VIDEO: Lexus LFA hotlap at Homestead-Miami Speedway
Click above to view the videos after the jump
Hiromu Naruse is Toyota Motor Company's "master test driver." He's the man responsible for honing our favorite ToMoCo sports cars – from the MR2 to the Supra – and he's one of four drivers that ran the 24 Hours of Nürburgring (along with several other races) in two Lexus LFA prototypes, joining Toyota's president, Akio Toyoda in the #14 car. Yesterday, he became our personal chauffer around the Homestead-Miami Speedway.
The only problem: the batteries died on our GoPro camera. Thankfully, 0-60's helmsman Brian Scotto had his own minicam and handed it over when it was our turn to get a few hot laps from the master. After the jump you'll find two videos: one mounted on the inside of the windshield (the suction cup isn't rated over 150 MPH, and we hit 157 MPH on the oval) and another shot by Scotto's iPhone as Naruse-san delicately snaked the Lexus LFA around the Speedway. 3... 2... 1... jump.
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 4)
2004m3driver 8:03PM (10/23/2009)
Deeply jealous.
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geo.stewart 8:45AM (10/24/2009)
whats the big deal? the car can make a left turn at 150mph.
ya'll balk at that every time there is a nascar article on here, and they do it with 40 other cars going 175 at the same time, without all the technical wizardry.
CeeP 12:22PM (10/26/2009)
The big deal is it can also turn right at those speeds.
POV 8:08PM (10/23/2009)
That sounds beautiful!
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inteller 10:11PM (10/23/2009)
actually not really...it has a pretty "meh" sound. Oh and the beeping telling you to shift is lame. What's next, a heads up display of the braking zones a la Forza motorsport?
daleam 12:33AM (10/24/2009)
inteller - You're nuts. It sounds awesome and I am one of the LAST people to look for a reason to praise Toyota.
judd 12:40AM (10/24/2009)
They really captured the sound of the 8th Generation Civic Si. Just kidding. But really they did.
zamafir 1:04AM (10/24/2009)
it sounds great, about the same as an R8 or gallardo inside, a bit more tinny but i'm guessing that's the mic. I'm still waiting to hear something which sounds better than the cerrara gt. sweet mother, now there's an F1. An engine actually designed for lemans. amazing.
What sounds uber crappy is the shift nag beep... at least that's what it seems to be, if it's the recorder, ignore it. One thing that bugged me most about the IS350 is the way in which the dash lights up AND beeps when you loose traction, distracting as a mother.
Also the interior appears a lot more meh, something about those vents just feels cheap, I don't think it's any more remarkable than a F430 or R8 inside.
Matt 7:58AM (10/24/2009)
Yeh it could just be the microphone isn't the best
Surely you can turn the bip off?
Dana 4:15PM (10/24/2009)
seconded, although it might be youtube not doing it justice. Its just the area where japanese sports cars typically always fell short of the compilation. Always droning rather rather than instilling passion.
bl2k400 8:15PM (10/23/2009)
i love the angry down shifting, the Italians got the sexy sound, the american got the sexy rumble, the japs got the angry beast.
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Clavius 8:15PM (10/23/2009)
The exhaust note sounds alright and what I'd like to hear coming from a V-10. But to me it doesnt rile my bones up like a 'vette, Viper, Ferrari and even my old Rx-8 with its Borla exhaust. Maybe when a proper video is done and the audio is tweaked propperly I'll fall in love with it.. till then its just a crush lol
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Coco 8:48PM (10/23/2009)
LFA = poor man's F1 car and eurotrash's worst nightmare :)
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inteller 10:13PM (10/23/2009)
pft....hardly. The "eurotrash" isn't worried.
Rar 10:13PM (10/23/2009)
Toyota have not F1 technology.
Coco 11:07PM (10/23/2009)
@Rar
"The race-bred engine that is the heart of Lexus' new supercar is off-limits to the rest of the model range. That's the official line from the powerplant's designer, ex-F1 engine designer, Takamitsu Okamoto.
Okamoto, whose portfolio includes engines of the Le Mans Group C prototypes, Group B rally cars, CART turbo V8s and F1, says the hand-assembled V10 is simply too expensive to be used in other Lexus models.
The compact race-style dry-sumped V10 is assembled by motorcycle specialist Yamaha and features a block that is cast and machined by Toyota's own F1 operation in Toyota City in Nagoya, Japan"...
http://www.carsales.com.au/news/2009/sports/lexus/v10-offlimits-for-time-being-lfa-chief-17163
Yaroukh 12:37AM (10/24/2009)
I'm sure Gumpert Apollo, Audi R8, Ultima GTR, Koenigsegg CCX, Pagani Zonda, etc. are scared as hell.
Or was that a joke???
Coco 2:24PM (10/25/2009)
Flashback 1989... "Toyota Motor Corporation's new luxury division 'Lexus', introduces the LS400 flagship sedan to complete with offering from European established brands"...
...critics (sarcasm): " I'm sure BMW, Jaguar and Mercedes, etc. are scared as hell."...
RSR 10:05AM (10/26/2009)
May have been designed by the guy who worked on F1 engine, except Toyota hasn't performed well in F1.
ddouglasinc 9:25PM (10/23/2009)
That... That Is Sexy! Sounds Awesome. Nice Track They Picked Out Too. When He Guns It Down The Strightaway It Sounds Beautiful. I Love That Car :)
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