GTO vs LFA

Some interesting points raised! One off supercars in my opinion from traditionally non sports car manufacturers are bit like that artist who produces one great song. My point being is the LFA is likely to be a one hit wonder in the grand scheme of things. The Lexus brand will never have the exotic name of Ferrari, Lamborghini, the only way for Lexus to gain any sort of credibility is to produce drivers cars, this is unlikely to happen as most of their product is pitched a very particular market segmentm, one where driving involvement means nothing.

For me the 40kGPB price difference is the killer, price the LFA at 458 levels and it would make some sense but as it is its far too highly priced, considering its barely any more powerful than an 458.

 

Thanks for raising awareness to the other areas of motorsport that Toyota is involved in. I think they deserve more credit.

Onno

 

I agree with you on this, although I understand that they are offering better cars now because they are making more money.
But I have to ask, what is your take on Boxster? I am newly getting in to Porsche's and I would consider buying a Boxster because it's cheap, has a proper manual gearbox, is reliable, has good quality feel and I could park it on the street. IMO it's a sports car and therefore I have no problem with it. Cayennes and Panameras don't bother me, but IMO they are just as much Porsche's as an A- and B-class are Mercedes'....

 

I have no problem with the Cayenne or the Panamera. Yes they aren't true to Porsche heritage, but they bring a lot of money into the company so they can improve their racing cars (that sounds familiar) and their more high end road cars.

Without the Porsches that are often looked down upon there might not be any of the RS 4.0s or the GT2 RS's that make us (at least some of us) love Porsche.

Just my 2 cents

 

FT86 is aimed at being a driver's car. The revised IS-F with LSD has been well-received; not on a level of driving involvement as the M3, but rated higher than the RS5 by Audi, who has been doing that sort of thing for far longer.
Only time will tell if it is priced far too highly. It may be only as powerful as a 458, but since when has Ferrari's value been determined by power? There have been Corvettes and Porsches with more power, yet that does not detract from the worth of a Ferrari. How many people with legitimately enough to money and interest to buy a 458 think twice simply because a ZR1 offers similar objective performance at only 1/2 the cost?
One could argue that the LFA is produced in far too few numbers to be priced anything like a 458. 500 vs 10k+ likely units of the 458.
You'd have to also remember that the 458 is a benchmark for a reason; it's the result of decades worth of constant refinement and engineering. The fact that a C63 loses to the M3 in just about every test does not mean the C63 is not worth the money; we'd have to know a little more about MB's intent in volume production. Simply because the M3 is the benchmark doesn't make other cars overpriced; it just might mean its exceptionally good in the areas that tend to matter to performance magazine editors.
You might argue that the M3 GTS, which costs twice as much as a regular M3, but doesn't offer that much more objective performance, is also overpriced. In pure economic (supply vs demand) terms, you'd be wrong. They've sold all of them.

 

When it comes down to $$$$ I think that it's normal practice to consider other options at this price point.

For example;

1) LFA or a 458 + GT3RS + C63?

Or

2) LFA or a GT2 RS + 599 + M3?

I like the sound of Option 1.....

 

Back to the GTO...

This guys revs the engine like it is a musical instrument!


Pure Music!

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wAH-EJ14PK4&feature=related[/ame]

 

Cool. Like a trumpet. Only louder...

 

Haven't driven the LFA but was nearby as one was put through its paces. For my money, it may be a wonderful car, but it didn't thrill me. It didn't get my attention. It was just a car.

Maybe I am biased toward the GTO.

 

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Yv-IlqK5bZE[/ame]

The sound the LFA makes is hard to describe, it almost sounds unreal. Hearing it in person is amazing, but then again the same can be said for the GTO. I like both cars for what they are, LFA seems more collector car and GTO more drivers car. They both produce some of the best sounds I've ever heard from an engine.

 

I doubt Toyota believes they will eventually drive Ferrari out of business by entering the super car market, but I can easily imagine they will use the technology they developed in making the LFA to build better cars, and drive other car manufacturers out of business.

I for one am happy more manufacturers are attempting halo cars- it's good for the market as a whole. And as far as pricing goes, it is largely irrelevant, IMHO- most buyers of $300,000 machines are not bargain shopping, but more likely brand loyalists.

 

My 458 can beat my cousin's LFA.... Having said that, the LFA is a special drive in itself. Although the price is steep, the options to spec to your personal requirement did not cost extra. And to me it sounded good too more like the wail of a 430 with 2 extra cylinders

 

Agreed. There are plenty of Lexus and Japanese car fans who prefer Japanese cars who have been wanting a car like the LFA, but have been (until recently) unmet by such a product in the market. Most people who are genuinely in a position to buy an LFA (by that I mean open-minded types who can appreciate a car for what it is, beyond the badge) won't be looking at it in terms of "LFA or a GT2 RS + 599 + M3"? That is a self-defined litmus test of "value" among internet car enthusiasts who tend to look at magazine test numbers to determine value. No, there really are people out there who think "LFA + GT2 RS + 599 + M3."

As for engine and sound, Evo last year awarded the LFA their Engine of the Year, and Best Sound of the Year. And they had already driven the GTO too. In this head to head review against the GTO, they also rate the LFA higher in sound quality (which is different from outright volume, though the LFA violated the TopGear track sound limits during a re-test in the dry, if that's a concern). The GTO does sound good, but then so does the LFA. Most unbiased sources will tell you the Lexus is every bit the match for the Ferrari, and then some, in this regard.

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tNOG52m5hcE[/ame]

Sounds like a tuba and trumpet rolled into one.

Staccato notes worthy of Miles:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8lQ29yVTwjY&feature=player_detailpage#t=41s

 

I like them, although it is clear how much they have come along since the first version. I own a 2011 Cayman S in Jersey, which is really a great shopping trolley. I am very much taken with it.

Both the Cayman and Boxster are great driver's cars. But you need the recent S versions, the other ones are too slow.

The salesman said I would now be turned from Ferrari onto Porsche after I had been driving the Cayman S for a while. Well, not a bit of it. I love the Cayman S for a daily driver, but I can't get passionate about it. The same goes for the 911. They all look alike, and they have a bit of a clinical feel to them. I like them, a lot, I may even love them. But I don't LUST after them. They don't make my heart skip a beat.


Onno