Lexus LFA Driver Development Center program at Infineon (official)
03-14-11, 08:51 AM
#151
Hope the weather works out and that you have a good day at the track. I read lexusenthusiast.com's krew is going tomorrow too (see http://lexusenthusiast.com/2011/03/1...gram-tomorrow/ ), maybe he'll say hello.
As far as passenger head movement - first and foremost is that if the passenger is not a trained or experienced driver, he's not going to keep his head (or his body, for that matter) as stable as a pro. I'll be honest, almost any time I do a track day or driving program my neck muscles get really sore (I managed to avoid this at Infineon somehow... maybe I'm getting better!). Of course, another reason is that the driver knows when he's going to turn/brake/accelerate/shift/etc and that lets him prepare himself better for it than the passenger.
I'm aiming at delivery date middle of the week starting 3/21. From what I understand, my LFA probably hasn't been de-vanned yet and still needs to go through customs after that, so this is all tenuous.
I agree with rominl's analysis - the LFA shifting is pretty violent but it is extremely responsive. I distinctly remember when I really started enjoying the transmission on the LFA, which was during my 2nd session at Infineon. I think during my first session I was so engaged with learning the course and hitting my marks that I didn't get a lot of time to enjoy the LFA as much, which is a shame because my first session was the only one in the black production LFA.
But I recall at one point in the yellow car just starting to marvel at how responsive the gearbox was and how fun it made the driving experience. It certainly feels far more responsive and far faster than, say, the "F1" automated manuals in the 430 and especially the 360 (both of which I have track experience with), which was why I was surprised Mark Gillies thought they were similar during the C+D review. (Of course, he may have been testing an older prototype.)
That isn't to say the 8-speed torque-lock automatic in the IS F isn't super fast, because it is, and I think it's a magnificent transmission for what it's supposed to do. But it definitely isn't as responsive as the one on the LFA. It certainly shifts smoother, but I think most of that is due to the shifting characteristics from it being an automatic.
As rominl also alluded to, factory claims can't really be used in determining the speed of shifts - this is not necessarily because the claims might be inaccurate or intentionally misleading marketing fluff, but because there are so many ways of measuring it. After all, Nissan claims 200ms for the dual clutch in the GTR, same as the 200ms Lexus claim here for the LFA.
Sorry, what I meant was that a lot of time is spent repositioning the LFA back to the drag start position, so it'd be even longer to get back to the starting line for a 1/2mi+ drag.
As far as passenger head movement - first and foremost is that if the passenger is not a trained or experienced driver, he's not going to keep his head (or his body, for that matter) as stable as a pro. I'll be honest, almost any time I do a track day or driving program my neck muscles get really sore (I managed to avoid this at Infineon somehow... maybe I'm getting better!). Of course, another reason is that the driver knows when he's going to turn/brake/accelerate/shift/etc and that lets him prepare himself better for it than the passenger.
I'm aiming at delivery date middle of the week starting 3/21. From what I understand, my LFA probably hasn't been de-vanned yet and still needs to go through customs after that, so this is all tenuous.
I agree with rominl's analysis - the LFA shifting is pretty violent but it is extremely responsive. I distinctly remember when I really started enjoying the transmission on the LFA, which was during my 2nd session at Infineon. I think during my first session I was so engaged with learning the course and hitting my marks that I didn't get a lot of time to enjoy the LFA as much, which is a shame because my first session was the only one in the black production LFA.
But I recall at one point in the yellow car just starting to marvel at how responsive the gearbox was and how fun it made the driving experience. It certainly feels far more responsive and far faster than, say, the "F1" automated manuals in the 430 and especially the 360 (both of which I have track experience with), which was why I was surprised Mark Gillies thought they were similar during the C+D review. (Of course, he may have been testing an older prototype.)
That isn't to say the 8-speed torque-lock automatic in the IS F isn't super fast, because it is, and I think it's a magnificent transmission for what it's supposed to do. But it definitely isn't as responsive as the one on the LFA. It certainly shifts smoother, but I think most of that is due to the shifting characteristics from it being an automatic.
