Lexus LFA 2011 News

The first international auto exhibition in Sydney since 2008 is the most expensive the city has seen, based on the value of the cars assembled and the millions it has cost certain of the 30 exhibitors to ship and assemble their showcases, some of which are themselves worth in the region on $1 million.Organisers expect in excess of 200,000 patrons to see the show which runs until next Sunday. Organisers said the 44 new models revealed at AIMS is an "absolute record" for any Australian auto show.Ford's stand is part of a globally travelling display based in Paris bought to Sydney for the launch of the Ranger ute. Mercedes-Benz commissioned a one-off car specifically for the show.Andrew McKellar, chief executive of the Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries which runs AIMS, said $50 million was a "conservative estimate"."I think it'll be the best show we've had for a good number years and one of the best in the world this year," he said.  "It's important that we bring this sort of event to Sydney. People have missed it, but it's a good agreement to have it here every other year."While some are calling it the "Sydney ute muster" due to the dominance of work and lifestyle vehicles, it's the "car porn" the supercars and performance rockets that will get the punters through the doors.At $700,000 the first Lexus supercar, the LFA, is among the most expensive on show. Eight have been allocated to Australia, all have been pre-sold. So too have all seven of Porsche's brutal 911 GT2 RS, which is the most powerful ever of its kind and, at $560,000, the most expensive new Porsche sold here.You'll likely never see a Hulme CamAm again in the metal. Only 20 of the manic road going race track car, hand built by a New Zealand company for performance connoisseurs, will be made. Those in search of an exotic bargain should veer over to the Lamborghini Gallardo LP 550-2 at a mere $399,000 it's the cheapest way to get into a brand favoured by the conspicuously wealthy including Ibrahim.

The Mazda BT-50 is presented as an ‘active lifestyle vehicle’ that overturns the conventional image of a utility with modern and refined styling. The new model was developed from the ground up as a brand new type of vehicle.  As well as strength and dependability, the BT-50 is a great alternative for a wide range of customers who lead active lifestyles. The exterior design features crisp lines, an imposing presence, plus sporty, dynamic proportions. When it finally hits Australian roads it is designed to be an instantly recognisable head-turner. Customers who buy the BT-50 will, in effect, also be making a small investment in Australian automotive expertise as well – the vehicle was jointly developed, with the all-new Ford Ranger, right here in Australia. So you can be sure it’ll be tough enough for our potentially harsh operating conditions. Another significant display at this year’s Australian International Motor Show is Mazda’s range of next-generation SKY powertrains due for release later next year.  The SKY powertrains are a key part of Mazda’s earlier (2007) commitment to reduce by 30 per cent overall average fuel consumption levels between 2008 and 2015. The Mazda 2.0-litre SKY-G (for gasoline) petrol engine features direct injection and natural aspiration, while the hi-tech turbocharged 2.2-litre SKY-D (for diesel) common-rail diesel engine provides a solid wall of torque from just over 1000rpm to an incredible 5200rpm redline. Both are mated to manual and auto SKY-Drive transmission options – both with six speeds. The auto uses a locking clutch 80-90 per cent of the time for direct drive, which minimizes frictional losses, boosts efficiency and reduces greenhouse emissions.

... and one of the stars of the Australian International Motor Show.

Car safety is about to move forward again with a new airbag development.  Seatbelts are the new target for cushioned protection in a crash, with Ford and Toyota racing to get the first production models on the road.Ford is expected to be first into showrooms with the upcoming Explorer SUV for the USA, with Toyota to follow in 2011 with the Lexus LFA supercar.  There is no confirmation yet of any airbag belts for Australia, although Toyota admits the design developed for its $750,000 supercar will be migrated through the whole of the company."We don't know where or when, but in true Lexus fashion it will be 'trickle-down' technology," says Toyota spokesman, Mike Breen.  Lexus revealed a pyrotechnic seatbelt last year at the press preview of the LFA in Germany. There was no great fanfare despite its importance, with Lexus actually underplaying the development."We don't want to say too much yet because the car does not go into production until 2011. Someone else could beat us to be first with this development," says the chief engineer of the LFA, Haruhiko Tanahashi.  He was right, with Ford announcing soon after that it had developed an inflatable airbag for use in the Explorer.The two systems are very different, with Lexus choosing to continue with a pyrotechnic device to create the gas for the bag - with a linked electrical connection built into the belt buckle - and Ford going with a cold compressed gas.  The Ford bag inflates in 40 seconds but, because of the way it is used and because it is strapped against an occupant, the firing is relatively slow and much less violent than a conventional airbag.More detail on the Ford system is expected soon but there is no confirmation of its use in anything beyond the Explorer.  "We are looking at other vehicles. But there have been no decisions or announcements yet," says Sinead McAlary, spokesperson for Ford Australia.

