If you cast your mind back to this year’s Tokyo Auto Salon, you might remember Dino’s Spotlight on a new contender for the 2015 D1 Grand Prix championship crown – the OTG Motorsports Lexus LFA.
Built by Osaka Toyopet Group – which owns a large number of Toyota dealerships in Japan’s Kansai region – nothing like this exercise in excess has ever been seen in the ranks of D1GP before. And with Youichi Imamura at the wheel – a driver best known for his 2003 D1GP series win in the A’PEXi FD3S Mazda RX-7 – OTG are mounting a serious challenge.
While the LFA was still V10 powered at TAS in January, rumour had it that a Toyota Racing Development NASCAR-spec V8 could well be finds its way into the supercar chassis before the season kicked off. Now, with D1GP’s ‘Tokyo Drift’ opening round and exhibition match in Odaiba just weeks away, all has been revealed in the short shakedown video below.
The clip’s quality isn’t the best, but it’s enough to confirm that Imamura’s Lexus will indeed be going into battle with a couple of cylinders less than what it left the factory with. While there’s no discounting the Toyota factory V8 race motor – Fredric Aasbø’s RS-R Toyota 86 is testament to that – we can only imagine how cool a V10-based package might have been…
And on that thought, what you do think? Is the TRD engine a justifiable swap, or should OTG have stayed true to the LFA’s roots?
Brad Lord
brad@speedhunters.com
Photo by Dino Dalle Carbonare
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V10 would've sounded AMAZING! but they wouldn't have gotten the torque & low end response that they need with that high revving monster. Wonder what they did with the V10? Maybe an LFA powered FR-S for some time attack?
I'd rather watch a stock Hachi going round Meihan with a few friends :/
As much as I don't like the idea of ditching the V10 with as good as the car/engine combo are, at least they used a TRD engine, and that I can respect. If they used an LS, completely different story. Now, a built-and possibly turboed-1UZ, now THAT would be interesting.
The engine was toast. This is a recovered tsunami vehicle.
There’s too many V8’s in the world of drifting already. It should be Japan’s turn to raise the bar again and start with something new, in this case, it should of been the V10.
I don’t hate V8’s, but they are destroying one of the best parts of the sport as a whole; diversity. I loved seeing everything from Turbo 4’s to rotary’s to inline 6’s and the odd V8 screaming on their limiters in a plume of smoke. It was great to see so many different configurations having a dig at each other and it was exciting to see who would come out on top.
Now though it’s quickly becoming a sport purely dominated by V8’s and it’s boring. Don’t get me wrong I support the craftsmanship of these builds but I hate what the sport has turned into.
If it is true that the engine was beyond repair when they got the car that makes sense. Otherwise I can't figure out why they would ever swap out that engine for a trd v8. The v10 had power and was extremely responsive and redlined at 9,000; maybe because it'd be expensive to maintain and too unreliable as a race engine. I don't care what engine they chose to swap out the v10, I just want to know why and what are the benefits to using the other engine
xrockonx can`t be true.
I understand the change because the v8 is probably more reliable, will create a lot more torque and will be considerably cheaper to fix and maintain than a rare japanese v10 engine.. I just think with all the money they have why wouldn't they of turbo charged the v10 though? More torque than any NA v8 by far, absolute killer sound track and keeping the original engine and turbo charging it would keep most fans happy and be awfully unique.. Yes maintenance and costs could be an issue long term, but you just bought a half million dollar car and stripped it.. You obviously got money! Not against the v8 though!
i just want to know wheres the V10 at.... (the LFA's V10 in an FRS....anyone?)
xrockonx i've heard that too as the car's history, but there's no articles yet about it.
but still, this being a recovered tsunami vehicle is the only time this drift LF-A makes sense
where the v10 is now? broke? swapped?
I ain't even care.
That noise is amazing g
It makes sense at an economic standpoint. I cant imagine the cost to maintain and have backup v10 engines/parts.