As rominl also alluded to, factory claims can't really be used in determining the speed of shifts - this is not necessarily because the claims might be inaccurate or intentionally misleading marketing fluff, but because there are so many ways of measuring it. After all, Nissan claims 200ms for the dual clutch in the GTR, same as the 200ms Lexus claim here for the LFA.
Sorry, what I meant was that a lot of time is spent repositioning the LFA back to the drag start position, so it'd be even longer to get back to the starting line for a 1/2mi+ drag.
yeah sorry i was confused and thought you meant something in the car had to be reset
03-14-11, 02:58 PM
#152
Tech Info Resource
iTrader: (2)
Great video. If you get on the throttle too soon out of the carousel (the way I saw it in both laps) while riding a bike, you'll end up in the grass. AMHIK. The bump at the bottom where you transition onto the drag strip is the WOT signal...
I like the course you drove. It's the "old" course I raced in the mid-eighties and early nineties. Wish I could have made this event, but it wasn't in the cards this time.
I like the course you drove. It's the "old" course I raced in the mid-eighties and early nineties. Wish I could have made this event, but it wasn't in the cards this time.
03-14-11, 07:15 PM
#153
Thanks for the update Gengar
I did meet Krew todY and he is a super nice guy
He will fill the Internet with stuff from today and tomorrow
The weather worked fine, about 60 and a few sprinkles that gave me a chance to try the big wiper
We had 6 folks plus a friend today
Other stuff incised Toyota in to film and Scott Pruett swing up to demo launch control, and that was happening after the program
Scott brought his folks and they were a blast to talk to
His dad has a sweet collection of older US muscle and collector cars
The other participants included the gentleman who just got the white car in MD
Great guy who brought the friend to observe
The guy has like 10 rides incising 2 F cars and a careers gt as was mentioned elsewhere
He also has an Astin and other P cars
Take that Tommy
I was talking to him about F cars and he had not heard of the FF so go figure how info flows
I would say the three owners today were 60s if not 70
One guy owns the Lexus shop in Memphis
His wife came late in the day and took a ride
One owner owns both a Toyota dealership outside Philly and came with his son
Fun fact on the production car, it has alcantara on top of the dash
This is something the configuration will not allow
What a machine
Ok, back to the program
My instructor was terrific
At lunch he spent extra time breaking down what I could do to improve and by the third session in the car no one was passing me
The day started out with the instructors meeting me at the gate and I filled one driving an ISF to the valet area with greetings and pics
An amazing breakfast and informal intros was next
Then came classroom time split between itinerary with goals and aN LFA backgrounder
Off to the track where my instructor showed me how to do the drag thing and followed by my first go at the wheel, in old gray faithful
The cool thing is the strip had an elevation so you could see right away how nice the car pulls against gravity
Off to the cones to learn slalom methods followed by cornering approaches
Then it was time to dive the LFA around Infineon
I was thrilled by the brakes and awed by the power
Turn 2 is a blind right that took me till the end of the day to feel ok with
As Gengar mentioned the track is very technical and the variations between turns and elevation changes left me with sweaty palms
After the first LFA drive was a gourmet lunch which I limited to salad for fear of nausea and a brief classroom session on track driving
After lunch thee were two more sessions and I can't tell you how much more comfortable I became with the car and learned to trust it by the third session
I drove the black car for the second session and that car just felt better than the gray one
I did not get in the yellow
There were a lot of extra runs to get Toyota and Lexus staff in the car with pros driving
There was a Mr Lee in LFA marketing and another person who focuses on social media
The hot laps were beyond crazy
My instructor did one a bit toned down to establish how much grip the tires had followed by a h?ll ride
It was fun to see him micro adjust right and left with the wheel, unlike the smooth technique he teaches
