GTO vs LFA

I'll go GTO

+ Paris Hilton bought an LFA, yeuch!!!!

 

I thought reports said it was given to her?

http://www.insideline.com/lexus/lfa/2012/paris-hilton-gets-375000-lexus-lfa-for-30th-birthday.html

 

While I much prefer the GTO, you cannot deny that the LFA sounds incredible.

 

I think with used GTOs in the US selling at $500k+ and "€ 150k over list" mentioned in other threads here, the price between the two cars is not as it seems. I was under the impression that the people who got the GTO allocations at MSRP were long-time Ferrari customers, so one might need to factor in the price of previous Ferraris bought. Ferrari sold out the GTO in only a week, so you are probably left with someone's sloppy seconds, not spec'ed to your taste. I'd wager there are still some spots left for the LFA in the US and UK, built to your order.

Probably LFA Nurburgring edition would be a better match (limited high-performance versions of each car), though the GTO would still likely beat it in a straight line.

 

incorrect. i was offered one abt 3 months ago ... my specs. not "someone's sloppy seconds".

expected delivery end sept.

 

This is true, people were being offered slots long after the production was "sold out". It will be interesting to see how many GTOs Ferrari ends up producing. There are already a few that have traded hands and least one of those people that sold their GTO was offered another build slot.

 

Are you a prior Ferrari owner, and is your car coming in at no more than list?
My comment of "probably" was geared primarily toward the UK market where the test (and price comparo) is taking place.


If it's true that Ferrari is exceeding the initial production target, then there's a factor of exclusivity in favor of the LFA. As it was already, with the GTO being a modified 599.

 

Exactly what difference does it make--besides great theatre, which car is faster in a straightline? The GTO is still banging away when they run out of tarmac...it'll keep going for a bit more while the fooze banger is running short of breath at 180.

Forest from the trees man. The difference between the two should have been evo-dent already from many posted comparasions on various super cars over the past year or so.

Like the preview supposedly decides who's the daddy? Lexus or Ferrari. Boy, that's a tough choice for most I'd guess...

NOT

A Lexus dealer mate even suggests (off the record of course) its an easy call...he says he'd take the Mamba anytime.

 

The race version of the LFA at the 24 Hours of Nurburgring was pretty cool and the Factory effort was very impressive. The Aston Zagato was cool as well. As an aside there's a road version of the Aston but it's only show and display US legal.

 

nope. 1st ferrari. ever.

at list. no premium.

 

^Good to know, thanks. Wondering how others in the US/UK/Euro market can command such a mark-up on already titled cars when people such as yourself can just spec one at list.

 

My neighbor has a LFA.. a very ugly toyota red...have ridden in the car several times...the styling and even the engine sound are not very inspiring. Overall i am very impressed, even at half the price. I still dont understand how why this car costs so much. To compare it to GTO is ridiculous.....If I wanted to buy a LFA, I would get a GTR instead and buy a used Carrera Gt with the left over cash....

 

THAT i can't answer ...

 

Pretty simply, it's exclusivity: 500 produced vs how many thousands of 599s upon which the GTO is based? Ferrari can spread out the development cost over many more production units. Even the standard 599's engine isn't built from the ground up. Alloy frame vs CF monocoque; Ferrari cites cost as a reason why CF is reserved for its very special edition supercars. Save for the nav unit, there really isn't much else in the LFA that is shared with any other Toyota/Lexus product. Bespoke interior, bespoke transmission, bespoke composite & alloy frame and body, bespoke engine. Lexus only planned for 500 units and they're pretty much on target to sell all of them; around January, there were about 20 spots left out of 170 allocated for the US.

In his review of the LFA, Chris Harris actually explains rather clearly why it's simply not comparable to a GT-R. You could buy the Nissan, but you're not getting anywhere near the experience of the LFA. Hasn't that always been true for Ferraris which are sometimes no faster or even slower than cheaper Porsches and Corvettes? At this end of the market, people tend to want something special, something that has its own character.

