Jun 24, 2010 an accident, on local roads near the nurburgring, has claimed the life of lexus chief test engineer driver, hiromu naruse. And though this is hardly the time for levity and so help me, i will ban the first person to crack. These are now available on ford vehicles, too, but lexus pioneered the technology. He was also noted as the chief test driver of the lexus lfa supercar. Jeremy clarkson thinks lexus lfa is best car hes ever driven. He was driving the recently spied lexus lfa nurburgring edition above at the time of the accident, and reports say he veered into oncoming traffic and collided headon with two others test. Lexus lfa i usually never comment because im lazy but this is my dream car this is me dominic i want this car so bad. Lexus ended production of the lfa in 2012, but the. 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. I have, and after much reconsidering, i believe bmw was jealous of the lf as awesomeness. Its hard to believe that were finally in the drivers seat of the ultra exclusive lexus lfa supercar. 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. The strange looking lexus lfa prototype that was spotted earlier this year has made another appearance, this time in californias death valley for some hot weather testing. 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.
Lexus lfa test driver killed in collision outside nurburgring. The incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important. 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. Bmw says its driver in lexus lfa crash was not speeding. Unconfirmed reports say hiromu naruse, a toyota employee since 1967, was at the wheel of the test car when it collided with a bmw on the streets outside the nurburgring test track. But under all that rawness is an unmistakable layer of smoothness and refinement that you would only expect from a lexus. Lexus test driver killed in lfa page 1 motoring news. Jun 24, 2010 toyota has confirmed reports that its chief test driver, 67yearold hiromu naruse, has has been killed in a headon collision near the nurburgring. The lexus lfa test numbers also reflect the implications of testing in the wet conditions. Lexus lfa wreck leads to death of one of toyotas top drivers. Read our full road test and see photos at car and driver. Jun 24, 2010 the chief test driver for japanese auto giant toyota was killed in a headon road crash in germany while driving a prototype supercar, the carmaker says.
Lexus s chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has died in a headon collision near the nurburgring. The driver and passenger in the vehicle must wear their seat belts properly. Lexus lfa the only lexus i would drive low storage rates and great movein specials. 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. Naruse had been a test driver for the toyota team for 47 years 19632010. The 2012 lexus lfa wows critics with its agility and formula 1bred powertrain, but stumbles with an unrefined transmission and an astronomicallyhigh base price. 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. The supercar crashed a few kilometers from the nurburgring test track, killing the driver. Find lexus recalls information, reported by the nhtsa, and we will help you find a nearby service center where you can get your car fixed. 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 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. The srs airbags are supplemental devices to be used with the seat belts. 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.
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. For those who havent been keeping track, the currentgen gs has been around since 2011, back when barack obama was still in his first term and the avengers was still just a comic book. 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. Look no further everest self storage is the place when youre out of space. With all due respect to hiromus capabilities as a test driver, why would lexus have a 67 year old. Aug 05, 2017 the incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important test driver test driver hiromu naruse was a legend who influenced half a century of toyota history. The chief test driver for japanese auto giant toyota was killed in a headon road crash in germany while driving a prototype supercar. With all due respect to hiromus capabilities as a test driver, why would lexus have a 67 year old testing a prototype. Unconfirmed reports say hiromu naruse, a toyota employee since 1967, was at the wheel of the test car when it collided with a bmw on the streets outside the. The lexus lfa has airbags built into the seatbelts.
The 67yearold was driving a lexus lfa nurburgring edition prototype when the car collided with an. Fedex driver saves north carolina wedding with lastminute ring delivery. 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. Heres why the lexus lfa is the worst halo car of all time. In the time since our last update, lexus sold another of the supercars.
Lexus lfa was tested during the summer months in very wet conditions, but the track test even in the wet as well as daily city road driving warranted enough positive impressions for the magazine to award lexus lfa the win. So is that crash piece substantial enough, i wonder. 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. Lexus lfa test driver killed in crash in germany motortrend.