After the day was done back to class for award plaques, posters and final thoughts
All of the class sessions were videotaped
To provide a couple of words of fair balance, it is clear that the dealers are getting plenty of cars for themselves and they are not waiting in line behind the target enthusiasts
Next a point Krew mentioned and I can confirm, for some turns where thepitch of the track is severe, the seatbelt does not keep you from sloshing about
Back to smiley face stuff, this was an incredible experience and I am thankful to Lexus for making this happen
I did meet Krew todY and he is a super nice guy
He will fill the Internet with stuff from today and tomorrow
The weather worked fine, about 60 and a few sprinkles that gave me a chance to try the big wiper
We had 6 folks plus a friend today
Other stuff incised Toyota in to film and Scott Pruett swing up to demo launch control, and that was happening after the program
Scott brought his folks and they were a blast to talk to
His dad has a sweet collection of older US muscle and collector cars
The other participants included the gentleman who just got the white car in MD
Great guy who brought the friend to observe
The guy has like 10 rides incising 2 F cars and a careers gt as was mentioned elsewhere
He also has an Astin and other P cars
Take that Tommy
I was talking to him about F cars and he had not heard of the FF so go figure how info flows
I would say the three owners today were 60s if not 70
One guy owns the Lexus shop in Memphis
His wife came late in the day and took a ride
One owner owns both a Toyota dealership outside Philly and came with his son
Fun fact on the production car, it has alcantara on top of the dash
This is something the configuration will not allow
What a machine
Ok, back to the program
My instructor was terrific
At lunch he spent extra time breaking down what I could do to improve and by the third session in the car no one was passing me
The day started out with the instructors meeting me at the gate and I filled one driving an ISF to the valet area with greetings and pics
An amazing breakfast and informal intros was next
Then came classroom time split between itinerary with goals and aN LFA backgrounder
Off to the track where my instructor showed me how to do the drag thing and followed by my first go at the wheel, in old gray faithful
The cool thing is the strip had an elevation so you could see right away how nice the car pulls against gravity
Off to the cones to learn slalom methods followed by cornering approaches
Then it was time to dive the LFA around Infineon
I was thrilled by the brakes and awed by the power
Turn 2 is a blind right that took me till the end of the day to feel ok with
As Gengar mentioned the track is very technical and the variations between turns and elevation changes left me with sweaty palms
After the first LFA drive was a gourmet lunch which I limited to salad for fear of nausea and a brief classroom session on track driving
After lunch thee were two more sessions and I can't tell you how much more comfortable I became with the car and learned to trust it by the third session
I drove the black car for the second session and that car just felt better than the gray one
I did not get in the yellow
There were a lot of extra runs to get Toyota and Lexus staff in the car with pros driving
There was a Mr Lee in LFA marketing and another person who focuses on social media
The hot laps were beyond crazy
My instructor did one a bit toned down to establish how much grip the tires had followed by a h?ll ride
It was fun to see him micro adjust right and left with the wheel, unlike the smooth technique he teaches
After the day was done back to class for award plaques, posters and final thoughts
All of the class sessions were videotaped
To provide a couple of words of fair balance, it is clear that the dealers are getting plenty of cars for themselves and they are not waiting in line behind the target enthusiasts
Next a point Krew mentioned and I can confirm, for some turns where thepitch of the track is severe, the seatbelt does not keep you from sloshing about
Back to smiley face stuff, this was an incredible experience and I am thankful to Lexus for making this happen
Last edited by S2000toIS350; 03-15-11 at 08:23 AM.
03-14-11, 08:57 PM
#154
Lexus Test Driver
So Lexus brought Scott Pruett to video tape a launch control system demo???
Any ideas on what the times looked like???
Any ideas on what the times looked like???
