Toyota and lexus chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has reportedly been killed while testing lexuss new lfa nurburgring edition near the nurburgring racetrack in germany. Toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has been killed in a crash while testing the companys upcoming 2012 lexus lfa supercar. The test driver, hiromu naruse, who had played a part in toyota sports cars since the 2000gt in 1970, was driving a lexus lfa supercar last week near the nurburgring racetrack when he crashed into the bmw. It was a honda the nsx, and at its 1989 release, it redefined what a supercar should be capable of. He died this past june in an accident on a highway close to the nurburgring circuit while at the wheel of a lexus lfa.
The single most impressive thing about the lfa is that its only two laps in the driver s seat before im perfectly at home, putting in laps only a few seconds off. The single most impressive thing about the lfa is that its only two laps in the drivers seat before im perfectly at home, putting in laps only a few seconds off. Naruse had died, but the automaker had little else to offer because it said the. News 2011 lexus lfa new car launch and first drive. The incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important test driver. Hiromu naruse, 67, died while driving a lexus lfa supercar in germany, according to reports from german newspaper rheinzeitung. He was test driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition and was 67 years old. According to reports, toyota s chief test driver, 67yearold hiromu naruse, has died in a crash on highway 410 near the famed nurburgring race track in germany. Six years in the making, and subject to a major rethink mid development, the lfa faces a fair amount of expectation.
Awesome sound the gauge overlay is a little off, there must have been something the chasecam didnt like about the lfa, never had this problem other. Lexus lfa driver development program posted by krew on february 11th, 2011 lexus announced today that it will be offering a fullday lexus lfa driver development program at infineon raceway in sonoma, california, from march 8 to 15. But under all that rawness is an unmistakable layer of smoothness and refinement that you would only expect from a lexus. Toyota employees rushed to the scene, but naruse was dead by the time they arrived. Toyota chief test driver killed on nurburgring accident with bmw. Its important to note that numerous factors can lead to faster or slower times. Jun 23, 2010 german newspaper rheinzeitung is reporting that the lexus lfa nurburgring edition featured yesterday has been involved in a serious crash with another car details are still emerging and nothing has been confirmed, but its believed that toyota chief test driver hiromu naruse was behind the wheel, and that both the driver and passenger in the lfa were killed. The automotive world was rocked june 23, 2010, as news spread about the death of hiromu naruse, toyotas 67yearold designer and master test driver. Lexus has been working on the lexus lfa supercar for more than a decade. Yes, lexus built its reputation on silky smooth, quiet running cars, but the lfa combines a certain level of drivetrain refinement with a. Lexus lfa driver development program lexus enthusiast.
If youve ever wondered what it would be like if toyota took on ferrari, the lfa is your answer. During his time at toyota, naruse became known by the nickname. Toyota pays tribute to famed test driver hiromu naruse with farewell. Hiromu naruse, the chief test driver for lexus, was killed yesterday when he collided with a bmw sedan, which happened to be a production test vehicle. Lexus lfa wreck leads to death of one of toyotas top drivers. Thats so fast, the engineers had to fit a digital revcounter because a conventional needle couldnt keep up. Mar 11, 20 the v10 engine in a lexus lfa revs from idle to the red line in just 0. Lexus lfa test driver killed 8th generation honda civic. He was driving the recently spied lexus lfa nurburgring edition. Toyota master test driver, hiromu naruse, was killed in a crash next to germanys nurburgring circuit today.
Bmw says its driver in lexus lfa crash was not speeding the. A bright orange lexus lfa nurburgring edition driven by two toyota test drivers has collided with a bmw on germanys 410 highway near eifel. Seven unsold lexus lfas sitting at dealerships unsold. Packed with racecar technology, the lfa has a highrevving v10 with 553 horsepower and. The accident occurred on a public highway near the nuerburgring racetrack where the makers of sports cars test their creations.
Based on the renowned gs luxury sedan, the lexus gs f achieves what few other vehicles can worldclass sports car performance, in seamless concert with the opulence of a. Naruse had been a test driver for the toyota team for 47 years 19632010. My test 2020 lexus lc 500h wore the new flare yellow metallic exterior finish and featured a black interior, with exemplary fit and finish. Hiromu naruse, toyotas chief test driver, was killed yesterday in a headon collision in germany. The company had been testing a prototype lfa nurburgring edition car on the german track. As a racing instructor by profession, i offered to coach them all from the passenger seat, they obliged, and then after coaching all of them i got the chance to drive. Among them, unquestionably, is the ultraexclusive lexus lfa supercar, which only a handful of journalists have ever driven. A fouryear50,000mile basic warranty comes with the 2012 lexus lfa, as well as 24hour roadside assistance for the same period of time. Bmw says its driver in lexus lfa crash was not speeding. This coverage is much better than most exotic sports cars. From a performance standpoint, the lfa earns recognition for its strong v8 engine, which was derived from toyotas nowdefunct formula 1 efforts. Test drivers write that theres a lot to like about lexus first exotic sports car, but unfortunately there are also quite a few areas where the 2012 lexus lfa doesnt do well. Lexus s chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has died in a headon collision near the nurburgring.
