National Geographic - Supercars: Lexus LFA

[Makaveli]

I have watched a Lexus LFA Documentary on National Geographic today & I recommend it to anyone that loves Toyota & Lexus. One of the best car documentaries I have ever seen. It has reissured me that Toyota is the best car manufacturer in the world. Attention to detail & quality surpasses that of any other supercar that have been built to date. Bugatti Veyron maybe the only other exception.

Some of the the key points/highlights.

All the workers that work on the car are called Takumi. Which is Japanese for Craftsman.

Engine block is machined in a former Formula 1 Engine Facility. Using state of the art milling machines.

Engines are assembled by Yamaha. Only four people build Lexus LFA's engine codenamed 1LR-GUE. Engines are also assembled in a controlled room temperature for metal expansion or something or rather.

Yamaha also tuned the surge tank (plastic intake that goes above the individual throttle bodies) to enhance the induction noise.

A Pillars & roof support are made using round carbon fiber loom machine.

The Manager of the production line is a former Toyota's Baseball Team Manager who tells each worker to take as much time as needed in order to achieve the highest quality possible and overtime is not an issue for each worker as long as one Lexus LFA is completed each day.

Workers have to remove all dust before entering the production facility. Similar to that of NASA and the likes in Aeronautical industry.

I am not sure if this Documentary is getting repeated on Sky TV or not, but it's called National Geographic Supercars: Lexus LFA

Nissan GTR is being shown on Tuesday night on National Geographic.

http://natgeotv.com.au/tv/supercars/gal ... s-lfa.aspx

[loudstealthGT-Four]

Watch that the other day, was a very cool doco. Extremely impressed of all the processes to make the chassis. Carbon Fibre FTW

[Zitchu]

Recorded it earlier but just watched it now, agreed its a good episode.

[2jayzgte]

I've watched this Supercar series throughout when you compare Lexus/Toyota with all the rest in my opinion they have the facilty design and build expertise equal to anyone else that has been on this series.

The worst car build quality wise and facility wise was the Corvette ZR-1 I thought WTF it looked to me like the good ole boy type scenario even compared it to like them making moonshine I just laughed at it.

Nurburging Edition LFA = my dream car...

[iOnic]

Apples with apples though - A ZR1 costs 1/4 the price of a base model LFA. It's kinda expected that the LFA will have out of this world manufacturing processes - kinda like the car itself. It's nothing like what has been seen before IMO and that doco really shows it. It's a brilliant watch.

[Snaps]

I've watched this Supercar series throughout when you compare Lexus/Toyota with all the rest in my opinion they have the facilty design and build expertise equal to anyone else that has been on this series.

The worst car build quality wise and facility wise was the Corvette ZR-1 I thought WTF it looked to me like the good ole boy type scenario even compared it to like them making moonshine I just laughed at it.

This. I felt like the way the build the LFA in terms of how all of the parts fit together, and the precise way they organise all of the parts to go into one car would be similar across the whole brand/apply to Toyota as well; compared to the Corvette, where you get the feeling like they build it as though it's just another Chevrolet. For example: when the roof of the ZR1 doesn't fit as it should, they just give it a whack with their forearm... Everything they seem to do is done in a crude way, with little expertise or methodology. I bet you wouldn't see any of that at a Toyota or Lexus build plant.

[Stott69]

They built 500? LFAs, over 2? Years. Compared with the 70 odd per week for every year of prodution. Think the Corvette, even tho it is a stunning car, is out of its depth a little on that serise imo. The Bugatti and konigseg........ factorys is rather more where Id draw comparison

[d1 mule]

The ZR1 may not have the prestige or the name of the others but in terms of performance its right up there, Quicker then an Enzo to 100kph for and the fact its only 5 seconds slower around the nordschleife than the LFA and 9th over all. The closest Ferrari is 6 seconds slower than the ZR1.

[Al]

Not bad for leaf springs.

u mad jza80?

[d1 mule]

corvettes havnt had leafs since the early 60s....

[GDII]

corvettes havnt had leafs since the early 60s....

Ah yes they have. C5 Corvettes still had them. Pretty sure C6 do too. http://www.lsxtv.com/tech-stories/brake ... -vs-leafs/

[Dell'Orto]

The last Stingray I looked at (early 70s) certainly had leafs too...transverse leafs, WTF

[Mr Ree]

Not bad for leaf springs.

u mad jza80?

Yeah, they mad.

[Lith]

Watched the LFA episode the other night, was very very impressive - awesome car. Going to have to try and find a way to watch the GTR episode too, damn having no Sky!

[GDII]

I haven't watched it but this appears to be the NG GTR video

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w_rrsPzq ... ults_video

[strx7]

corvettes havnt had leafs since the early 60s....

only 4 or 5 years ago they still had "Independant Leaf Suspension".....

[dnalunchie]

is this LFA doco available to watch anywhere

[d1 mule]

ah i was thinking Live axel, my bad i stand corrected.

[GDII]

That's what I thought awhile ago when I heard corvettes still had leaf springs. I had the image of the Hilux spring and live axle setup.

[wde_bdy]

They are not "leaf springs" in the traditional sense, particularly when there is only one and its operating on IRS.

Callum