Lexus LF-A, O Rly?

[RSVDon]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xd9T53nUOiM&feature=player_embedded

[Disclaimer]

Top Gear does another great job of building it up and then finally letting people in on the truth.

I've read articles on the LF-A in Wards and SAE mags, and the video gets it right about the 8:30 mark... it is absolutely 'an engineer's wet dream'. The level of detail that went into that car is astounding and so is the manufacturing technology. I believe I read that they developed a special machine just to figure out how to spin-weave the A-pillars out of carbon fiber.

But, once again, the price point is out-of-this-worldly for a car that doesn't perform up to the out-of-this-worldly standard when you could get a more economical beast (including the sister car from Toyota, the FT-86), that would out perform it in most metrics at a fraction of the price.

My take on this car is:

Not only was it an engineering/manufacturing R&D exercise, but it's a Halo car that the Japanese will use private owners (like it said, Lexus won't make any money off the sale of each vehicle) to bankroll all the 'learning' and new manufacture tech - leaving the Japanese WAY ahead of the curve on the next-gen vehicle manufacturing technology. The Japanese are anything but wasteful, and they did not produce this vehicle as a 'F you' to the Italians, Swedes, or American supercar builders - evident by the fact that it doesn't outperform many of them. They produced it for future gain.

If I had to make a prediction, I predict you'll see the first carbon fiber car produced for mass consumption will be from the Japanese.

Edited January 6, 2010 by JRMMiii