Lexus president Koji Sato says he’s experimenting with how to simulate a manual gearbox in the upcoming electric LFA successor. The EV supercar could also feature steer-by-wire, torque vectoring, carbon fiber, and solid-state batteries to improve performance.Lexus claims the car, currently an unnamed concept, will reach 60 mph in the “low-two-second range” and have a range of about 435 miles.Koji Sato is a lot of things. He’s the president of Lexus International, formerly the chief engineer, president of GAZOO Racing, and operating officer and chief branding officer of Toyota. He may soon be able to add “mad scientist” to that list, because Sato, in an interview with the U.K.’s Top Gear, said that he is experimenting with putting a manual gearbox in the forthcoming electric successor to the LFA.Yes, you read that right. He wants to find a way to give an EV supercar a stick shift. If he can pull it off, that’s a mission we might be able to get behind.Right now, he’s fiddling with software to see if he can simulate the feel of a manual in order to make EVs just as engaging to drive as an internal-combustion-powered car.”It’s a hobby of mine, a crazy thing,” Sato, who was chief engineer on the luxurious Lexus LC coupe, told Top Gear. “I’m looking for better engagement, even in an EV, I want another link from the car to the driver. It’s not just about efficiency. I love cars and want something different.”

Koji Sato in front of the Lexus LC.
Lexus

It would certainly be different. Generally, EVs don’t use a multi-gear transmission, because they are efficient across a broad rev range and can produce maximum torque from zero rpm, unlike gas-powered engines. EV motors are also high-revving. For context, the Tesla Model S Plaid’s electric motor can rotate at up to 20,000 rpm—the LFA’s V-10 redlined at 9000. This means a single gear ratio can get a car from zero mph to its max speed. Sato points this out as an aspect of Lexus’s yet unnamed EV supercar that could have an edge against the LFA. “Vehicle response is one of the advantages of the e-motor, the sudden torque is a very unique character with a BEV—the driver can expect a quicker reaction to their input,” he told Top Gear.Still, the power and efficiency of electric motors fall off at high rpm, which is why the Porsche Taycan and Audi e-tron GT use a two-speed gearbox for the rear motor. The first Tesla Roadster also was supposed to get a two-speed manual that never came to be. Some Formula E cars even used to utilize multi-speed gearboxes, with Lucas di Grassi winning the 2016-17 Formula E World Drivers’ Championship for Abt Schaeffler Audi Sport in a car outfitted with a three-speed transmission.

All this to say, maybe Sato isn’t as mad as he seems. While his software simulation of a stick shift isn’t quite the same as actually using multiple gears and who knows how realistic or involving it might be, it’s still one of the innovations that could set apart the EV supercar.The unnamed concept, which does not yet have a due date, is claimed to get to 60 mph in the “low-two-second range” (the LFA did it in 3.7 seconds) and have a range of about 435 miles thanks to in-the-works solid-state battery technology. It will also use torque vectoring to improve handling and “realize vehicle dynamics,” according to Sato, as well as steer-by-wire.

The Lexus LFA
Tim Andrew

Being lightweight and aerodynamic is key to the new supercar. The LFA was notoriously a carbon-fiber animal, but Sato was tight-lipped about whether that would extend to its successor: “We look at the LFA heritage and use carbon fiber as necessary.”However, all this tech talk is secondary to his main goal with the car.”I really want this car be a halo, a showcase for the future of Lexus driving dynamics, to express the overall Lexus driving signature.”If Sato can bring EVs closer to Saving the Manuals in the process, we’re on board.
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Lego’s latest automotive creation is a replica of Dominic Toretto’s badass 1970 Dodge Charger R/T from the Fast and Furious movies. The 1077-piece Lego Technic kit features a V-8 engine with moving pistons, a double-wishbone suspension, and a wheelie bar. Pre-orders open today, March 30, and the Charger kit will be available for sale globally […] More

