PsyFi

What is the price range for this car? I'm hearing different prices on different sites. One person says it will be under 200K...other much higher...

TRDFantasy

Yes a lot of silly numbers being thrown around. The most reliable estimates are saying roughly 175-225K. I know that is a fairly big range, but these are the most reliable numbers I've heard so far.

kpmg2007

I found this new pic.

maybe the final version of LF-A

probably will be called as lexus GT550

take a look

I think it's good-looking.

Trexus

Not likely to be called a GT550. The LF-A prototype doesn't have a 5.5 liter engine. It has a 4.8 liter V10 so most likely it would be a 480 but then again this is going to be an "F" model. So most likely it could be called GT F...which has a similar designation style as the IS F...

Nice looking picture too...

nabbun

noooooooo what happened to the older headlights T_T

GS69

Lexus LF-A Achieving Top Speeds of Over 218mph; Production Model to Look Very Different

The Lexus LF-A has been long considered a competitor to the company’s Japanese-rival - the Nissan GT-R. Well, if AutoExpress is to be believed, the LF-A will leave the Nissan GT-R in the dust in terms of speed and price.

Sources close to Lexus say that the engineers were not at all happy about the LF-A’s top speed of 199 mph. After some revisions, tuning and testing, the 550-hp 4.8L V10 engine is reportedly allowing the LF-A to achieve a top speed of over 218 mph. Yes, that’s faster than the Nissan GT-R, putting the LF-A in the Ferrari Enzo and Lamborghini Murcielago LP640 category.

Sources say that the actual production model will look very different from the prototypes seen at the Nurburgring. Basically we’re in for a surprise.

Production will be limited to 500 units with some units getting a sports package version with a wider bodykit similar to the one on the race version that raced in the 24-Hour Nurburgring. Pricing is expected to come in around £140,000 ($223,820 USD) to £190,000 ($303,756 USD). The production model will debut at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show in Oct.

JessePS

Just read that, sweet over 210 mph I am quite happy. Adios competition! For the engine I do hope its like 4.8L 550HP V10 and not the 5L or 5.5L

there is many more lotteries until October... let see hmm.... about 4 a week and Tokyo about 5 months away give or take.... some 80 lotteries to enter... hopefully i can win enough for the car and the insurance and some other things LOL

Plus wtv the size of the engine it should be called GT-F or is that to close to GT-R lol

I hope the drag co.eff is down to something like the LS hehe

TRDFantasy

TopSpeed rarely has accurate renders, so I don't think it will look like that.

I found the original story here:

http://www.autoexpress.co.uk/news/au...w_details.html

Looks like the rumours might be true about the Enzo being the car Lexus benchmarked in terms of performance. Over 218 mph top speed, over 550HP engine output.

Some tidbits from the Nurgburgring race; some strong rumours from the race weekend is that the production LF-A will have HP figures close to 600, not 500 as some have been claiming. This also matches strong rumours from the Japan that the production LF-A will have roughly 600HP. The other rumours from the Nurburgring race are in-fact that the LF-A will have a very high top speed.

Finally, very interesting lap time Auto Express has mentioned; that the LF-A in the 24 Hour race achieved a 7:13 lap time in the "simple" section of the track, otherwise known as the North Loop. For the record, a 7:13 time blows away the Viper ACR, and this LF-A was very close to production. I expect the production LF-A to achieve a 'Ring lap time of roughly 7:20, if not even faster.

The production car having a very different exterior also coincides with the word from Japan that we will be in for a surprise when Toyota reveals the car.

As I predicted all along, the GT-R was never the LF-A's competition. Performance-wise, the LF-A looks like it will leave the GT-R in the dust. The LF-A is simply in a higher class than the GT-R not only in terms of luxury and exclusivity, but also in performance. Same with the 997T, F430, and similar cars of the class.

I think all of the LF-A critics on CL will be surprised and unprepared for the production car. Toyota will not dissapoint with this. Just like Toyota is the only Japanese automaker to ever produce a V12 engine, Toyota will be the only Japanese automaker with a REAL supercar that can compete with the world's best, not a pseudo "super car" like the NSX was or like the GT-R is. Toyota will also be the only Japanese automaker with a production V10 engine.

JessePS

one thing if its going to be like a 4.8L 550-600 hp V10 that will just be insane. i can just hear ferrari, lamborghini and porsche running for their lives LOL

**** if it goes any faster if can be in McLAREN F1 territory

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

what do you mean by "most reliable numbers"? what source?

at 'most likely' twice the price, it shouldn't be!

this car is likely to cost WAY more than a 997 turbo. possibly deserved though.

not even sure what 'critics' you're referring to, seems everyone has been positive, except a design nit here and there. my issue isn't with the car, but the strategic value of putting 500 exotics on the market in this economy and given the relative weakness (especially blandness and lack of variations) of the rest of the line-up.

