We love it when a manufacturer produces sound files of their latest sports cars; Porsche’s media agency, Fantasy Interactive, created the award winning ‘Bloodlines’ site that allows users to rev the engines of anything from a Cayman to a an RS Spyder, Ferrari’s California microsite presents a spin-tingling assortment of sounds and now Lexus has joined this esteemed group with its LFA sound gallery.
You will love this, regardless of whether you approve of the LFA, and if you had any doubt as to whether it qualifies as a ‘real’ supercar then we suspect you might feel differently after listening to these clips.
The acoustic performance of the V10 engine and exhaust system has been fine-tuned to create a unmistakeable “soundtrack” that rises from a rumbling note at idle to a nape-tingling red-line wail.
The acoustic team studied the noise made by a Formula 1 car at maximum revs, then applied detailed design features to create an exhaust note for the LFA, enhancing the sensation of speed and acceleration.
The main silencer is made of titanium and has a valve-actuated, dual-stage structure that channels the exhaust flow according to engine speed. Up to 3,000rpm, the exhaust valve stays closed, routing the flow through multiple chambers, creating an unobtrusive note. Above 3,000rpm the valve opens, allowing the exhaust to bypass these chambers and flow into a single resonance chamber, before exiting through the stacked trio of tailpipes.
The V10’s induction system was also modified to complement the engine’s acoustic qualities. The uniquely formed horizontally split resin surge tank – a unique design – mimics the acoustic chamber of wind and string instruments: up to 4,000rpm it emits the engine’s primary firing frequency of 300Hz; this changes to 400 to 500Hz as the engine revs climb to 6,000rpm; and a peak is reached at 600Hz as the engine wails towards its 9,000rpm red line.
The air intake is made from a porous duct material to generate bass to mid-range tones. The LFA development team called this acoustic effect Resonated Complex Harmony.
The engine’s induction and exhaust soundtrack are channelled into the LFA’s cabin, so people on board can enjoy the experience as much as those on the outside. The main sound channel that pipes in the engine’s induction notes runs from the surge tank into the cabin below the main dashboard panel.
Two further sound channels run to an opening in the upper cowl on top of the dashboard structure and a reflector panel low down at the front of the cabin. Together with the primary sound channel, these put the driver at the centre of the LFA team calls the 3D Surround Sound Concept.
Take a listen to a few samples below, then get on over to the Lexus LFA microsite and listen to the rest, you can also watch videos and browse the picture galleries and start scheming for ways in which you can find £336,000 to buy one for yourself.
Click on the image below to launch the Lexus LFA microsite
(you will find the sound clips by following, GALLERY > SOUNDS):
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