bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

tommy, ferrari and porsche too i think has done similar things of 'validating' buyers before leasing/selling to make sure the car isn't just bought for flipping/investment.

i think lexus has been very savvy about this. lexus will LOSE MONEY selling the car at the price they've set.

SH212

LOL!!!! feelin the love

TommyJames

There are two big differences. First both Ferrari and Porsche buyers for specific models were chattering about it on all the blogs, that they were definitely buying what ever model it was and in many cases you could find their replacement rides for sale somewhere. In the case of the LFA, on the other blogs there is none of the same chatter.

Second, both of those brands were already selling cars in the same category to existing exotic owners. They were not new to exotics and were not new to the brand.

I came to this forum to try and find US buyers who were definitely going to buy the LFA, and I wanted to get their opinion about how it compared to other exotics they have driven where I have some reference.

LexFather

I think at this point your best bet is calling your local Lexus dealer and finding out more of the car from them (if you have not done so). The LFA will have some more track days for buyers and for non-buyer enthusiasts in the near future. That way you can find out where you can go to see things for yourself and come to your own conclusions.

Out of curiosity are they talking about the McLarenMP4-12C? From what I could gather it is not like Lexus expected this car to set the world on fire. They are completely aware this is a giant leap for them and for Japanese brands. There is no surprise that a lot of people do not know about it. There is no mass public marketing/advertising for this car. Everything was very specific. A lot of people are still unaware of the Lexus IS-F. Lexus as we both know is synonymous with "luxury/quality/reliablity/technology/hybrids". Not "sport". That is why Lexus has put a lot of effort in driving events for the IS-F (and now LFA) so people can feel things first hand.

We can all debate about how we feel Lexus is selling the LFA. Looking at their track record, Lexus does the homework, does the research and is very cautious. The last "leap" was the first $100,000 Japanese car, the LS 600h L. People on the internet said the same thing, it won't sell, no one has heard of it, it isn't a V-12. Sales were 300% past expectations. There was a market for it.

There is no doubt the LFA can be a huge showcase for Lexus or a huge black eye on a mostly unscathed track record. We will see soon!

superchan7

This was an awesome read. Toyota has shown the world what they can do, just for the sake of engineering passion and not business profits.

STIG

There's a such thing as price/value ratio when you are buying an exotic?

STIG

And also I think you are looking at the wrong place if you are going to find a real buyer for the LFA. While many of the clublexus members and lexus owners are generally wealthy, most of us on this forums are like me, who are living in mom's basement and drive a 25 years old corolla with a Lexus badge with a VTEC sticker on the windshield.

To be honest, I think you should test drive the car or ride in it like 1Sick and then you can draw your own conclusion. May be you will be pleasantly surprised or may be it will be a big disappointment. Only you can decide.

STIG

Again, thanks for the write up 1sick. I actually have some free time to kill today, so I came back and read the whole thing. It was probably one of the best read ever on CL. I smiled like a little kid while I was reading. I can only imagine being there and experiencing it!

TommyJames

When I bought my first Lamborghini LP640 Roadster, it had only been out a short time. They built very few cars in 07. All of the reviews on the car were from the magazines and so I went out to talk to actual owners. I read the blogs, sent people notes and actually did some homework through the car community itself. When the SV came out, I was one of the first non-employees to see it in person and got to drive it a few months later and I could compare it to my LP640 having driven almost 10,000 miles on my Roadster at the time. In the case of the LFA, none of that same discussion exists. I can find posts from people who have had rides, and I can find articles and press from Lexus, but I can't find actual buyers in the US who have gone for a ride and plan to get ride of whatever other exotic they have or add it to the collection. You may be right, this may not be the right forum, but there isn't anything on any of the exotic forums where I'm better known either.

STIG

Well, Lexus isn't really known for making any exotics before LFA. Lamborghini has been making exotics since Day 1. That probably explains why. Give it some time Tommy. May be in 47 years, Lexus will probably have their exotic community that you can write note to.