 

I totally agree... I once was at a track event with my F430, and there was an LFA... It does look better in real car, and do sound INCREDIBLE.... As much as I love all my F-Cars and how all my F-Cars sounds... I can't deny how nice LFA sounds...

Alex Lin

 

I agree....

Alex Lin

 

LFA won the test! So much for 'taking the Ferrari anyday' not in EVO's world. Of course its not as fast, or as quick- it's down 100hp. But the specialness of the LFA, the dynamics, the brakes, the sound- EVO chose it over the GTO.

Link to the article on germancarforums.com- http://www.germancarforum.com/internal-combustion/38852-evo-ferrari-599-gto-vs-lexus-lfa-3.html#post530805

 

C&D thought it bested the HGTE, that was with a prototype. Can you feel .4 seconds difference to 60mph? Do you reach 190mph? How about 150mph? Being faster in a straight line is easy. Handling is what set the LFA apart. I wonder how the Nurburgring edition will fare. I love the 599, its a favorite of mine, but I also love Toyota and the LFA. You guys are privileged enough to obtain one of these, but Ferrari had a beginning too ya know! Everyone has to start somewhere. Lamborghini has less racing heritage as Toyota, they've never won any F1 race, LeMans race etc. Neither has Pagani, Gumbert etc. The list goes on, but you don't need a history lesson. But this, is starting a new history. A new heritage. Like the article read, don't get caught up in the name.

 

I'd have either car if they were given to me, but if someone gave me just enough money to buy just one then it would be the GTO. However I can see why someone would buy an LFA even with the hefty price tag.

 

Porsche does, unfortunately. I know it makes economic sense, but it still irks me. Just imagine showing up at the Porsche club with your 550 or 2.8RSR to be greeted by 500 Cayennes and Panameras. They should have stuck to their niche, some things are more important than money.

As for Toyota - well if they were still racing, then I say it's the start of a heritage. But Ferrari's heritage is not due to 60 years of failing, it is due to 60 years of winning (well maybe not 60) and at least a decade of total domination. So far Toyota have shown us too little to get excited about and it doesn't look like they are about to start again soon.

And I don't get the feeling that the LFA is the start of continuous sportscar production, unlike the new McLaren for instance. It seems like a one-off project to me, much like Toyota's F1 adventure. Maybe I'm wrong.


Onno

 

The price being asked does not seem to be too much. There were an additional 20 slots made available in the US, as it seems the initial 150 was not deemed enough. Australia was slated for 5. Then an additional 5 slots were allocated, all filled. In Japan, where Lexus could have sold all of the 500 LFAs, they closed the order books early and slots were allocated by lottery.
Perhaps your association with branding, and not the individual product in question, is determining that a Gallardo is more exotic than the LFA. Would you also believe the California to be more exotic than the LFA? A 308 too?

Look at where Lamborghini started. Before it built the 350 GT, it had nothing much more to its name than farming tractors. No motorsport heritage. It wasn't anymore advanced than a Ferrari 250 GTE of the time, yet retailed at $13900 to the Ferrari's $11500.
Look where Lexus/Toyota starts today: #1 in customer service surveys on 2 continents. #1 in JD Power Initial Quality many years running. Top 2 in vehicle dependability. FIA World Rally Champions. Pikes Peak winner. IMSA GTO/GTU champions. 24 Hrs of Daytona and 12 Hrs of Sebring winners in GTP. Racing involvement in IRL, CART, FIA GT One, and Formula One. Class wins in VLN events at the Nordschleife in none other than the LFA, while the 599 Gran Turismo Omologato has yet to turn a wheel in competition among other makes. Are you really quite sure Lexus is not better off now than Lamborghini was when they started?
Personally, I don't think the LFA will lead to a long, sustained lines of supercars. Which marks it out as an even more rare (and potentially valuable) commodity. As a one-off, and limited to 500 units, we should expect it to cost much, much more than if they'd built 10k+ of them per each generation.