Thanks for the update Gengar
I did meet Krew todY and he is a super nice guy
He will fill the Internet with stuff from today and tomorrow
The weather worked fine, about 60 and a few sprinkles that gave me a chance to try the big wiper
We had 6 folks plus a friend today
Other stuff incised Toyota in to film and Scott Pruett swing up to demo launch control, and that was happening after the program
Scott brought his folks and they were a blast to talk to
His dad has a sweet collection of older US muscle and collector cars
The other participants included the gentleman who just got the white car in MD
Great guy who brought the friend to observe
The guy has like 10 rides incising 2 F cars and a careers gt as was mentioned elsewhere
He also has an Astin and other P cars
Take that Tommy
I was talking to him about F cars and he had not heard of the FF so go figure how info flows
I would say the three owners today were 60s if not 70
One guy owns the Lexus shop in Memphis
His wife came late in the day and took a ride
One owner owns both a Toyota dealership outside Philly and came with his son
Fun fact on the production car, it has alcantara on top of the dash
This is something the configuration will not allow
What a machine
Ok, back to the program
My instructor was terrific
At lunch he spent extra time breaking down what I could do to improve and by the third session in the car no one was passing me
The day started out with the instructors meeting me at the gate and I filled one driving an ISF to the valet area with greetings and pics
An amazing breakfast and informal intros was next
Then came classroom time split between itinerary with goals and aN LFA backgrounder
Off to the track where my instructor showed me how to do the drag thing and followed by my first go at the wheel, in old gray faithful
The cool thing is the strip had an elevation so you could see right away how nice the car pulls against gravity
Off to the cones to learn slalom methods followed by cornering approaches
Then it was time to dive the LFA around Infineon
I was thrilled by the brakes and awed by the power
Turn 2 is a blind right that took me till the end of the day to feel ok with
As Gengar mentioned the track is very technical and the variations between turns and elevation changes left me with sweaty palms
After the first LFA drive was a gourmet lunch which I limited to salad for fear of nausea and a brief classroom session on track driving
After lunch thee were two more sessions and I can't tell you how much more comfortable I became with the car and learned to trust it by the third session
I drove the black car for the second session and that car just felt better than the gray one
I did not get in the yellow
There were a lot of extra runs to get Toyota and Lexus staff in the car with pros driving
There was a Mr Lee in LFA marketing and another person who focuses on social media
The hot laps were beyond crazy
My instructor did one a bit toned down to establish how much grip the tires had followed by a h?ll ride
It was fun to see him micro adjust right and left with the wheel, unlike the smooth technique he teaches
After the day was done back to class for award plaques, posters and final thoughts
All of the class sessions were videotaped
To provide a couple of words of fair balance, it is clear that the dealers are getting plenty of cars for themselves and they are not waiting in line behind the target enthusiasts
Next a point Krew mentioned and I can confirm, for some turns where thepitch of the track is severe, the seatbelt does not keep you from sloshing about
Back to smiley face stuff, this was an incredible experience and I am thankful to Lexu for making this happen
I did meet Krew todY and he is a super nice guy
He will fill the Internet with stuff from today and tomorrow
The weather worked fine, about 60 and a few sprinkles that gave me a chance to try the big wiper
We had 6 folks plus a friend today
Other stuff incised Toyota in to film and Scott Pruett swing up to demo launch control, and that was happening after the program
Scott brought his folks and they were a blast to talk to
His dad has a sweet collection of older US muscle and collector cars
The other participants included the gentleman who just got the white car in MD
Great guy who brought the friend to observe
The guy has like 10 rides incising 2 F cars and a careers gt as was mentioned elsewhere
He also has an Astin and other P cars
Take that Tommy
I was talking to him about F cars and he had not heard of the FF so go figure how info flows
I would say the three owners today were 60s if not 70
One guy owns the Lexus shop in Memphis
His wife came late in the day and took a ride
One owner owns both a Toyota dealership outside Philly and came with his son
Fun fact on the production car, it has alcantara on top of the dash
This is something the configuration will not allow
What a machine
Ok, back to the program
My instructor was terrific
At lunch he spent extra time breaking down what I could do to improve and by the third session in the car no one was passing me
