The engineers and designers at Lexus
continue to use their groundbreaking LF-A premium sports car concept as a medium
for expressing their ideas about what a high-performance sporting vehicle not
only can be, but should be. In this latest expression of the LF-A, they have
removed the car's top to create a high-performance roadster.
The LF-A Roadster is based on the sturdy yet lightweight carbon-fiber and aluminum
body used for the LF-A coupe, which helps maintain the structure's strength
and rigidity even without a top.
Like its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster is powered by a high-revving
V10 engine that approaches 5.0 liters in displacement. The V10, capable of more
than 500 horsepower and test-track speeds greater than 200 mph, is mounted in
front of the passenger compartment but behind the front-axle centerline in what
the LF-A's engineers refer to as a "front-mid" configuration.
The engine is connected via a torque tube and propeller shaft to a transaxle
that is controlled by paddle shifters. The torque tube is a structural member
that adds rigidity to the drivetrain and chassis while also reducing vibration.
Styling is rooted in the Lexus L-Finesse design philosophy, conferring the
LF-A Roadster's front end with a compact, low-profile, aerodynamic shape. Like
its coupe counterpart, the LF-A Roadster stands just 48 inches tall, but the
Roadster configuration adds a speed adaptive rear wing.
The rear is marked by a pair of wrap-around, arrowhead-shaped taillights that
bracket a pair of large grilles. These grilles vent the heated air from the
car's two rear-mounted radiators into the LF-A Roadster's aerodynamic wake.
The radiators are fed cool air by two large intake ducts mounted just above
the rear wheel wells. This aft radiator positioning not only allowed the designers
to keep the car's front profile low and tight but also aided the LF-A's chassis
engineers in their search for optimal weight distribution.
Helping to provide balance and scale to the design, which features an overall
length of 175.6 inches and a wheelbase of 102.6 inches, are high-performance
tires on turbine-styled alloy wheels. The front tires are 265/35R20s, while
the rears are 305/30R20s. Like the LF-A coupe, the brakes consist of 14.2-inch
cross-drilled, vented discs up front, and 13.6-inch cross-drilled, vented discs
at the rear. The front brake calipers are six-piston units and the rear calipers
use four pistons each.
An "F" logo, located on each front fender of the Roadster, indicates
the vehicle's status as a part of the new "F" marque. The name is
derived from the original "F" designation for the first Lexus LS prototype.
That vehicle was internally coded "Circle-F," with the "F"
standing for "flagship." The Circle-F designation further evolved
into the code name Flagship One, or F1, and the first F1 concept developed into
Lexus' first vehicle, the LS. Since then, the "F" code has come to
signify a special vehicle program within Lexus that falls outside the normal
engineering and development process. In addition, Fuji Speedway is the IS F's
home circuit, and the shape of the F-logo was inspired by many of the track's
turns. The all-new Lexus IS F sport sedan is the first production vehicle to
carry the F marque.
Lexus LF-A Roadster Concept Preliminary Specifications
Body Type: Two seat roadster
Powertrain
Type: Front-mid-engine, rear-mid-transaxle
Engine: V10 (under 5.0-liters)
Transmission: SMT (sequential manual transmission)
Horsepower: More than 500
Top Speed: More than 200 mph
Tire Size
Front: 265/35R20
Rear: 305/30R20
Dimensions (inches)
Overall Length: 175.6
Overall Width: 74.6
Overall Height: 48.0
Wheelbase: 102.6
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