Very like Toyota used a V-12 just for the Century, its premium division Lexus reserved the V-10 for the LFA. Some 12 years after manufacturing ended, the supercar is again in an unusually lengthy official video specializing in the engine soundtrack and exhaust observe. It isn’t the primary video of this kind we have seen not too long ago. Final August, there was related three-hour footage simply with Subaru boxer engine sounds.

The video involves us through Toyota Occasions, an official journal that covers attention-grabbing topics infrequently. Assistant Supervisor Sano reveals Lexus “constructed and examined numerous prototypes” with Yamaha. Codenamed “1LR-GUE,” the musically tuned ten-cylinder mill revs to 9,500 rpm. Here is why the even-firing naturally aspirated 4.8-liter engine sounds this good:

“The engineer overseeing sound design on the time burdened the necessity to ship strong first-, second-, and third-order sounds. They labored to create an exhaust sound with clear octave harmonies, including half-orders on the consumption aspect at excessive RPMs to provide a dense, complicated sound. In addition they included analytical strategies utilized in phonetics to develop the best exhaust sound, highly effective at low RPMs and with a sharper tone at increased revs.”

Talking for Toyota Occasions, Sensitivity Efficiency Growth Division Assistant Supervisor Yusuke Nakayama mentioned the financial institution angle of 72 levels was explicitly chosen to enhance the soundtrack. He says the V-10 has the “roar of an angel.” Toyota uncovered previous paperwork written in the course of the LFA’s improvement and came upon why the engineering staff in the end opted for this configuration:

“Simulations that added two cylinders to a V-8 engine with a 90-degree financial institution angle couldn’t produce the best sound as a result of uneven firing intervals. We have determined to develop an engine with a financial institution angle of 72 levels.”

Whereas these neat photographs present a unadorned LFA and its sweet-sounding V-10, the prolonged video focuses on the Nürburgring Version. Of the 500-car manufacturing run, solely 50 had been made within the hotter specification. The retractable rear spoiler was changed by a set wing, which was a part of an aerodynamic bundle that additionally included a beefier entrance spoiler lip and canards.

Photograph by: Yoshifumi Ogawa

These uncommon LFAs sat 0.4 inches (10 millimeters) decrease to the bottom on lighter mesh-like BBS wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires. The track-focused model additionally had an additional 11 hp and barely faster gear shifts from the six-speed automated guide Aisin transmission.

Regardless of being worshipped as of late, the LFA was a business flop. Although the quick manufacturing run resulted in 2012, Lexus bought three “new” automobiles in 2019 and one other two the yr earlier than. In 2023, there was nonetheless a never-titled LFA in Australia. The proprietor of a Toyota supplier had to purchase it as a result of a regulation change that might’ve made the supercar unregistrable.

Though a follow-up has been dominated out, Lexus is growing an electrical supercar with the “LFA’s secret sauce.” It’ll be a manufacturing model of the Electrified Sport idea and should get a simulated guide gearbox. In the meantime, a extra reasonably priced LFR (identify not confirmed) is being developed as presumably one of many final all-new V-8 automobiles ever. It’s sure to be a road-going model of a brand new Toyota GT3 race automobile. The observe machine will go racing in 2026, so the street-legal equal ought to come quickly.