The report says that the driver of the lf a was 67 years old and toyotas chief test driver, which leads us to believe that he is hiromu naruse, in addition to being the companys chief test. Naruse had been a test driver for the toyota team for 47 years 19632010. Toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, died in a headon collision on wednesday in germany, the newspaper rheinzeitung reports. We have detailed information including specs, starting prices, and other model data. There are only 500 lfas in the world, which started its production in 2010 at a rate of 20 units per month, completely. Lexus builds the ultimate luxury carsupercar in a limited edition of 500 vehicles, all of which are sold before production has begun. I can tell you for sure that its been a long time coming, but our. From a performance standpoint, the lfa earns recognition for its strong v8 engine, which was derived from toyotas nowdefunct formula 1. Mar 11, 20 the v10 engine in a lexus lfa revs from idle to the red line in just 0. Lexus rx 2wd, lexus ct 200h, bmw 535xi and also 535i 2wd, mercedesbenz m.
The 67yearold toyota chief test driver hiromu naruse was driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition prototype on a road near the nurburgring race track when he suddenly veered into oncoming traffic. The 67yearold toyota chief test driver hiromu naruse was driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition prototype on a road near the nurburgring race. Jan 24, 2019 the lexus lfa nurburgring package is the last hurrah of a truly special car, the first and, so far, only supercar built by lexus. Leather, alcantara and metal trim surrounds the lfa s occupants, and an astounding array of colors and materials can be chosen to customize the lfa s look. Naruse was given complete authority of the project, even over the chief engineerthe first time anyone could recall that happening. Dec 17, 20 the lexus lfa is among the rarest cars on earth. Toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has been killed in a crash while testing the companys upcoming 2012 lexus lfa supercar. Get a quick overview of new lexus lfa trims and see the different pricing options at. The lfa won the comparison and was featured in full in the november 2010 edition of the magazine.
A bright orange lexus lfa nurburgring edition driven by two toyota test drivers has. Jun 28, 2010 bmw said on monday that an employee driving a 3 series sedan in a crash in germany that killed toyotas chief test driver was not speeding. Bmw says its driver in lexus lfa crash was not speeding. Listed annual percentage rates are provided for the selected purchase financing or lease programs available on the current date. A bright orange lexus lfa nurburgring edition driven by two toyota test drivers has collided with a bmw on germanys 410 highway near eifel, a town close to. Look no further everest self storage is the place when youre out of space. Looking for a 2012 lexus lfa located in 2012 lexus lfa san francisco ca. According to reports, toyota s chief test driver, 67yearold hiromu naruse, has died in a crash on highway 410 near the famed nurburgring race track in germany.
Jun 24, 2010 according to various reports, the toyota chief test driver was involved into a serious crash while driving the lexus lfa, which resulted in his death. The lexus lfa code x race car had its final test at the fuji speedway in japan before being shipped to germany for the nurburgring 24 hour race in june gazoo racing posted some photos on facebook. Hiromu naruse, 67, died while driving a lexus lfa supercar in germany, according to reports from german newspaper rheinzeitung. Thats so fast, the engineers had to fit a digital revcounter because a conventional needle couldnt keep up. Lexus lfa test driver killed in crash in germany motor trend. Well, one big exception is the lexus lfa, their 200 mileperhour supercar. Just as infiniti was launched as the luxury division of nissan, the lexus brand fulfils the same purpose for toyota. Its hard to believe that were finally in the drivers seat of the ultra exclusive lexus lfa supercar. Lexus lfa test driver killed in crash in germany motortrend. Lexus lfa i usually never comment because im lazy but this is my dream car this is me dominic i want this car so bad.
We uncover the fascinating development story behind the lexus lfa, revealing. News 2011 lexus lfa new car launch and first drive. The story of a technological yet passionate automobile. Prototypes of the lfa were spotted regularly undergoing testing at the. The test driver, hiromu naruse, who had played a part in toyota sports cars since the 2000gt in 1970, was driving a lexus lfa supercar last week near the nurburgring racetrack when he crashed into the bmw. As a racing instructor by profession, i offered to coach them all from the passenger seat, they obliged, and then after coaching all of them i got the chance to drive. The way the lfa responds to driver inputs is so seamless. The latest pricing and specifications for the lexus lfa. Program expiration dates reflect currently announced program end dates, but these programs are. The automotive world was rocked june 23, 2010, as news spread about the death of hiromu naruse, toyotas 67yearold designer and master test driver. Test drivers write that theres a lot to like about lexus first exotic sports car, but unfortunately there are also quite a few areas where the 2012 lexus lfa doesnt do well.