Since cars all deliver on the same basic promise of personal mobility, and many vehicles do it with incredible value and panache, good design can often make the difference between buying and losing.Ian Callum knows it and, after more than four decades of top-class design work on everything from HSV Holdens to Volvos, Aston Martins and now Jaguars, he is the right man to be talking. "This is a time of car design. It's not just styling any more. You really have to understand design, and the elements that make up a good design," Callum says. "We're also seeing a lot of change in the automotive world. The make-up of cars is changing. Designers are going to have an incredible influence."Callum has revolutionised Jaguar design over the past 10 years and just visited Australia to showcase his all-new XJ flagship, which steps right away from anything which has previously worn the brand's leaper mascot. "I didn't want to be a slave to heritage," he says simply.Callum believes good design is simple but incredibly difficult, elegant and timeless, but also challenging and filled with tiny little details. He is rare among designers because he backs his promises with commitment and talent, and is also happy to give an opinion.So, then, how does he judge the work from some of his rivals? Surprisingly, Callum is happy to go on the record with a simple tick-or-cross verdict on the latest designs in showrooms.Here are his ratings: Aston Martin Rapide - tickAudi A5 - tickBMW GT - two crossesBMW X6 - crossFerrari F458 Italia - tickHSV EII Commodore - tickLexus LFA - tickMercedes E-Class - crossMercedes SLS Gullwing - crossNissan GT-R - crossPorsche Panamera - crossRolls-Royce Ghost - tickToyota Prius - tickVolkswagen Golf - tick 

The brand’s first grab for supercar territory – with a carbon-fibre body carrying a Formula One-inspired V10 engine that gets it to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds and to a top speed of 325km/h – is tipped to arrive with a price tag of more than $500,000.But that’s unlikely to bother those locals who have already put their hand up for the car, according to Lexus Australia boss John Roca. “It’s being touted at about US$375,000, but we’ve heard the equivalent of close to $750,000 … that kind of price didn’t shake anybody off the tree,” Roca says. “Our wishlist is to get five to 10 cars. We are going into negotiation on volume for Australia, but in the initial discussions it was not hypothetically slated for Asia because of projected demand from other markets. “We’ve asked for expressions of interest, and even in these difficult times they have come in. Three have been requested from Queensland alone. “Hypothetically, if we were to get five, the dealer principals would snap them up.”Roca says Lexus Australia will look at ways to prevent dealers buying the cars and simply locking them away for posterity. “So we might put limitations our dealer group to determine when the cars must be passed on,” he says. “That would prevent them being bought and then hidden away for the next 20 years.”Roca agrees the LFA development program has been a costly one if the result is simply 500 cars, but says it is an investment in more than just that vehicle. “It will do everything for the brand,” he says. “We’re a young brand – just 20 years in the market – and producing a true supercar like this would raise our profile. “People are asking if this is similar to what Honda did with the NSX in the 1990s, but it’s different. This is another tie into the Lexus (high-performance) F line and would allow us to tap into future F drivetrains. 

