Lexus LFA - $350k - by invitation only

Also the Lexi is slower then either of the Ferraris in all performance cathegories.
To each their own though.....

 

The reason is the same as for Ferrari building their own engines, from the bare blocks cast on Ferrari's own foundry: people buying an exotic, premium luxury item want to have a sense that the item in question is bespoke, that it was crafted by people with passion for building the item.
In Toyota's case, they also wanted to learn new manufacturing techniques that can lower the cost of CF. This will help them gain competitive edge if they can apply it to their more mainstream cars. As Evo magazine put it:
"This is where the LFA’s behind-the-scenes purpose, the one beyond broadening the Lexus brandscape in Audi, BMW and Mercedes fashion, becomes clear. Cars have to become lighter if their makers are to reach CO2 targets, and carbonfibre is a good way to do it. But it will need to be mass-produced. Building 500 LFAs is Toyota’s way of learning what it must do to build a future Yaris, Auris or Avensis."

It hasn't even been independently tested yet. I doubt it will be slower around the 'Ring than the 599 or slower in the slalom. On TopGear's soaking wet track, it was as fast as the F430 in the bone dry conditions. Faster than an AWD Gallardo. Not that this will necessarily matter to most people buying this car. Lexus wanted to target driving satisfaction (with some V10-era F1 undertones) as a high priority, not just outright speed. It seems they have hit the target, and the performance estimates are just a bonus.

 

Any word if the floor mats and gas pedal actual work yet?

 

that's just cold.

 

There's a world of difference between a formal expression of interest and a $350,000 check.

I'm not saying that Toyota is exaggerating interest in this new car, but I also take the source of this info with a huge grain of salt.

 

(insert burning Ferrari pics)
That's hot.

There is, but people expressing a formal interest in this car also know a healthy deposit is required to lock in any chance at making an order. This is one of the differences between a formal expression of interest and mere first contact for info. In any case, it seems the number of applicants has not only been met, but exceeded.

 

My sympathies

LOL! Kidding... no but seriously, unless you owned an LX470/570 or GX, what drove you to make that decision?

 

I work at a Lexus dealer. I am sure no one in our market will buy an LF-A because Idaho is not the place to be seen. I think Lexus builds amazing vehicles.....amazingly boring. People like them because when you get in them they are built so that the average person goes...It's nice. Rides nice, drives nice and looks nice. As we all know the people on FChat are NOT average car buyers. Thank God we also have a BMW store on the other end of the property for the real car guys (and Ladies)!

 

Amen! If you're ever in my town I'll buy you a beer or cigar.

 

yeah but will it park itself ?

 

I think they'll sell all of them. It was pointed out to me at an earlier date that the car also serves as Toyota's next Super GT entry, so that would easily explain the demand in Japan.

Even though I think it is quite expensive (which is at least partly due to the positively abysmal exchange rate), I'm actually pleased to see that the Japanese have lately stopped hoarding their best cars for themselves, as has been their custom for many decades.

 

I had one GX (did not like it that much), and 5 LX's then I wanted something sporty bought a Cayenne Turbo, then I had twins, and on my second RR now. I'm sure the new car is a great feat of engineering, but it is as ugly as a GTR, does not seem to be any faster or handle any better, and costs insane money.

 

I don't know. I would be tempted but I don't quite have that much liquidity at the moment.

We can all at least agree it's a fantastic piece of automotive engineering right? And there's no doubt it's going to be exclusive and will likely gain in value like the Enzo.

The problem with comparing this car from Lexus to the GTR from Nissan is that they're completely different ventures. It's like a Gallardo and Reventon. It may not be more impressive by the performance numbers but surely there's something to be said about the intangibles.

Personally I don't feel as if I am qualified to say the LFA isn't worth it as I haven't had the opportunity to drive it let alone compare it with the Enzo and other cars of that stature.

I do wish the car looked a bit more svelte but hey, we can't always get what we want.

 

The intangible is that they are trying to pull off bespoke pricing for an off the peg suit, made by a company that has a long track record of making boring but functional sweaters.

One unintended consequence to this is I can actually see a certain Mr. Koo in Korea look at this and say "you think that is special? We can do the same for half the price."

This car is proof that Lexus has totally lost the plot.

 

I learnt that Lexus will not sell the car in the US but just lease it. By doing that, they want to avoid speculation on the LF-A and maybe the possibility to sell the car to Europe based on the favorable exchange rate at the moment (the car will have a price of 375.000 EUR which translates into 525.000 USD at the moment). Lexus will keept the title for about 2 years.
Still the allocation for Europe is very much spoken for.

I think the price is very ambitious, but still the car will be in a performance league between the 599 GTB and Murcielago. It is sensational that the car, with all the goodies like sat-nav for example weighs just under 1450 kg, that is the same as the 430 Scud, and everyone knows how spartanic that is. Compared with a 599, who has over 1800 kg it shows the LF-A is something special by using a lot of compound materials from Formula 1. The engine has a fantastic sound and revs like a real race engine, I think it is best compared with the V10 from the Carrera GT.
I had the chance to sit in the car already and the cockpit is really great!


The most negative point about the LF-A to me is the design. But I have to admit, the
car in real looks much better and has a much better presence than on the pictures.
I think it will fit perfectly into my collection right between the 599 and 430

 

LOL, Wankers

 

Looks pretty cool. How many Camry's must one own to receive an invitation?

 

Well, normally I hate to do this, but if you will buy three of these Camry's with red stickers in the windows, I can bump you up a few positions in the LF-A line.

 

Does the LFA comes with a faulty accelerator pedal ?

 

LMAO

 

The intangibles are the sound. The interaction, the feedback. And not just the outright rev limit of the V10, but how fast it revs to that limit. The stability at high speed even on a track as demanding as the Nordschleife even with newb journalists at the wheel. The impeccable build quality that is evident in what are essentially still development prototypes.
This car is more bespoke than the 599, more bespoke than the $1.4M Reventon, so I'm not sure what (besides bias) would bring up "an off the peg suit." The LFA's CFRP "suit" is no less impressive than the Reventon's (and a generation ahead of the 599's, outside and underneath as well); that tubular steel chassis construction is relatively antique. As is the V12.
The MR2, 2000GT, Supra Turbo, and Celica were hardly boring vehicles. Haven't seen any drive reviews of the GT One, and I'm betting that's anything but boring.
When Lambo first started, they had a long track record of making...tractors.
And unlike many supercars, the production version will have been fine-tuned for handling and durability from lessons from actual racing (4-hour enduros and the two 24-Hour of Nurburgring races). Lexus is saying the engine will meet the same durability requirements as any other Lexus. That would imply a 6-year powertrain warranty. I'd wager the car will last through sustained lapping better than the 599/Murcielago too; don't forget that the Nordschleife crippled the well-maintained Enzo after only a couple of laps in that Evo article.

If anyone would like to refute the free-market concept that something is only worth what people are willing to pay for it, I'm all ears. One can say the LFA definitely isn't worth it to him. But to project one's own subjective value system, to assume that the world's 793 billionaires and ~6 million millionaires all share the same values and tastes is quite a stretch. There are people out their who spend as much as 3 LFA's just to upgrade the sound system in their personal Boeing jets.

 

Thank you, Guibo.

I read the "Lexus is trying to sell an off-the-peg suit at bespoke prices" comment and just left the thread in exasperation.

What, if not the LFA, is bespoke in the automotive world?

Such an absurd thing to say.

 

This thing accelerating on its own may well be a bit more dangerous than a Camry doing it...