Reviving a Legend
The recently unveiled all-electric Lexus LFA Concept is joining the growing roster of performance EVs with fake engine noise. Project manager Takashi Doi confirmed this to The Drive with a casual “of course,” adding that “sound creation and development is very important.”
Why spend resources on something that isn’t mechanically real? Automakers are still trying to counter the long-standing perception that EVs are “boring.” One of the current approaches is to add emotional cues back into the driving experience, including fake engine sounds and simulated gear shifts. EVs don’t normally shift at all, since most use a single-speed setup, with rare exceptions such as the Porsche Taycan’s 2-speed rear motor.
All For a More Emotional Drive
On the simulated shifts topic, however, Doi was more cautious. He acknowledged that fun and emotion matter during development, but not at the expense of performance. If artificial shifts reduce capability — as the simulated gears in the Hyundai Ioniq 5 N slightly slow its real-world acceleration — then the feature may not make it into the production version.
But to be fair, the Ioniq 5 N is hardly a slouch. Porsche’s Frank Moser even praised the car’s capabilities, especially when it’s in N Grin Boost (temporary overboost) mode. With that kind of credibility behind Hyundai’s approach, Lexus may well draw inspiration from it when shaping its own performance-focused EV.
Artificial sound does make some sense for a car, following the legacy of the original Lexus LFA, which is often praised as one of the best-sounding cars ever built, mentioned alongside icons like the Porsche Carrera GT and Mazda 787B. Its 4.8-liter 1LR-GUE V10, co-developed with Yamaha specifically with acoustics in mind, became central to its appeal — helping elevate the LFA from an initial sales struggle into a cult-status halo car.
Echoes of the Past
Despite the V10’s legendary reputation, the engineering team might avoid pure nostalgia and instead develop a new sound identity for the electric era. As Doi put it, “Whether we try to follow traditional engine sounds or start with something new, it’s something to decide.” He also noted that the project’s sound development was a “directive of Morizo,” the racing alter ego of Akio Toyoda, chairman of Toyota Motor Corporation. The discipline of EV sound design has grown so much that automakers like BMW have even collaborated with multi-Grammy winner Hans Zimmer to craft acceleration audio for models like the i4.
Lexus hasn’t announced a production timeline for the electric LFA. Still, it has been confirmed that the concept is being developed on a core aluminum performance architecture connected to the GR GT and GR GT3 programs.
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