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The introduction of a simulated manual gearbox has opened up the possibility of a range of selectable simulated engine sounds.
Electric Cars
The new Lexus RZ electric SUV will arrive in Australia in the first half of 2026 and will be the first Lexus to feature what the Japanese brand is calling Interactive Manual Drive (IMD).
IMD, available in the top-spec RZ 550e F Sport, is a virtual eight-speed manual transmission that mimics the feel of a combustion engine car by using the yoke-mounted paddle-shifters. Hyundai pioneered the technology in the Ioniq 5 N.
The system also features feedback – visually via a ‘rev counter’, aurally courtesy of a synthesised mix of electronic whine and combustion engine, and through the throttle.
Lexus’s assistant chief engineer, Yasuyuki Terada, told Drive at the international launch of the new Lexus RZ that while real engine sounds were considered, the brand opted to lean on the RZ’s electric vehicle philosophy when it came to mimicking the soundtrack of the eight-speed ‘manual’ transmission.
“So what happened was, we had a lot of discussions in our meetings with the engineers and we got to a point where we went, ‘okay, so for our first BEV (battery electric vehicle) with this technology, is it proper to just come off with just a pure ICE engine sound only?’,” said Terada.
When asked if Lexus considered recording the howl of the Lexus LFA supercar’s V10 to use in the new RZ, Terada smiled and said “of course”, before adding that the brand was already working on the next iteration of IMD.
He revealed that the brand was working on a number of options including adding a number of different engine sounds that can be chosen by the driver to suit their mood, in the same vein as ambient lighting.
“This is a function that can be expanded drastically,” Terada said. “So, V10, V8 engine, we don't know, [and] make it selectable. So that's something that we're looking into right now.”
Drive sampled Lexus’s new Interactive Manual Drive at the model’s global launch last week. You can read about our first impressions here.
Electric Cars Guide
Rob Margeit is an award-winning Australian motoring journalist and editor who has been writing about cars and motorsport for over 25 years. A former editor of Australian Auto Action, Rob’s work has also appeared in the Sydney Morning Herald, The Age, Wheels, Motor Magazine, Street Machine and Top Gear Australia. Rob’s current rides include a 1996 Mercedes-Benz E-Class and a 2000 Honda HR-V Sport.
