Car Garage
a selection of vehicles that would find a place in my dream car collection
Lexus LFA
The Lexus LFA is a front engined, rear wheel drive V10 supercar. It is powered by a 4.8L V10, producing 552 hp at 8700 rpm and 354 lb. ft of torque. The redline of this engine is at 9500 rpm, one of the highest of any production engine. Lexus states that the engine can rev from idle to redline in an unmatched 0.6 seconds. Power is sent to the wheels via a 6-speed single clutch automated sequential gearbox, actuated with paddle shifters. Top speed of the LFA is 202 mph. The LFA makes extensive use of carbon fiber and CFRPs.
I include the Lexus LFA in my dream garage mostly for its phenomenal sounding engine. It, along with the Carrera GT have unmatched driving experiences thanks to their V10 engines. I choose this because of its enhanced rarity vs the CGT (500 vs 1270 respectively) and the more modern and refined cabin. I would source a car with a white exterior, non-Nurburgring package, the bright satin wheels, and either a red or light colored interior if possible.
Porsche 911 GT3 Touring
Porsche 959
The 959 was manufactured from 1986-1993 as a homologation vehicle for Porsche's Group B racing program. Around 340 were produced. The 959 is powered by a twin-turbo 2.85L flat-6 producing 444 hp at 6500 rpm from factory. The engine used sequential turbochargers which was a notable difference from most previous turbo vehicles. The vehicle used many lightweight materials keeping the weight down to 1450 kg (3197 lbs.) despite all of the complicated components it used. The car featured an all wheel drive system with a driver configurable torque split, adjustable ride height, tire pressure monitoring and a six speed gearbox. These were features and technologies far ahead of its time.
Canepa motorsports, based in California, has been modifying 959s for years including their most recent product, the "959 SC". The modifications take approximately 4000 hours, where the car is completely stripped down, painted to sample (for me a gloss white), the suspension system is modified using modern suspension technology. The engine is modified to produce around 800 hp using Borg-Warner non-sequential twin-turbos. In addition to this, I would have Canepa outfit the exterior with a rally type exterior treatment akin to the Dakar spec'd 959s. The total cost of these upgrades exceeds US $2 million but are well worth it for this iconic car.
Porsche 911 Singer-Williams DLS
Ferrari 458 Speciale
The 458 Speciale was produces from 2013-2015 as a higher performance variant of the original 458 Italia mid engined super car. The 4.5L V8 powertrain was redesigned with 597 hp at 9000 rpm, and 398 lb. ft of torque at 6000 rpm. It weighs 1395 kg (90 less than the 458). It features more aggressive exterior and interior styling including a vented front bonnet, side fins and a more aggressive front bumper, among other changes. The Speciale is notable for its high-revving naturally aspirated V8 and mid engined handling. I particularly like the style of the 458 over the newer 488. I would configure mine in white with the Speciale stripes deleted and a toned down interior.