The day started out with the instructors meeting me at the gate and I filled one driving an ISF to the valet area with greetings and pics
An amazing breakfast and informal intros was next
Then came classroom time split between itinerary with goals and aN LFA backgrounder
Off to the track where my instructor showed me how to do the drag thing and followed by my first go at the wheel, in old gray faithful
The cool thing is the strip had an elevation so you could see right away how nice the car pulls against gravity
Off to the cones to learn slalom methods followed by cornering approaches
Then it was time to dive the LFA around Infineon
I was thrilled by the brakes and awed by the power
Turn 2 is a blind right that took me till the end of the day to feel ok with
As Gengar mentioned the track is very technical and the variations between turns and elevation changes left me with sweaty palms
After the first LFA drive was a gourmet lunch which I limited to salad for fear of nausea and a brief classroom session on track driving
After lunch thee were two more sessions and I can't tell you how much more comfortable I became with the car and learned to trust it by the third session
I drove the black car for the second session and that car just felt better than the gray one
I did not get in the yellow
There were a lot of extra runs to get Toyota and Lexus staff in the car with pros driving
There was a Mr Lee in LFA marketing and another person who focuses on social media
The hot laps were beyond crazy
My instructor did one a bit toned down to establish how much grip the tires had followed by a h?ll ride
It was fun to see him micro adjust right and left with the wheel, unlike the smooth technique he teaches
After the day was done back to class for award plaques, posters and final thoughts
All of the class sessions were videotaped
To provide a couple of words of fair balance, it is clear that the dealers are getting plenty of cars for themselves and they are not waiting in line behind the target enthusiasts
Next a point Krew mentioned and I can confirm, for some turns where thepitch of the track is severe, the seatbelt does not keep you from sloshing about
Back to smiley face stuff, this was an incredible experience and I am thankful to Lexu for making this happen
03-14-11, 10:54 PM
#155
Lexus Champion
Wonder how the production car will do if it gets thoroughly tested by some magazines. The info here is great, really informal. Good to hear the feedback, and even with the S001 tires, sounds like the LFA isn't lacking for grip! Makes you wonder just how much better the Nurb edition would be around track with better tires and aero.
03-15-11, 07:05 AM
#157
Lead Lap
Join Date: Apr 2010
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I am not sure what the fuss is about for dealer owners to buy LFAs as individuals? If they were paying full price + taxes and subjected to the same reselling restrictions, then we should not have an issue. As I've said before, I believe these individual knows the true value of the LFA.
Back to the hot laps by the instructors, I am almost afraid to show my wife the in car video when it arrived in the mail. Furthermore, I've noticed that either the engine is drowning out any tire squealing noise around the corners, or the tires don't squeal much even with the break neck pace driven by the pros; what do you think?
03-15-11, 07:10 AM
#158
I have no info on the launch results. Perhaps Krew will get that today.
There were 2 folks there yesterday
1 from MD who just got the white car
1 from TN, a Lexus dealer who is getting one for himself. I think he said he has an 02 NSX with 15K on it.
2 from PA, a father and son who own a Toyota and a Lexus dealership. The car is for the father (I don't think so).
1 from CAN, Krew, the person who gave us Lexusenthusiast.
1 from IL, me
The guy from MD brought a friend for the day to observe. Toward the end of the day he got a ride in an LFA.
The guy from MD also got some extra hot laps with Scott.
The guy from TN had his wife come late in the day and she got a ride in an LFA.
The early allocation info had cars going to enthusiasts. After I got my allocation my local dealer said about 50 cars were going to dealers for themselves (including him). Last year the local PS said if allocations were open at the end of the 2 year run, then dealers would get cars.
My sense is some of the PS info was either incorrect or after the initial allocation system blew up, the dealers were able to move up in terms of priority (this is speculation).
There were 2 folks there yesterday
1 from MD who just got the white car
1 from TN, a Lexus dealer who is getting one for himself. I think he said he has an 02 NSX with 15K on it.
2 from PA, a father and son who own a Toyota and a Lexus dealership. The car is for the father (I don't think so).
1 from CAN, Krew, the person who gave us Lexusenthusiast.
1 from IL, me
The guy from MD brought a friend for the day to observe. Toward the end of the day he got a ride in an LFA.
The guy from MD also got some extra hot laps with Scott.
The guy from TN had his wife come late in the day and she got a ride in an LFA.
