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Q+A, Lexus LFA's chief engineer
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Lexus LFA chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi talks about the supercar, launched today at the Tokyo motor show.
Why is Lexus making
a supercar?
To demonstrate the capability of Lexus (and Toyota), and because it was the right time to make a new challenge. Also to act as a halo model for the F versions of Lexus’s regular production cars.
Why has it taken so long?
We wanted to produce the car earlier [to coincide with Toyota’s elusive first F1 win], and it was completed to an acceptable standard, but then we wanted more from the project. That’s why we switched to a carbonfibre chassis for improved rigidity and handling.
What are the LFA’s competitors and what makes it different?
The LFA sits between cars like the Ferrari 430 Scuderia/Lamborghini Gallardo LP550-2 and bigger supercars like the Murciélago SV and Pagani Zonda, but with a more protective side to its character. If you go beyond the edge there is the knowledge that the car is on your side.
Who is going to buy it?
A buyer who is not as
extrovert or showy as the traditional supercar customer, and someone who is interested in technology.
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