TRDFantasy

"Most reliable numbers" as in what some CL members here have heard from Japanese Lexus dealers. The general word from Japan is the car will cost 175-225K. Possibly might go as high as 250K. I can't imagine the LF-A costing 300K though, maybe for that rumoured "sport version" but not for the base car.

I give credit to the GT-R, it's amazing machine, but it is what it is. Obviously the GT-R is not LF-A competition given the price differences, but this is not just about performance. An LS600h costs over 100K, similar price range to the GT-R, but it is an entirely different machine with a different purpose than the GT-R.

What I mean in terms of "it is what it is" also relates to you get what you pay for. The GT-R does have amazing performance and cool technology, but not much else. It has a very stiff and uncomfortable ride, and combined with it's transmission the car is very annoying to drive at low speeds or in city traffic situations. It also has almost no luxury to speak of.

The LF-A will have more luxury than the GT-R, more performance, more technology, pretty much more of everything. Likely a more comfortable ride too.

The GT-R achieves much of it's performance through technological trickery that dances around and fights the laws of physics; the LF-A, like other similar supercars, achieves it's performance through simple physics. The physics in this case are a car with near-perfect weight distribution, and most of the weight close to the car's center. Due to the laws of physics, that naturally results in a very agile, balanced, and well-handling car. If the GT-R did not have it's super-complex AWD system, and was simply a RWD machine I'm quite sure it wouldn't perform as well as it does.

There was a recent thread here on CL where a few people really criticized the LF-A and Toyota for how long they are taking with the car, and also criticized the car's specs, which is silly given that specs have not been revealed. The latest rumours and inside info does suggest specs will be better than what many think. Even here in this thread, many continue to criticize the car's styling even though they are looking at prototypes with camouflage and fake body panels and the production car has not been revealed yet.

While it may not be a good idea in this market, the word from Japan is that quite a few people have already placed deposits to get first pick at the LF-A. Considering the LF-A will be in the very high end market, I don't think the economy is a big issue since the very high end market has not suffered as much as other markets.

Keep in mind the NSX also debuted during a time of uncertainty in the markets.

I continue to stand strongly by the opinion that the LF-A is a GOOD thing for Toyota and for the Lexus brand. It will do what the NSX did for Honda, and more. It will change the perception of the Toyota and Lexus brands in the eyes of a lot of people, particularly enthusiasts. It also gives Toyota technology and know-how to make sports cars and high performance machines at lower price points for more accessible markets.

As an example, just look at the huge amount of hype the LF-A has on the internet, all the huge Youtube hits of LF-A 'Ring videos. Most recently, at the Nurburgring race where Gazoo Racing actually had a dedicated press room for journalists and press people to be at with regards to LF-A news and updates. There was also a lot of interest in the crowd about the LF-A, and many of the other teams at the race were interested in the LF-A.

What the LF-A will do is infuse passion into Toyota and the Lexus brands. That passion will spread to other products and will lead to more sports offerings for both the Toyota and Lexus brands. Even in these market conditions, there seems to be pretty good demand for the IS-F. So the IS-F has been the spark, and the LF-A will be the flame . The LF-A will establish the Lexus F-brand as a very serious performance brand equivalent to M and AMG.

MR_F1

500 units. hmmm

I'm betting that it would be more likely 500 units for Japan, 500 Euro, 1000 USA. Maybe even per year instead of a one off production run.

TRDFantasy

Actually, I really do think this will be a limited production car, similar to what the McLaren F1, Enzo, and Carrera GT were.

We shall found out soon enough whether it is or it isn't.

GS69

Lexus LF-A Too Hot to Handle (click for video)

The Lexus LF-A hasn’t been out for long but the yet-to-be-released super-spectacular performance car’s already catching on. On fire. Literally. The poor baby was spotted at Nurburgring, parked on the side, smoke billowing all around.

No word on who was behind the wheel when the fire started but Toyota was supposed to have a group of Toyota big whigs (test drivers, dealers, executives) take the LF-A around Nurburgring. Toyota’s next-in-line CEO Akio Toyoda, the grandson of Toyota’s founder, was also set to take a lap or two around the infamous ‘ring.

TRDFantasy

That is a video of the #15 LF-A right before the end of the race. As you can see, there is a fire coming from either the radiators or the exhaust. There is no smoke from the engine bay, so this was NOT an engine fire.

Most likely the radiators overheated/failed, or possibly the exhaust may have burned something.