The early allocation info had cars going to enthusiasts. After I got my allocation my local dealer said about 50 cars were going to dealers for themselves (including him). Last year the local PS said if allocations were open at the end of the 2 year run, then dealers would get cars.
My sense is some of the PS info was either incorrect or after the initial allocation system blew up, the dealers were able to move up in terms of priority (this is speculation).
03-15-11, 11:26 AM
#159
ok, s2000tois350 said it, not me this time. but if you ask me, if owners or GMs are to buy and drive the car, i think that's fine (as long as they actually drive it). but if the dealerships get the car and then it's on the showroom, it's a much bigger problem
s2000, funny, you don't think the father (owner of toyota / lexus dealership) from PA is getting the lfa? or you mean you think the dealership is getting one but not himself?
s2000, funny, you don't think the father (owner of toyota / lexus dealership) from PA is getting the lfa? or you mean you think the dealership is getting one but not himself?
03-15-11, 11:40 AM
#160
Tongue in cheek Rominl.
The father said he told Lexus once they build a supercar he would buy it. Then he went on to say but he didn't know it would be $375K. He is definitely buying for himself but he was near or past 70. His son brought a helmet cam and was totally into the car. I cannot believe that the son would not be using the car the lion's share of the time as he is running the dealership. Thye were both very nice and the dad was talking about golf lessons and how he wants a roof rack fo the LFA so he can throw two golf bags on the car.
The father said he told Lexus once they build a supercar he would buy it. Then he went on to say but he didn't know it would be $375K. He is definitely buying for himself but he was near or past 70. His son brought a helmet cam and was totally into the car. I cannot believe that the son would not be using the car the lion's share of the time as he is running the dealership. Thye were both very nice and the dad was talking about golf lessons and how he wants a roof rack fo the LFA so he can throw two golf bags on the car.
03-15-11, 12:04 PM
#161
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Sep 2006
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I did meet Krew todY and he is a super nice guy
He will fill the Internet with stuff from today and tomorrow
[...]
Next a point Krew mentioned and I can confirm, for some turns where thepitch of the track is severe, the seatbelt does not keep you from sloshing about
He will fill the Internet with stuff from today and tomorrow
[...]
Next a point Krew mentioned and I can confirm, for some turns where thepitch of the track is severe, the seatbelt does not keep you from sloshing about
03-15-11, 12:14 PM
#162
Lexus Test Driver
Wow! That is amazing. Do you know the timeframe for release of the video?? Will it be over the internet or through sending them to the participants?? I assume the launch control demo etc. was shot on the black production Lexus LFA??
Last edited by 05RollaXRS; 03-15-11 at 12:17 PM.
03-15-11, 12:17 PM
#163
Tongue in cheek Rominl.
The father said he told Lexus once they build a supercar he would buy it. Then he went on to say but he didn't know it would be $375K. He is definitely buying for himself but he was near or past 70. His son brought a helmet cam and was totally into the car. I cannot believe that the son would not be using the car the lion's share of the time as he is running the dealership. Thye were both very nice and the dad was talking about golf lessons and how he wants a roof rack fo the LFA so he can throw two golf bags on the car.
The father said he told Lexus once they build a supercar he would buy it. Then he went on to say but he didn't know it would be $375K. He is definitely buying for himself but he was near or past 70. His son brought a helmet cam and was totally into the car. I cannot believe that the son would not be using the car the lion's share of the time as he is running the dealership. Thye were both very nice and the dad was talking about golf lessons and how he wants a roof rack fo the LFA so he can throw two golf bags on the car.
i actually don't mind his son driving the car most of the time. seems like he's very enthusiastic. that's what we (and lexus) want!
03-15-11, 12:59 PM
#164
Lexus Champion
That's a good picture of the black LFA there, Krew! Any higher resolutions? Sounds good were getting a video. Wonder what times it puts down. I'm guessing low-mid 3's to 60 and around 9's-10 to 100mph? Yeah, but that black is beautiful, you know what they say! 
03-15-11, 02:11 PM
#165
Lexus Test Driver
Yeah, I wonder how high the speed they will show in their tests?? 130 mph?? 150 mph??