Packed with racecar technology, the lfa has a highrevving v10 with 553 horsepower and. Hiromu naruse, the chief test driver for lexus, was killed yesterday when he collided with a bmw sedan, which. Please if you have the money to get a supercar please just test drive one before criticizing it. Toyota chief test driver killed on nurburgring accident. Youve always known this day would arrive, so this should come as no big surprise. The report says that the driver of the lf a was 67 years old and toyotas chief test driver, which leads us to believe that he is hiromu naruse, in addition to being the companys chief test driver, naruse is also akio toyodas personal driver and the godfather of the lfa. Thats so fast, the engineers had to fit a digital revcounter because a conventional needle couldnt keep up. The unfortunate death of a lexus test driver on a road outside the nurburgring while driving an lfa now surprises me, however. 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.
Learn more about price, engine type, mpg, and complete safety and warranty information. The allnew gs f performance sedan is the latest vehicle to roar into lexus high performance f line. 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. Lexus lfa test driver killed in collision outside nurburgring test track a report out of germany says that a collision involving an lfa prototype has killed a veteran toyota test driver. If youve ever wondered what it would be like if toyota took on ferrari, the lfa is your answer. Test drivers write that theres a lot to like about lexus first exotic sports car, but unfortunately there are also.
The incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important test. A lexus lf a nurburgring edition test drive ended up in tragedy. A report out of germany says that a collision involving an lfa prototype has killed a veteran toyota test driver. 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. The highpriced japanese supercar also incorporates advanced front airbags with a knee airbag for the driver, along with a fairly normal list of additional. But in all seriousness, im guessing that what may have happened is that the toyota test driver was driving on the wrong side of the road since that is what he was used to, and then here comes the bmw on the correct side going the correct way in germany and. Naruse was given complete authority of the project, even over the chief engineerthe first time anyone could recall that happening. Bmw says its driver in lexus lfa crash was not speeding the.
Hiromu naruse, toyotas chief test driver, was killed yesterday in a headon collision in germany. An accident, on local roads near the nurburgring, has claimed the life of lexus chief test engineer driver, hiromu naruse. The srs driver airbag deploys with considerable force, and can cause death or. Wed be lying if we said we didnt know this was coming for a while. Lexus test driver killed in lfa page 4 motoring news.
He helped fine tune the lfa, and had a part of this car. The incredible, tragic life of toyotas most important test driver test driver hiromu naruse was a legend who influenced half a century of toyota history. Jan 07, 2019 the lfa works that produced the lexus lfa hasnt had too much to do since the 500th example of the v10 supercar left the plant on december 15, 2012. Toyotas chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has been killed in a crash while testing the companys upcoming 2012 lexus lfa supercar in germany. Jun 23, 2010 at least he was driving the car he helped create, hiromu naruse.
Last year we reported the death of hiromu naruse, toyotas chief test driver and a man considered to be the godfather of the japanese performance. Lexuss chief test driver, hiromu naruse, has died in a headon collision near the nurburgring. Mar 11, 20 the v10 engine in a lexus lfa revs from idle to the red line in just 0. So im sitting on the couch the other day, minding my own business and eating animal crackers, when it strikes me like a cartoon anvil. Toyota chief test driver killed on nurburgring accident with. Toyotas top test driver killed in german prototype supercar.
The accident occurred on a public highway near the nuerburgring racetrack where the makers of sports cars test their creations. Failure to do so may cause death or serious injury. The velcro patches on both front fenders could mean that this vehicle is a plugin hybrid, as this is usually the location of the battery charger plug. The automotive world was rocked june 23, 2010, as news spread about the death of hiromu naruse, toyotas 67yearold designer and master test driver. 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 single most impressive thing about the lfa is that its only two laps in the drivers seat before im perfectly at. Jul 10, 2012 the unfortunate death of a lexus test driver on a road outside the nurburgring while driving an lfa now surprises me, however. I can tell you for sure that its been a long time coming, but our. So, when the opportunity came around for alborz to push a lexus lfa around a private test facility for the very first time, his schedule miraculously freed up and he was on a. 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.