speedflex

So there is hope. Bring it on. I wanna see!

MR_F1

Ironically I see a LOT of Sochiro Honda in Akio Toyoda .......

This bodes well with me. The force is strong in this one...

nabbun

man if this thing doesn't come out already, it's gonna grow old and moldy like the loaf of bread i forgot about behind the kitchen sink.

encore888

Thanks for the info, I just got my hands on one, and it does indeed seem much more info-packed and internationally focused than previous ones.

And the LF-A continues to look great. I think the styling will wear well over time.

jruhi4

Lexus LF-A shown at Fuji
by Peter Nunn

The new Lexus GT500 has made a rare public appearance at the Toyota Motorsports Festival at Fuji Speedway in Japan.

This black prototype, the firm's first supercar, ran in this summer’s Nurburgring 24 Hours, and this is the first time it’s been photographed in such detail.

Still referred to as LF-A by Lexus officials, although the car is more likely to be badged GT500 in production, it was driven by Akio Toyoda, Toyota executive vice president and scion of the Toyoda dynasty that founded Toyota.

An arch motorsport enthusiast and one of the prime movers behind the car, Toyoda drove the Lexus LF-A for two laps around Fuji.

Without the support of Toyoda, a high flier long tipped to be the next president/CEO of Toyota, the LF-A would most likely already have been canned.

Well connected sources in Japan believe the car is now finally signed off, after years of uncertainty about its future. Toyota is believed to have settled on a limited run of 500 cars, priced at around ¥25 million to ¥30 million (£175,000-210,000 or US$262,311-$314,791) each.

At those prices, Toyota managers are understandably nervous about committing the car to production, especially in today’s economic climate.

But LF-A watchers in Japan believe that Toyota will launch the car late next year, in time for the Tokyo show, with sales commencing in 2010.

The once-mooted hybrid version has been canned and the 200mph LF-A will run with the existing 4.8-litre V10, which produces “over 500bhp”.

http://www.autocar.co.uk/News/NewsAr...aspx?AR=236182

encore888

This would be the second source reporting from the Fuji Speedway event, which says production is confirmed? GT 500 sounds like a great name, GT-F as well.

I think Toyota realistically knows they should expect to take a bath on this one, it is a vanity project of sorts, a supercar, not necessarily expected to make money. It looks cool...lots of dynamic projects have to be outside economic realities. But at a stiff 2x or 3x six-figure price they can perhaps approach break even?

Gojirra99

If they can find enough buyers to pay that kind of price for it

Ice350

iTrader: (1)

Looking at the current stable of Toyota/Lexus cars, it's clear they are not the type of company to take unprofitable chances. That's not what has made them the sales leader. GM makes lot's of emotional car projects and look where they are. I'm not judging just reporting my observations.
I've always thought Toyota was motivated by greed and if so would clearly explain why the LFA has taken so long to come out.
They are successful and they want to stay that way. Makes sense. Boring but makes sense.

nabbun

enough making cents, let's make some sense!

sorry.

but this car should seriously be out.

Make sure GFM is a color option =P

JessePS

if this comes out, i think my mom would stop looking at an Aston Martin and get this puppy.

if not time to get some ninja dudes inside of Lexus to steal the car and ship it hehe

jruhi4

They will, eventually. All Lexus has to do is extend the LF-A's production run. In other words, in a decent economy, it would've taken Lexus 3 years to sell out the rumored run of 500 cars worldwide. In a crappy economy such as we have now, it'll take, say, 6 or 7 years instead.

Gojirra99

Let's say they sell this LF-A for $200,000. Selling the production run of 500 according to above means a REVENUE of ONLY $100,000,000 ($100 million).
How much have they spent in developing this car so far ?

And if the report that the last NSX lost $800 million is accurate ......

Rash

iTrader: (1)

Meh, people started making rumors that someone owns the car in Dubai

nabbun

you know, i wouldn't be surprised if they made a replica or if they actually bought the running pre production unit u see lexus modeling.

i know west coast customs recreated the Range Rover "Stormer" concept using the Range Rover Sport as the basis for a customer in the middle east.

Rash

iTrader: (1)

Yeah I know, but nobody thinks of a Lexus. they made the stormer because more than 50% of Dubai owns Range Rovers lol :P