Packed with racecar technology, the lfa has a highrevving v10 with 553 horsepower and a. Tested performance specifications for the lexus lfa from car and driver, motor. It features a front engine, rearwheel drive design and seating for up to four passengers. Toyota test driver killed video lfa nurburgring edition crash in. And with only 500 being made, owning an lfa puts you in highly exclusive company. According to reports, the lexus lfa driven by narusesan veered into oncoming traffic and had a headon collision with two other test drivers in. Jan 07, 2019 the lfa works that produced the lexus lfa hasnt had too much to do since the 500th example of the v10 supercar left the plant on december 15, 2012. Lexus had been building the lfa at a rate of 20 per month since. Lexus s chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has died in a headon collision near the nurburgring. This coverage is much better than most exotic sports cars. Lexus lfa was tested during the summer months in very wet conditions, but the track test even in the wet as well as daily city road driving warranted enough positive impressions for the magazine to award lexus lfa the win.
The upper zone houses the instrument panel and 7 on board high resolution multimedia display while a layered center console integrates lexus display audio controller. Despite these trends, lexus and toyota once again returned the best overall results, with the most zero death vehicles of any automaker. Lfa is a twodoor supercar developed by toyotas luxury subbrand lexus. Toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has been killed in a crash while testing the companys upcoming 2012 lexus lfa supercar in germany. A fouryear50,000mile basic warranty comes with the 2012 lexus lfa, as well as 24hour roadside assistance for the same period of time. Safety advanced safety in the lexus begins with vehicle dynamic integrated management vdim. Heres some information you may need about lexus lfa car insurance rates, safety features that could save you money, discounts that help your bottom line, and coverage that gives you peace of mind. Use our free online car valuation tool to find out exactly how much your car is worth today. Buy the new lexus is 2020 in the united arab emirates lexus. He was driving the recently spied lexus lfa nurburgring edition above at the time of the accident, and reports say he veered into oncoming. He was test driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition and was 67 years old. There are currently 2 lexus lfa cars as well as thousands of other iconic classic and collectors cars for sale on classic driver. Watch the aftermath of the crash in the video after the jump.
The 2014 lexus is is easily recognized as a newgen lexus, fully taking on the big mouth, wide stance, and dynamic highshouldered look of its larger gs and ls kin. Bmw said on monday that an employee driving a 3 series sedan in a crash in germany that killed toyotas chief test driver was not speeding. Untold history of the lexus lfa lexus lexus blog lexus uk. Yes, lexus built its reputation on silky smooth, quiet running cars, but the lfa combines a certain level of drivetrain refinement with a howling exhaust note and a stiff suspension. Beyond its jetfighter looks, the 2012 lexus lfa stands out as one of but a few japanese supercars. Jun 11, 2012 the lexus lfa is fiercely focused on performance. How lexus built the best sounding engine of the last decade. And were we every hyper to try it out for ourselves.
The 2012 lexus lfa is a new 2seat, frontengine, rearwheel drive exotic sports car built in limited quantities by toyotas luxury division. The single most impressive thing about the lfa is that its only two laps in the driver s seat before im perfectly at home, putting in laps only a few seconds off. Iihs releases list of vehicles with zero death rates over. Although the concept of the car had been in development since 2000, the production version of the lexus lfa was launched in 2009 at the tokyo motor show and the car was officially produced from 2010 to 2012. Since its inception in 1989, it has gone on to become japans most successful producer of luxury cars with representation in over 70 countries and territories all round the world. Rc f lives up to its famed lexus f heritage, starting with the powerful v8 beneath the hood, and carried through in high performance features including available torque vectoring differential. He roped in tmcs chief test driver and chief test engineer hiromu naruse, who put his stamp of. Lexus rx is americas safest vehicle, says iihs clublexus. Auto models photos, and specs 2011 lexus lfa 4 wallpapers wallpapers wallpapers for desktop lexus lfa 1920 x 1200 wallpaper the bmw was unveiled at the frankfurt motor show in 20 and is a plug in hybrid sports car. See instrumented test results and photos, and read about the 2012 lexus lfa at car and driver. Please if you have the money to get a supercar please just test drive one before criticizing it. Lexus lfa wreck leads to death of one of toyotas top drivers. The headturning exterior is sculpted for optimum aerodynamics, while the interior is meticulously crafted around a driver focused cockpit. He was also noted as the chief test driver of the lexus lfa supercar.
