05RollaXRS

The bigger question is, how come they say LFA was slower in 0-60 mph when LFA's spoiler starts deploying at 50 mph (80 km/h) and finishes deploying by 70 mph watch where the GTR is when the LFA spoiler starts deploying. It is already more than a car length behind.

1/2 car length at 60 mph means 0.2 - 0.3 seconds quicker. Does anyone else have an answer for this??

You can see from the picture below, LFA spoiler has just started deploying so that means it is over 50 mph, but still less than 70 mph so in the 65 mph range and already LFA has left the GTR more than a full car length behind. That means LFA was actually faster than the GTR in 0 - 60 mph on this run, yet they claim GTR was quicker?

I think they did that on purpose to stir the pot and generate a lot of viewership since controversy attracts attention. Most magazine say "we love giant killers" and this seems to be the case here.

gengar

I think the answer depends partially on the economy. The bad global economy has influenced everyone outside of the "super-ultra-rich", and honestly I think it's rather impressive that Lexus was able to meet sales goals (the controversy over "extra" US units vs. undersupply in Japan notwithstanding). If there is a significant recovery in the global economy by 2014 - something I personally doubt - the demand for both new and used supercars could go up.

I also think a big factor is the plethora of supercars coming out in the performance and price range of the LFA. Just in a 1-year period we have the 458, MP4-12C, and 911 GT2 RS. Enthusiasts and collectors can also go downmarket to the other two cars in Top Gear's Supercar of the Year comparo, the SLS and GT3 RS, and in that price range there are also tons of other recently-released vehicle options. By 2014, both the Murcielago replacement and the higher-performance 458 will be out and who knows what else will have popped up by then. The saturation of the market could affect demand even for supercar collectors with plenty of money to blow just because there is so much out there to buy. In this environment, I am simply unconvinced that supercars can ever be expected to appreciate.

Personally, I'll expect typical supercar depreciation, helped slightly by low production numbers.

07grIS350

While I don't have a written contract, my Lexus GM has said that the dealer would buy back the LFA at my cost at the end of the 2 years lease.

07grIS350

I guess you must take into account how long does it take to deploy the spoiler from start to finish. On a flat out acceleration run, 50-70mph does not take long. Another item is the GTR seemed to close the gap at the finish line, was that because of the drag created by the fully deployed spoiler?

05RollaXRS

So you plan on returning the LFA after the end of two year lease?



Yes, I mentioned it in my post. It finishes deploying at ~75 mph. The picture I took was when LFA started deploying its spoiler, which means LFA just passed 50 mph and still it is more than a full car length ahead already. That was my point.

I don't believe GTR was able to close the gap since MotorTrend said in the article "once LFA passes the GTR it keeps going and never looks back". Plus factor in LFA is travelling almost 5 mph faster at the time both cars hit the 1/4 mile.

Now the transmission shift could be the reason why GTR closes the gap, but I doubt it since if you watch the video of footage of LFA pulling away while rowing through gears, I see no pause whatsoever or "fall back" by the LFA during shifts. It is just linear pull away.

07grIS350

Not a chance. I will be waiting for it to appreciate like the 2000 or the Enzo, so that could take a while. In the mean time, I will enjoy the car as it was intended.



It could be the video illusion that made it looks close at the finish line. I have no doubt that the LFA would run away from the GTR at high speed. We need to find a video of the deploying spoiler and time it.

gengar

I think someone mentioned the LFA spoiler deployment takes 4 seconds, but I don't remember if that was from Lexus or just someone timing it off a video, and of course I don't know if it's exactly 4 seconds.

TF109B

Motortrends videos aren't a good basis. I doubt the video was taken during one run. It was probably a montage of footage they assembled together to make the quarter mile run more 'entertaining'. Anymore info on that Top Gear magazine comparison? The LFA was Stig's favorite, but did it win 'Supercar of the Year'?

05RollaXRS

I am pretty sure they wanted to 'sensationalize' the drag race to generate lots of attention. My whole point is, there is proof atleast in one run LFA was able to pass the GTR before even 50 mph and by around 80 mph or so, it was already more than 1 car length ahead. They never talk about it in their review as reflected in their 0 - 60 mph of 3.8 seconds vs 3.5 seconds. From what it seems, they took the best GTR 0 - 60 mph, but not the best 0 - 60 mph run of the LFA.

It might be around 4 seconds. However, pay close attention in the video of where the spoiler starts coming out. That is where I took the snapshot at. LFA just passes 50 mph where it begins to come out. If you look at where the GTR is at that very instance, you can clearly see LFA has already passed the GTR making LFA faster in a 0 - 60 mph run.

TF109B

I still don't think to 60 the LFA beat the GTR, the AWD and gearing for the GTR will let it keep up with 99% of cars out there to 60. Above that is another story. It to me looked like they were doing like i said and just giving the audience some type of entertainment. Either that or the LFA was somehow faster to 60 or 70 than the GTR, which I don't think happened. They claimed to have gotten 3.8 to 60 as their best run. Lots of magazines say the same thing. I believe that's accurate, but once the tires hook up it's gone.

LexusMan77

Has anyone else seen this new LFA commercial yet?

05RollaXRS

Since you were asking, I checked the bookstores over the weekend. The stand has the August edition of the TopGear magazine with the red Bugatti Veyron and James May on the front page. They say the September edition will arrive at the end of September ( a month behind).

So, as far as I know 1SickLex has only access to the magazine, but he is reluctant to scan the article and post so if I am your only hope, you will have to wait until the end of the month when I will buy it and scan the article.

TF109B

Maybe I can find out more about it on another forum. I'll check around the net see if I can find something about the Top Gear issue. I wonder, since it was the Stig's favorite, did it win their 'supercar of the year'?

JessePS

I hope your planing on bringing the LFA to Tremblant and driving on the
"Little Nurburgring". Who knows, you might **** off Lawrence Stroll and he will race you with one of his Ferrari's

05RollaXRS

Yeah, if you can find the article and share it, that would be great.

I am sure I will have the mag by the end of the month when it arrives here in Calgary.


That place is bada** with all the Ferrari models and real Ferrari instructors. I recently saw an Episode of "Battle of the supercars" at the home ground of Ferrari in "Mont Tremblant, Quebec". The track looked awesome especially with the F430 Scuderias, 599 GTB and 458 Italias. Funny thing was Paul Tracy lost so Tanner Foust relished the opportunity to humiliate Tracy on his homeground.

If Lawrence Stroll knows anything about the LFA, he would respect its prowess and not mess with it.