilke it's awesome. Horray for Toyota!
Posted by Cheap Car Lover | January 17, 2008 10:38 AM
Posted on January 17, 2008 10:38
"Noya:
"What what kind of gas mileage they're getting out of it?" - Gary
Who give a ____! This is a supercar (but it's probably similar to other 500hp exotics...8-12mpg city).
I'm all for high efficiency in commuters and can't stand soccer moms that drive 3-ton SUVs to Target or rednecks that drive full size trucks 50 miles daily on the freeway."
The 2008 Z06 gets 15/24mpg (epa), the ZR1 should be somewhat close too...
Posted by sabby1225 | January 17, 2008 11:11 AM
Posted on January 17, 2008 11:11
@noya:
I give s---, that's who. im all for raw power and speed but don't want even more people burning through a wasteful amount of gas. if chevy can get 20ish out of the vette, this better get similar.
Posted by gary | January 17, 2008 11:29 AM
Posted on January 17, 2008 11:29
This has nothing to due Corvettes
This is the answer to the question:
Does Lexus know what style is?
No doubt!
DrFill
Posted by DrFill | January 17, 2008 3:12 PM
Posted on January 17, 2008 15:12
@Gary
What do you drive?
Posted by Cheap Car Lover | January 17, 2008 4:21 PM
Posted on January 17, 2008 16:21
Nice concept, but it looks kinda stupid in the front and back. Toyota doesn't need to change the appearance of it's cars, just "boring as hell" powertrains and underpinnings. If they kept the original IS styling, this would be a very attractive convertible. But kudos for unveiling a v10 convertible ahead of Honda.
Posted by Jason | January 17, 2008 5:42 PM
Posted on January 17, 2008 17:42
Please Toyota. Rebadge this as the Supra.
Posted by John | January 17, 2008 9:12 PM
Posted on January 17, 2008 21:12
This shouldn't be the Supra (although it will inevitably relate to it). The supra should be about raw power and feeling. Atleast, that's what made the JZA80 so popular. This IS-F concept has always been tied to an auto trans. Kinda boring to just step on the gas and have no other input or control. Plus, while this car looks better than the bloated sturgeon look of the last Supra, it still looks like a 350z, Celica, and S2000 thrown into a microwave.
Posted by Jason | January 18, 2008 11:25 AM
Posted on January 18, 2008 11:25
@CheapCarLover
A 2000 Integra GSR with a turbo.
Posted by Gary | January 18, 2008 5:39 PM
Posted on January 18, 2008 17:39
@Gary
Does it has nawwwws!?
Posted by Tom | January 20, 2008 8:33 AM
Posted on January 20, 2008 08:33
@Tom
No it doesn't. It also doesn't have chrome tail lights, or a fart can exhaust, or a large aluminum wing, or any stickers.
Posted by Gary | January 21, 2008 10:33 AM
Posted on January 21, 2008 10:33
I like the drivetrain and chassis, but the styling is so-so to me. The front reminded me of a Solara, and the "industrial" rear taillight grilles need to go. I personally like the current IS design, so I think they should have stuck with that.
500hp+ cars with piston engines are going to get crappy mileage, so don't even ask. The best case is that if you have an extremely tall overdrive, drive mostly on highways at 65mph, and stay out of the throttle, you might get 20-25mpg (like a Vette). There is no freaking way I could do that, but someone else might.
Posted by Kell | January 22, 2008 11:18 AM
Posted on January 22, 2008 11:18
The car industry already has an unbroken rule for concept cars: anything cool that it has that would actually make you want to buy one will be removed for the production version.
Posted by niz | January 29, 2008 12:47 PM
Posted on January 29, 2008 12:47
@ Gary
I had a GSR a few years ago, awesome car. I also hate any kind of cosmetic or exhaust modification, so you get my seal of approval. Mine was stock (1995) and I got 27-31mpg. Usually around 28. What is your mileage with a turbo? Just seeing if you're being wasteful. :o)
Posted by Cheap Car Lover | January 29, 2008 1:21 PM
Posted on January 29, 2008 13:21
What the hell is a fart can?
yes I am sure I think I know what you are talking about just curious if what I think it is, is it =)
-D
and if its what I think it is, does it even do anything performance wise?
Posted by D | January 29, 2008 2:44 PM
Posted on January 29, 2008 14:44