On the other hand, perhaps you can talk to Steven Spielberg. If anyone is getting a Lexus exotic, he gotta to be the one.

TommyJames

That may not be too far from what they are doing. As with the Prius, they relied heavily on celebrities to be the opinion leaders for the car at its launch. I didn't expect to see a big LFA community here yet, but typically with new exotics there is some chatter somewhere that gives you an idea of the market, where it's going. It's a fairly good barometer of things to come. With this car the chatter is different. Lots of talk about it, but few expressing a commitment to the car itself.

The Lamborghini community is very critical of the brand. If you look at the LP560 SV thread on Lambo Power you can see for yourself. That type of chatter gives some idea of how the car will be received with other owners. I can't rely on the magazines and I never have. They are merely another data point. Same with the factory's marketing info. Exotic owners rely heavily on the opinions of other exotic owners because they are the ones who will live with the car every day.

Lexus made the claim that interest outpaced supply, and because of that, they got to pick the buyers. Okay, if that's true, then why aren't they talking anywhere? If there is buyer buzz, it's somewhere else and not here. Hopefully someone will post something who can compare and contrast with something else they own of similar value. Until then, I feel like I've defended my inquiry to death.

S2000toIS350

Hi Tommy,

I can appreciate your approach toward sorting out what the LFA really is.

The difficulty here is that there is not enough experience around to go very far.

As I have mentioned, the only two folks (on this board) who are actively trying to get one are Dave in Japan and myself.

I have not been much help as I do not have another exotic and have not spent any time in them.

The other folks in the market I met at Homestead did not seem like your peer group. One gentleman was about 60 and has owned 8 Lexi. The other gentleman seemed like later 40s, has a new LS and his wife has a new IS convertible. He did mention having a Z8 but I could not tell if that was current inventory. Neither person seems like they are on forums. One did not recognize the ISF as a current model if that gives you a better sense of things.

I get the sense most of the owners will be business owners who are comfortable with the brand, some of which already have top shelf toys as you do.

My recommendation would be to get on the interested person list (if they are still taking names). The Lexus contact I have is super helpful and I am sure some of your questions could be covered.

Going back to your point about outpaced demand and choosing customers. Lexus set up a buying system to frankly avoid flippers and to have the best chance of the few cars produced being seen on the street.

I found it to be brilliant as otherwise a folks like myself would have zero chance at an allocation. Now I am 2 weeks away from my allocation being a reality (based on info I received Friday).

TommyJames

Yea, how Ferrari got around flippers was through a first right to buy system, at least that's what a dealer did around here. This way if the market heated up they could buy it back. As for age, that's actually not too far off from reality with exotics. Most of the Gallardos are owned by people 40 and older, and with the Murcielago it's 50 and older. I believe the average age of a Ferrari owner is 57 or there abouts. Most work their way up to exotics and don't just jump in with both feet.

I may be just early in my inquiries and it will just take more time. I've yet to see the car in person and right now, I'm not sure it grabs be but honestly, I didn't think much of the Murcielago until I saw it in person, so I try and reserve final judgment until I have more data. Thanks for the comments. You've been very helpful.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Tommy, remember the car won't actually be available until end of the year, so what's there for potential buyers to talk about? not much! i would expect buyers to be pretty discrete.

and remember, they're only making 500, that's it, worldwide, and only 150 in the u.s. i believe. that means many states will NEVER get one (since places like NY, LV, FL, CA, TX will take most of them).

i don't think you'll see the kind of insight you're looking for until about this time next year.

TRDFantasy

I have some legitimate questions regarding your LFA curiosity TommyJames.

First off, why are you so focused on finding actual interested buyers in the US of the LFA? Why aren't you putting more effort into finding out about the car and the buyers from Lexus directly, and possibly going to one of the track events to try the LFA yourself?

The entire world does not post on the internet, or on blogs or forums. Just because you haven't heard that much internet chatter regarding interested buyers in the US for the LFA, doesn't mean these buyers don't exist.