Friday 18th August 2006

Lexus goes racing too

Luxury brand aims for halo effect

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Lexus SC 430 in Super GT Lexus 450h at Tokachi

Better known for competing in the luxury Mercedes-alike market, Lexus is starting to punt itself as a company that also goes racing.

For example, the SC 430 has succeeded the iconic Supra in the Super GT series and the GS 450h petrol-electric hybrid tackled a Le Mans-style 24 hour race.

SC 430

Four of the 15 teams competing in the 2006 Super GT series run a Lexus SC 430, with Team Cerumo’s Yuji Tachikawa and Toranosuke Takagi currently in joint second spot on the drivers’ point rankings.

Scottish driver Peter Dumbreck also drives a Lexus SC 430 for Team Kraft and is currently ranked tenth.

In race trim the V8 SC has around 500bhp. They are in action in Japan this weekend as they take part in the legendary 'Suzuka 1000km' which is a round of the Super GT field for the first time.

GS 450h Hybrid

Meanwhile the Lexus GS 450h, the world’s first rear-wheel drive hybrid sports saloon, made its motor racing debut in Japan’s only 24-hour race last month.

The car did quite well at the Tokachi International Speedway in Hokkaido (in northern Japan) finishing fourth in its production car class and 17th overall in a field of 33.

The gruelling, twice around the clock event allowed Lexus engineers to collect data on the potential of hybrid systems in motor sports, especially relevant as such systems are being discussed for imminent introduction to Formula 1.

The racing GS 450h added to hybrid motor sport history, joining the Toyota Prius which was the first, and remains the only hybrid car to start and finish an FIA sanctioned event, the 5,000mile Midnight Sun to Red Sea Rally in 2002.

Hmmm...

While it seems odd that Lexus believes that racing can add a halo effect to its cars since the brand is not performance-oriented -- parent company Toyota is in the same boat -- there's no doubt that racing can improve the breed by acting as a testing hothouse. Or is this the start of a major shift of emphasis?

[dinkel]

"While it seems odd that Lexus believes that racing can add a halo effect to its cars since the brand is not performance-oriented"

That is not true . . . In the US various tuners tweak Lexus's with - imo - great results. We are not used to it over here, yes.

Great stuff here.

[manek]

Dink, the point was that the brand isn't performance oriented - some individuals cars may be...

[r988]

Makes you wonder why they bother going F1 racing at all

[kenmorton]

So what do you have to do to get 500bhp from a sc430?

[lap_time]

kenmorton said:

So what do you have to do to get 500bhp from a sc430?

They use a highly modified 1UZ-FE. IIRC, it's bored and stroked out to 5.3 liters, dry sumped, new internals, cams, ECU, etc. Makes nat-atmo 500bhp, and that's with intake restrictors!

[FestivAli]

A couple of years ago I read a news story in MOTOR magazine that Lexus were going to use hybrid systems to create performance versions of their cars. It was noted that the fact that hybrid systems generate max torque at zero revs could be used to aid accelleration, and it was speculated that lexus were thinking of creating something similiar to an M-division.

What does the future hold?

Ali.

[FestivAli]

Oh yeah and the 4.3l Lexus V8 has been used somewhat extensively in Australia and America I believe highly modifed in drag racing - apparently its a solid block that responds very nicely indeed to both NA and turbo tuning.

Ali.

[cptsideways]

kenmorton said:

So what do you have to do to get 500bhp from a sc430?

Stick a 1JZ under the bonnet

Must admit they've been making some proper fast cars that we mostly don't get or nevr got here in the UK. The 2.5TT JZZ30 Soarer is good for 174mph as standard, the Aristo is 3.0L Twin Turbo monster all of which would'nt go amiss on a race track.

I'll just stick to sideways in my old Soarer for now though

[emicen]

I have said this manys a time. Toyota is aiming to make Lexus an executive AND sports brand. This is why Lexus will get the "new supra" not Toyota, and if the MR2 and Celica are replaced, they'll have an L on them, not a T.

Its Toyota's strategy to separate the 2 brands for world domination rather than competing with each other.

[nickfrog]

r988 said:

Makes you wonder why they bother going F1 racing at all

I did not realise they were in F1.

[Andy Mac]

Toyota?

[MeLLoN Stu]

Gazboy said:

Manek's right- there were no sporty cars on either the Lexus or Toyota stands at the motorshow. It's a massive shift from ten years ago when they had the MR2 Turbo, GT-Four and Supra.

The Lexus LFA is imminent (supposedly) and the mkv Supra is due for October 2007, yet both were missing from the show.

it's the same with them all now though

look at nissan, 10 or 15 years ago you had the 200sx, the GTI-R, Skyline GTST, Skyline GTR etc.
Madzda had the RX7, familia GTR etc,
toyota as you say, MR2, MR2 Turbo, ST205, Supra etc
and so on.
now you've got a 350z, an RX8 and that's about it !

sucks

bring back proper cars i say