We’ve blended all the highlights in a one-minute tasting plate. All the glamour, all the glitz and definitely all the green gadgetry.The LF-A is being touted as the new Lexus sportscar and expected to go up against Ferrari, Lamborghini, Porsche and other high performance supercars.Apart from these almost-production ready coupes, the show is shaping up to be a restrained affair as carmakers continue to battle the fallout from the global financial crisis. Just three smaller foreign brands, Caterham, BMW Alpina and Lotus are attending this year.In 2007 26 foreign brands lined up with the Japanese carmakers at the show. Despite the low attendance by carmakers, Tokyo is traditionally a show full of quirky city cars and concepts. Electric cars, from plug-in hybrids to full-blow electric vehicles remain popular, following on from the green theme at this year's Frankfurt Motor Show.What's Hot:TOYOTAFT-EV II: This is the second generation of Toyota's electric car concept with a futuristic edge. Drive-by-wire technology and a solar panel on the roof give this urban commuter a distinct edge. Looks a little like the iQ sold in Europe. FT-86 Concept: Look beyond the lines are you'll see Toyota's new Celica. The rear-drive compact sportscar will borrow Subaru's 2.0-litre boxer four.CATERHAMThe world debut of the CSR 175 EU4, a more powerful version of its CSR.LEXUSThe much talked about LF-A is rumoured to get a 370kW V10, making it the most powerful production Lexus made. The front "mid-engine" layout is said to deliver outstanding handling.SUBARUThe Hybrid Tourer Concept is being touted as a new incarnation of the SVX. We hope for Subaru's sake it will not carry the SVX tag if it every makes it into production. The Tourer is far more attractive and practical. The gullwing coupe combines the boxer four-cylinder with hybrid power. A pair of motors provide regenerative braking, pure electric drive or a combination of both. Apart from showcasing the hybrid drivetrain, the concept also has a new direct injected version of its 2.0-litre four cylinder engine, which is likely to appear in a few years.HONDALike many carmakers, Honda has spilled the beans on some of its cars. The CR-Z concept is the close to production ready version of its hybrid coupe, powered by a petrol 1.5-litre four cylinder and the same electric powerpack we see in the Civic hybrid. The Skydeck is a futuristic six-seater hybrid using ultra-light weight materials. The big wagon may provide a pointer to what the next-generation Odyssey might look like. Inside, the Skydeck has "floating" slim-line seats with entry provided by huge opening gullwing doors.NISSANCarmakers love motorcycle-inspired cars. Nissan has lifted the wraps off its Land Glider, a compact four-wheel city commuter car. The two-seater uses electric motors and the driver and passenger sit in tandem, like a motorcycle. The car also leans into corners.SUZUKIWith green a continuing theme, Suzuki's Swift hybrid is a pointer to a new plug-in hybrid for short-distances.MAZDAThe Hiroshima-based carmaker has concentrated on its new Sky Concept to showcase a new Sky-G petrol and Sky-D diesel engine, as well as a new six-speed automatic gearbox.MITSUBISHIDo not think of the Concept PX-MiEV as a new off-roader. Mitsubishi says the PX crossover just houses a new plug-in hybrid system that gets around 3.0 litres/100km. Apart from its drivetrain, the interior uses seat upholstery that kills bacteria and gets rid of offensive odours. The i-MIEV Cargo is also a new commercial van concept taken from the i-MIEV electric car.SUZUSHOYou may not have heard about it but this Japanese kit car specialist has combined a tuned 200kW 2.3-litre turbo engine from the Mazda3 MPS and a lightweight body to deliver a hot-shot sportscar, the Supasse V. The V gets an aluminum twin-tube monocoque spaceframe chassis with a fiberglass body. Suzusho is a specialist builder of lightweight sportscars with a great deal of experience with Lotus 7 replicas. The Supasse is expected to sell in Japan for around $80,000. 

Toyota and its satellites have played the car game strictly by the rules for the longest, longest time but now the company is reaching full maturity and some of its senior staff are being encouraged to find new ways to do things. One of them is Haruhiko Tanahashi, who told me about Shu-ha-ri this week. So, what does it mean and why is it important? According to Tanahashi, the translation from Japanese into English goes something like this: "Know the rules, break the rules, then re-invent the rules." We will all understand the importance of what he is saying by the end of next month, but I cannot reveal exactly what we were discussing or why we were together in Germany. But he is the boss of the Lexus LFA project . .