Toyota announced a recall for the bZ4X electric vehicle in June, acknowledging that wheels might detach from the car because of malfunctioning hub bolts and asking customers to stop driving the vehicle.The automaker had been offering free loaners to affected bZ4X owners, but the deal has now been increased with more sweeteners as well as a new offer: Toyota will buy back the bZ4X outright.Only 258 bZ4X EVs were sold before the recall was announced, but the vehicle has an outsize role to play in Toyota’s slow embrace of all-electric vehicles.When Toyota first announced a recall for its new, electric bZ4X SUV, it said that the hub bolts used on the wheels might loosen “to the point where the wheel can detach from the vehicle.” That was a noticeable black eye for one of the world’s largest automakers launching a crucial new model.The bZ4X is Toyota’s first all-electric vehicle since the company worked with Tesla on the RAV4 EV around a decade ago. The RAV4 EV was discontinued in 2014, and Toyota has been on the outside looking in when it comes to EV sales ever since. The bZ4X is expected to change things.The recall was announced after Toyota sold 258 units. Toyota’s first offer for buyers was to have local dealers give them a loaner vehicle free of charge until a remedy could be found for keeping the hub bolts connected. “The cause of the issue and the driving patterns under which this issue could occur are still under investigation,” Toyota said in June. After a few months of research, Toyota has now sent a letter to bZ4X owners (and then posted it to Reddit) expanding the benefits it is offering, including a complete buyback. For starters, bZ4X owners can continue to drive a loaner vehicle while the dealer stores their EV at no cost to the driver. Toyota will pay for the fuel used in these loaner vehicles and will also offer buyers $5000 toward their lease payments or as a check if the EV was purchased outright. Toyota is also extending the time frame for bZ4X drivers to get complimentary charging at EVgo stations and is extending the warranty period.If all of that’s not enough for you, then Toyota will buy back your bZ4X, although the details might vary depending on the situation. Toyota has not said how it will handle any dealer markups originally applied to the purchase price, for example, but the fact that it’s offering to completely take back a brand-new EV over something as seemingly routine as hub bolts is notable. Toyota has also issued a recall for the 2022 Tundra because of a problem with the nuts on the rear axle assembly that can loosen over time.The bZ4X recall also includes 403 units of the 2023 Subaru Solterra, which shares the Toyota’s platform, although documents filled with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) state that none of those have gone out to dealers or customers yet.Problems with selling new units of the bZ4X could hit Toyota extra hard because any EVs purchased from the automaker after September 30 are not eligible for the full federal tax credits under current law. While the rules are likely to change under the Inflation Reduction Act, as it stands now, Toyota is running out of time to offer its buyers a $7500 credit if they can’t buy a new bZ4X any time soon.In the meantime, owners of this EV who want to keep abreast of the situation can check the NHTSA recalls website for updates.

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Uber and Lyft, the two ride-hailing giants, will give drivers who contract coronavirus or need to be quarantined financial compensation. The organization Gig Workers Rising is petitioning the state of California to mandate that “gig economy” workers get paid time off as the virus spreads. It is unclear the level of compensation that each company […] More

This 2005 Ferrari F430 is equipped with the six-speed manual and shows 13,000 miles on the odometer. It’s powered by a 483-hp 4.3-liter V-8 that revs to 8500 rpm. Bids are up to $125,000 as of May 12, and the auction ends on Tuesday, May 17.Ferrari hasn’t sold a manual transmission in about a decade, so I often find myself daydreaming of ripping an Italian V-8 and rowing the gears myself. A convertible would be the icing on the cake, so that’s why I’m salivating over this 2005 Ferrari F430 Spider manual that’s up for bidding on the Bring a Trailer auction site—which, like Car and Driver, is owned by Hearst Autos.

Bring A Trailer

Bring A Trailer

After the F430 came the 458 Italia, which was the last of the high-revving naturally aspirated mid-engine V-8 Ferraris. But that car wasn’t offered with a manual transmission, just a seven-speed dual-clutch gearbox since less than 1 percent of F430 buyers went for the stick. Shame. Good thing this F430 with the six-speed manual is up for grabs. Or you could go for this six-speed conversion, but we wouldn’t.

The F430 was powered by a 4.3-liter F136 V-8 that revved to 8500 rpm and produced 483 horsepower and 343 pound-feet of torque, sent to the rear wheels through the six-speed and electronically controlled limited-slip differential. In Car and Driver testing, an F430 Spider with the F1 automated manual gearbox reached 60 mph in 3.9 seconds. This is classic Ferrari spec. It’s finished in Rosso Corsa red with tan leather Daytona seats with the prancing horse embossed into the headrests. The silver wheels are wrapped in Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires, and there are optional red-painted brake calipers. Rounding out the quintessential Ferrari look are red-stitched F430 floor mats and aluminum pedals.

Bring A Trailer

Showing 13,000 miles, this F430 Spider has had three previous owners, and I wish that I could be the next. When new, this F430 cost $203,885. On the BaT website, bidding is currently at $125,000 and sure to go up before bidding ends on Tuesday, May 17.

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