Final 3 parts of @TTAC's Lexus LFA story

And here's Bertel Schmitt, the author

Been a little busy so haven't been very good at updating this blog. Anyways, here's the final three episodes of the Lexus LFA story by TTAC. Enjoy!


Part 3

Excerpt:

“At the Detroit Motor Show 2005, we showed a concept. We needed a name. At Lexus, concept cars for the motor show follow a strict name regime. LF for ‘Lexus future’, then a dash, followed by two letters. I racked my brain for a good two letter combination. I could not find one, and settled on A.”

Part 4

Excerpt (incredible quality control!)

To my bafflement, I learn that the torque for every bolt in the LFA is recorded on what is called an “evidence sheet.” Not just the torque of every bolt. Everything that is touched, assembled, hand-laid, bonded, adjusted, or checked in each and every LFA made receives an entry in an evidence sheet. The sheet is signed by the person that enters the data, and then it is signed again by a foreman.

Part 5


Excerpt

Speaking of keeping busy, I ask what will come after the LFA.

Tanahashi facetiously says, “the LFB.”

When confronted with the rumor that the next car will be a million dollar supercar that is made in the homeopathic quantity of 100, Tanahashi wipes it off the table: “No, not true at all.”

So will the next car be a high-end CFRP Lexus under $100,000 at maybe 5,000 units a year? Tanahashi pauses, thinks for a few seconds, reviews where he and his team are on that road to the future, then says:

“It’s not that simple.”