I've lived and breathed supercars for the past decade. Specifically one supercar, of course. The LFA.

Very few people have the opportunity we

had: to create a world-class supercar from a blank sheet of paper. In the process, we've gained the kind of know-how that's influencing future
Lexus projects. It's also given valuable insights into the supercar as a breed, and how it's evolving.
Throughout automotive history, supercars have represented dreams, hopes and aspirations. The best have always possessed both the most
exceptional motive power of their generation, and an emotive power that transcends their generation. That will never change.
But supercars are evolving and the LFA is, I believe, at the forefront of their development. Take its use of carbon fiber. Carbon fiber is stronger
and lighter than aluminium - qualities vital to a car's dynamic potential. The LFA's advanced use of carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP) saved
an estimated 100kg compared with aluminium.

LFA is the product of pride, teamwork, perfection by everyone involved. LFA WORKS, with 175 specialists, is the birthplace of each 500 cars.
Statistics don't explain our passion. How we've pioneered new techniques for the carbon fiber body that makes the LFA so strong and light. Why
we custom-carve spatulas to make lines of carbon fiber resin look more beautiful. How, like a sushi chef, we ensure our fingers are the right
temperature for working with the product - in our case carbon fiber. Our pride at seeing the signature on each 4.8-liter V10 engine of the
individual takumi who single-handedly built it. The feeling we get when we hear an engine during its inspection.
Go inside the LFA Works with Lexus Global Site>
At the LFA Works, we have combined advanced technology with traditional handcraftsmanship to reach an unprecedented level. This project has
fostered a workforce with unparalleled, wide-ranging ability and an exceptional collaborative ethos. We're scheduled to build the last of 500
examples of the LFA later this year. Then the LFA Works will close. Will I be sad when that happens? Yes, a part of me will be. That's natural.
But I'll also be proud and excited because the LFA Works' 175 specialists will then spread their unique expertise - including lessons learned and
newfound technical know-how - to all corners of the Lexus organization. Exciting things will come of that, which I'll touch on in my next post.
IGNITION KEYS MAKE dreams come alive. They unlock dynamic electrical systems, dramatic engines, andif you're luckyunforgettable
motoring experiences.
This particular key is more special than most. It's from a Lexus LFA. That means it ignites a V10 engine delivering seamless acceleration right up
to a soul-stirring 9,000 rpm redline.
But the key is special for another reason: it's made from carbon fiber, the wonder material that's normally exclusive to race teams and the
aerospace industry, and that possesses two seemingly paradoxical elements: lightness and strength.
For many aspirants to motoring performance, a carbon fiber key (real or faux) would be an easy add-on, a piece of high-profile designer jewelry
to dress up an otherwise plain suit.
When carefully blended with high-grade plastics, this carbon fiber fabric becomes a carbon fiber-reinforced plastic (CFRP). CFRP's extreme
resistance to bending force would make it the natural choice for any car offering a level of performance even approaching that of the LFA, if
commercial reality would permit it. Creating these remarkable plastics is a highly exacting and expensive process.

This supercar's high percentage of composites and other ultra-lightweight materials such as titanium and magnesium was established on the
simple basis of fitness for purpose. Every opportunity to maximize the benefits of carbon fiber was minutely examined and assessed. If the use of
special material contributed in any way to the LFA's pursuit of perfect performance, the decision was easy, and immediate.

Somewhere in between rare gemstones and living tissue we find carbon fiber. First synthesized in the late 1950s, this singular material packages
up traits that would normally be mutually exclusive. Its soft, organic side allows it to be used as a fusing agent in the most delicate skin grafting
operations, but its diamond toughness and near-immunity to thermal expansion have also made it a must-have in aerospace and military
applications, where maximum strength and minimum weight must coexist.
The secret of carbon fiber's success lies in its composition. Incredibly fine filaments of pure carbon (around 10 times thinner than a human hair)
are spun together to form a yarn, which is then capable of being woven into a supremely light and yet massively strong fabric.
It wasn't like that for the LFA key. Carbon fiber was the only logical choice, as the use of any other material would have been a simple
misrepresentation of this supercar's radical construction.
Mother Nature is a bountiful and generous provider of raw materials, but sometimes humans go beyond nature to create some clever stuff of our
own. In the pecking order of these "supranatural" manmade materials, carbon fiber holds high rank.
Carbon is one of the most commonly occurring substances in the universe. It has an appropriately cosmic range of physical properties. At one
end of the carbon spectrum is the diamond, one of the hardest substances in nature. At the softer end, carbon is the second most abundant element
in the human body.

In keeping with the car's bespoke design, and to ensure optimum quality, every opportunity to maximize the benefits of carbon fiber was
examined. Parts of the main LFA cabin monocoque are assembled by skilled Lexus craftsmen from "prepreg," an extremely stiff, stable, and
lightweight material painstakingly produced from carbon fiber fabric with resin. Resin transfer molded (RTM) fabric for the floorpan is brought
in from trusted suppliers for processing and molding by Lexus.
And two specially woven carbon fiber sheets, for certain critical roof rails and crumple zone components, are created in-house by Lexus.
Aluminum front and rear suspension subframes are attached to the LFA's central "tub," and the completved assembly is cloaked with a carboncomposite body. Not only is this bodyshell extremely rigid, it's up to 220 pounds lighter than an equivalent aluminum body, with no loss of
strength.
Composite construction is not the accountant's way to build a car. It is the engineer's way, and one that embodies a fine harmonization of
craftsmanship with cutting-edge materials. Composites are costly, and the process takes time, but the payoff is a stronger, lighter component
and that's reason enough to include it in the LFA specification.
That's why even the LFA hood strut is made of carbon fiber. And the key.