During his time at toyota, naruse became known by the nickname meister, 4 and colleagues at ferrari called him the man who knows all the worlds roads. Test driver hiromu naruse was a legend who influenced half a century of toyota history. The chief test driver for japanese auto giant toyota was killed in a headon road crash in germany while driving a prototype supercar. Five hundred cars had been built in two years a production rate of one per day. At a local race track i chatted with a group of people who were novice drivers trying to tame the beast that is, the lexus lfa. The incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important test driver. The incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important test driver test driver hiromu naruse was a legend who influenced half a century of toyota history.
A lexus lfa nurburgring edition test drive ended up in tragedy. Awesome sound the gauge overlay is a little off, there must have been something the chasecam didnt like about the lfa, never had this problem other. Only 500 of these v10, carbon fiber super cars were built and driving one is a special privilege. The lexus lfa is a twoseat sports car manufactured by lexus, the luxury car division of toyota.
The driver s cockpit is divided into operational and display zones. Oct, 2011 2011 lexus lfa new car launch and first drive 14 the superstar car company delivers its first supercarand scores our maximum rating the fastidious development which is the genius behind the lexus lfas brilliance is a lesson for the global automotive industry. The firstgeneration sc debuted as the v8powered 1uzfe sc 400 in 1991, and the i6powered sc 300 was added in 1992. Iihs releases list of vehicles with zero death rates over 3. May 25, 2017 iihs releases list of vehicles with zero death rates over 3 period. Hes a humble guy with a good job whose daily driver is usually his toyota truck or his honda sportbike, but when he got the chance to pick up an lfa. Lexus lfa the only lexus i would drive low storage rates and great movein specials. Iihs releases list of vehicles with zero death rates over 3 period. The lexus lfa takes on the ferrari 599 hgte in this car and driver comparison test. Hiromu naruse, the chief test driver for lexus, was killed yesterday when he collided with a bmw sedan, which happened to be a production test vehicle.
Naruse has been a driver for toyota since 1963, involved with the. He was driving the recently spied lexus lfa nurburgring edition above at the time of the accident, and reports say he veered into oncoming traffic and collided headon with two others test. Test driver s report that the lfa s interior is opulentlyappointed and that build quality is topnotch. It is a lighter, more agile and, overall, faster version of the oh. The lexus lfa test numbers also reflect the implications of testing in the wet conditions. The lfa code x is a significant new development in lexus racing the bigger 5.
But under all that rawness is an unmistakable layer of smoothness and refinement that you would only expect from a lexus. In june 2011, lexus began testing the lfa with the nurburgring package, and test driver akira iida set a nurburgring record time of 7 minutes and 14 seconds. Hiromu naruse, the chief test driver for lexus, was killed yesterday when he collided with a bmw sedan, which happened to be a production test. After reading a number of conflicting reports, ive verified that there was no passenger in the lfa. A bright orange lexus lfa nurburgring edition driven by two toyota test drivers has collided with a bmw on germanys 410 highway near eifel, a town close to the nurburgring.
The 67yearold was driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition prototype when the car collided with an. This, in spite of improving safety technology and crash test ratings. The supercar crashed a few kilometers from the nurburgring test track, killing the driver. If youve ever wondered what it would be like if toyota took on ferrari, the lfa is your answer. But it will be interesting to see if it can successfully command such an equally exotic asking price. The incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important. Sc, rekusasu sc is a grand tourer that was retailed by lexus, and built from 1991 through 2010. Six years in the making, and subject to a major rethink mid development, the lfa faces a fair amount of expectation. The new is comes in both 250 and 350 models, with both allwheel drive and fsport versions of both obtainable. More and more americans took to the road over the last few years, reversing the trend of falling driver death rates. Based on thousands of real life sales we can give you the most accurate valuation of your vehicle.
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