Dirty tools and sticky floors would be a nightmare for these gentlemen. Here you work in a laboratory-like environment and use… X-rays?! Periodic overhaul of the Lexus LFA is an enchanting process in its own right.
The Lexus LFA is truly a special car. A car in which the smallest part is balanced, tested and verified. Maybe that's why the LFA took 10 years to be developed and the result is in sight. To keep you looking your best, periodic reviews are meticulously done in the Japanese way.
The overhaul process for the Lexus LFA begins with the entry of the car at the Toyota Motorsport GmbH (TMG) facility in Cologne, Germany. Here the LFA is received in a white environment, more easily associated with a laboratory than a workshop.
Vital systems for the performance and proper functioning of the LFA, such as the suspension and steering system, are completely removed from the car, dismantled, and each of the parts that compose them is inspected several times . Suspension hydraulic systems are also visually inspected and mechanically tested. Although it seems like a relatively simple task, on the Lexus LFA it is not. Most suspension components are difficult to access.
like in a competition car
In fact, Peter Dresen, director of TMG, says that the difficulty of accessing certain parts of the Lexus LFA is what makes its review a more delicate process: “The maintenance principles are similar to those of a regular Lexus, however it is more difficult to perform certain tasks and access certain parts”. Peter also mentions that, even in the review, the LFA has a pedigree:
Peter Dresen, Director of TMGIn reality, the LFA review is very similar, in terms of treatment, to a competition car.
Of course, brakes are one of the systems that deserve the most attention from LFA specialists. Discs are scrutinized for flaws in the integrity of the carbon composite and then weighed to see if wear is within limits.
It is also on the brakes that Lexus can use its X-ray machine, if it ever becomes necessary, which until now has never happened because the materials have never (!) had flaws that required it. Still in the field of braking, TMG insists on immersing a device in the brake circuit in search of water in the system.
The carbon fiber-reinforced plastic body panels are also the subject of an assessment, whether or not they were one of the many details that separate the LFA from other supercars. In the case of the blue Lexus LFA in the photos, it is the official British Lexus car that is also a test vehicle for journalists. Apparently, the front bumper already had some scratches. We're not one of intrigues, but here at Reason Automobile we treated him much better…
The overhaul ends with what for most cars is a complete overhaul: changing all the filters and oil, which for the LFA is 5W50 specification.
As for the value of the review, TMG does not provide data. However, we suspect — and it's just a suspicion… — that for a car worth approximately 300,000 euros, and with the labor of such specialized technicians, the overhaul is not that cheap.