The man credited with leading development of the breakthrough Lexus IS-F - which was built to challenge the benchmark BMW M3 - is also pushing hard to get the Lexus LF-A into production.Toyoda is even doing testing on the 300km/h supercar himself.But the 52-year-old grandson of Toyota's founder, who will become the CEO and president of the world's largest car company later this year, is not just grinding around a proving ground.Toyoda is racing an LF-A.The entry list for this year's classic Nurburgring 24-Hour race includes a driver called 'Morizo' in one of the two LF-As to be fielded by the Japanese GAZOO Racing team on May 23-24.But Morizo is actually Toyoda.That means the Nurburgring entry is a very big deal, right down to the bodyguards who will accompany Morizo-Toyoda through the event.Toyoda has used the fake name twice before to race on the full Nurburgring north course, although last year his stealth fighter-black LF-A was one of the first cars to strike trouble in the 24-hour race.This time around the LF-A entry is bigger and official, and there will also be an IS-F in the GAZOO team.Toyoda is one of four drivers in his car and will share with Andre Lotterer, a one-time Jaguar F1 test driver who also leads Toyota's effort in the Japanese SuperGT championship.Morizo's official profile gives a Japlish twist on what Toyoda is doing, and why:"He is a well-known driver at GAZOO Racing. He grips the steering with the great wish to increase car fan and inform fun of run. He participate in Nurburgring continue Year 2007 and Year 2008." 

The Lexus LF-A roadster could be the car of the future, or a car with no future.The LF supercar program has been running for close to three years and is a headliner for the whole Toyota group, but has yet to produce a production car.There have been coupe and convertible show cars, and a hardtop LF-A painted in flat-black camouflage competed at the Nurburgring 24-Hour race in Germany last year, but there is still nothing concrete for showrooms.But that has not stopped Lexus Australia from landing the signal red LF-A roadster as it show star for Melbourne."This car shows us what we are capable of doing, as a brand," says John Roca, head of Lexus Australia."It shows we are not boxed into a vanilla future that only has hybrid cars as a point of difference. It shows we can be, and will be, a lot more diverse than we are today."The LF-A roadster is familiar but different to anyone who knows the coupe.The lightweight body uses a combination of aluminium and carbon fibre, and the car rolls on 20-inch alloy wheels.It has the same 5-litre V10 engine, tucked just ahead of the two passenger seats but well behind the front axle line, and rear-wheel drive.Lexus has given few details of the convertible roof, except that the basic body is just as rigid as the coupe.And that it will have the same 320 km/h top speed.There is no chance for anyone at the Melbourne Show to buy the roadster, or even put down a serious deposit, but Roca believes the LF- A project will produce a genuine production car sometime in 2010."I think the car has a future. I think we're getting closer to 'when', ahead of 'if'. But we still don't know when that time will be," he says."The million-dollar question is when. And, frankly, I cannot answer that."But the car for the show is real. It has a real V10 engine that actually works and makes all the right noises."The stats we're getting show that the car will hit 300km/h and that was one of the targets. The engine always had the right power but the Japanese wanted 200 miles-an-hour and there have been some improvements to the aerodynamics to get it to 300 kays."Roca says the global economic meltdown will not affect plans for the LF-A, despite its potential impact on high-priced luxury cars."I think there is a market, even in this environment, for that car.And also for our brand," he says."Having it here was too good an opportunity to showcase what Lexus can do. We had to get it. As a brand, we are expanding. It began with the IS-F performance model, and the LF-A will follow it."And there is other new stuff on the Lexus stand in Melbourne.The latest RX makes its first public appearance in Australia, and the luxury SUV will be displayed as both a regular petrol model and a hybrid."The real story for us ion Melbourne is the RX. And the reaction to that car has been very strong," Roca says."We have the regular 350 and the 450 hybrid. The hybrid is only a pre- production car, but that will be available this year so we have the choice of the 350 and 450 by the beginning of the second half of the year."The important thing about the RX is that it's a second-generation hybrid for us. It will eventually be followed by the HS hybrid, which was just displayed at the Detroit Motor Show."We were originally told the HS was only going to be left-hand drive, but it's now confirmed with right-hand drive so we have put our hand up. We are definitely going to request the car for Australia and it's a car that will slot right between the IS250 and the GS." The 2009 Melbourne International Motor Show...