Three concept versions were unveiled, each debuting at the north american international auto show with the lf a designation as part of the lf series concept. Jun 23, 2010 toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has been killed in a crash while testing the companys upcoming 2012 lexus lfa supercar in germany. Lexuss chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has died in a headon collision near the nurburgring. Lexus credits the flagship lfa with some of the jauntier design cues, but the flashiest handmedown from that halfmilliondollar supercar is the tachometer, which. A lexus sales report from july 2017 came with a fascinating statistic behind it. Naruse started his career with toyota in 1963, when he joined the vehicle evaluation and. Hiromu naruse, naruse hiromu 1944 23 june 2010 was the japanese chief test driver, chief test engineer of toyota motor corporation and chief of the gazoo racing team. The v10 engine in a lexus lfa revs from idle to the red line in just 0. Lexus test driver killed in lfa page 1 motoring news. And though this is hardly the time for levity and so help me, i. According to reports, toyotas chief test driver, 67yearold hiromu naruse, has died in a crash on highway 410 near the famed nurburgring race track in germany. The 67yearold was driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition prototype when the car collided with an.
Built over the course of just two years between 2010 and 2012, its australian retail price of poa before onroad costs would not go even close to covering the cost of making such an amazing bit of kit. Aug 03, 2017 a lexus sales report from july 2017 came with a fascinating statistic behind it. Oct, 2011 2011 lexus lfa new car launch and first drive 14 the superstar car company delivers its first supercarand scores our maximum rating the fastidious development which is the genius behind the lexus lfas brilliance is a lesson for the global automotive industry. It is the second model in the f marque line of performance vehicles from lexus, following the is f. Oct 12, 2009 the lfa is lexuss long awaited first supercar. According to various reports, the toyota chief test driver was involved into a serious crash while driving the lexus lfa, which resulted in his death. It sends 552 hp and 354 poundfeet of torque to the rear wheels through a sixspeed singleclutch automated. At a local race track i chatted with a group of people who were novice drivers trying to tame the beast that is, the lexus lfa. The lexus lfa was built as a noholdsbarred technical hero piece, and it still turns heads today. Test driver hiromu naruse was a legend who influenced half a. The lexus lf a went out of production in december 2012, but, as it was one of the best models developed by lexus, demand is still pretty high for it. Jun 24, 2010 toyota and lexus chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has reportedly been killed while testing lexus s new lfa nurburgring edition near the nurburgring racetrack in germany.
Naruse has been a driver for toyota since 1963, involved with the development of cars such as the 2000gt, ae86, aw11 mr2 and supra. Mar 07, 2012 taking a lexus lfa for a little test drive. Jun 28, 2010 bmw said on monday that an employee driving a 3 series sedan in a crash in germany that killed toyotas chief test driver was not speeding. Dec 25, 20 to power the lfa, lexus leveraged its partnership with yamaha to develop a 552hp 4. The top test driver for toyota was killed when he veered into concoming traffic. Lexus lfa test driver killed in crash in germany motortrend. The 67yearold toyota chief test driver hiromu naruse was driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition prototype on a road near the nurburgring race track when he suddenly veered into oncoming traffic.
They even raced it in the nurburgring 24hour in 2008 and 2009. Additionally, lexus provides a sixyear72,000mile powertrain warranty. The chief test driver engineer hiromu naruse, who coached the 2010 lfa race team, died in a tragic accident on 23 june 2010 testing the nurburgring edition of the lexus lfa on the roads local to the nordschleife in germany. Toyota chief test driver killed on nurburgring accident. Lfa, rekusasu lfa is a twoseat sports car manufactured by lexus, the luxury car division of toyota. The allnew gs f performance sedan is the latest vehicle to roar into lexus high performance f line. And though this is hardly the time for levity and so help me, i will ban the first person to crack. Even in this industry, there are those most cherished of cars. Unsold lexus lfas sitting at dealerships across the country. Jun 23, 2010 toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, was killed today when the lexus lfa nurburgring edition he was driving was hit headon by a bmw on a rural road in the vicinity of the nordschleife. He was also noted as the chief test driver of the lexus lfa supercar. To power the lfa, lexus leveraged its partnership with yamaha to develop a 552hp 4. The lfa weighs around 3,300 pounds, which is fairly light, and lexus claims the car can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in just 3. A bright orange lexus lfa nurburgring edition driven by two toyota test drivers has collided with a bmw on germanys 410 highway near eifel, a town close to the nurburgring.
Toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has been killed in a crash while testing the companys upcoming 2012 lexus lfa supercar in germany. Its been nearly 10 years since the japanese produced a truly exotic supercar though the gtr faithful may disagree, and that car wasnt wearing a toyota badge, let alone a lexus one. Jun 24, 2010 according to various reports, the toyota chief test driver was involved into a serious crash while driving the lexus lfa, which resulted in his death. Please if you have the money to get a supercar please just test drive one before criticizing it. Lexus test driver killed in lfa page 3 motoring news. Lexus credits the flagship lfa with some of the jauntier design cues, but the flashiest handmedown from that half. Top toyota test driver killed in lexus lfa crash at. Based on the renowned gs luxury sedan, the lexus gs f achieves what few other vehicles can worldclass sports car performance, in seamless concert with the opulence of a luxury cruiser. He was driving the recently spied lexus lfa nurburgring edition above at the time of the accident. Two test drivers, age 34 and 33 years old, in the bmw were also injured, with one in critical condition. Guess all those new lexus commercials featured the lfa for a reason. While details are limited, the 67year old was piloting a lexus lfa nurburgring edition when it crashed into a bmw 3series.