86_4_life They probably heard you.
this is what the FRS/BRZ.GT was supposed to look like
this is what the FRS/BRZ.GT was supposed to look like
"NASCAR-spec" means it's carbureted?
flyingjolly nascar hasnt been carbureted for years
Can't wait to see this thing opened up at a bigger track.
Only two; the Sprint Cup series made the switch in 2012. So if it is an older spec engine (which it may be if Toyota wants to reserve the latest engines for it's factory race teams) then it would be carbureted.
please do not tag walls with this.
I don't think they make enough V10 spares for a competition season. Then again they probably don't make enough carbon chassis components either if this thing gets knocked around.
I can only just handle it being used as a drift car, but it's sacrilegious ditching that glorious V10!
flyingjolly It means that it is the V8 that they developed for nascar. It is not a V8 from one of their trucks for instance. It is a pushrod, high HP engine for their race efforts.
bic mitchum It does look like a FRS/BRZ/GT!
Personally I would have liked to see them keep the V10... Too many people seem to be running V8's.
The V10 would sound like the greatest thing ever! I've only heard one briefly in person, but the impression that sound left on me was monumental! But, like others have said, if the motor was ruined when they picked up the car, totally understandable. The V8 is absolutely great, don't get me wrong, and I'm really looking forward to this in competition! It's almost like we're getting this instead of that F40-kitted Fiero project that guy was planning :p
If they wanted response or torque then they would have gone with a 4 or 6 cylinder based engine...
Can TRD put in a former F1 V10 motor in the LFA instead?
I'd probably say Youichi would be best known for for his other 3 championship wins, the ones that weren't 12 years ago and were back to back to back, but thats just me
TimAukamp Not in Japan.
Keep the V10. Nothing like the sound of a pair of 5-cylinder banks that's exotic, plus it helps having two extra cylinders to pump torque.
Personally , as long as the engine is still TRD , it is still alright ...
But , I wonder what happens if someone take the V10 & pushed the performance to 11 ?
Charles Montgomery III The original V10 is the very last thing anyone would think of when torque is mentioned. The thing would be useless.
Gary89 The V10 in this had absolutely zero torque. Boosting it would not have helped.
Youichi Imamura looks like his having fun with that LFA and i have to say that i don't care about it being a V8 than the plan V10 because it's a Lexus LFA drifting in D1GP and that's just Crazy.
It already had the NASCAR V8 in the engine bay when it was at TAS. Other sites had pictures of the hood popped open showing the heart of it.
Meh... nother v8 powered drift car...and why nascar engines...? cause they already developed/have them?
These modern NASCAR V8's aren't the relics of old. Even though they employ pushrods, their heads are flowing quite a bit of air and redlines for these are close to 9000rpm. Most likely having a broader torque curve and available much lower than the V10 lump.
it make sense at cost of running a drift team. if you blow up the v10 how many parts and blocks are there to replace it. not many, much more expensive.nascar v8 has the support and power at a lower cost. you blow it up, drop in another.
I feel like this may have been a waste of an LFA. Why not take a Lexus RC drop the NASCAR V8 in there instead?
Yea the v10's torque wasn't great at all compared to ya average v8 of similar power but it was fairly useable. 480nm peak torque and 90% of it available from as low as 3700rpm all the way up to 9500rpm is not bad. You can guarantee with a TT setup of a big single that figure would easily double. Just look at what people have done by twin turbocharging the lambo gallardo and they not exactly torque monsters either. I think a v10 turbo would flog a NA V8 in performance. It's impractical and very expensive to do but I think it would be awesome if one had the money and time.
AndrewGellately hot
AzuReverie No V10 though. :<
Though I guess given it's a pro drift car, maintaining the normal engine would be expensive.
Holly front track width! Thing looks fun.
Somewhere there's a NASCAR with a v10 dropped in!!!
Probably the most expensive drift missile ever
I wonder if there are more???? Hmmmm......
Why can't that be true?
@johnny totally agree. why waste an LFA on drifting in the first place?
this car slides so smooth!
@johnny This LFA's engine was destroyed in a flood. So instead of getting rid of it they put a new engine and stuff and made a drift car out of it.
the car was very good
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