On the Road With the 2011 Lexus LFA
#16
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![](http://www.sportscarcup.com/cars/pagani-zonda-f.jpg)
forget about v8/v10/v12 or how fast it is. Lexus had to make LFA look very special. It had to look like something like this in order to charge that much of money.
LFA looks like it should compete against GTR spec V.
#17
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I can't get over the price. All I ever hear about is the price. this is just like hyundai putting $120k price tag on Equus to shock the world. even if hyundai makes better MB/7 in Equus people will not get over the ridiculous price. How could they?
and for $375k, i expect something more than 'amazing piece or art'
is this outrageous like lambo?
sexy like ferrari?
does it have the 'gotta have it factor'?
does it look like a zonda/koenigsegg like a car from outter space?
what justifies $375k? attention to details? Lexus quality? give me a break.
and for $375k, i expect something more than 'amazing piece or art'
is this outrageous like lambo?
sexy like ferrari?
does it have the 'gotta have it factor'?
does it look like a zonda/koenigsegg like a car from outter space?
what justifies $375k? attention to details? Lexus quality? give me a break.
![Sad](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/sad.gif)
You then post a picture of a Zonda F which shows some basic newb knowledge. It also shows again, you don't care to read about anything. My apologies to the Zonda F, this is a car I absolutely adore and in no way or shape or form am I taking anything away from it.
1. The Zonda F is based on a car that started to be sold in 2000.
2. The Zonda F costs around $750,000, TWICE the PRICE of the LFA.
3. 25 were made
4. The car is not compatible with US federal laws. You can't buy one here.
5. Unofficially it is slower than the LFA around the ring.
You say the car doesn't look special. bitkahuna just posted he has seen it in person and it is special. However lets ignore someone who has seen the car for someone who doesn't like it in the first place and has seen it only on the computer. Yeah thats the ticket.
We have the same people spitting on the LFA in every LFA thread. It is OBVIOUS to me who didn't even care to to READ this article from EVO MAGAZINE, as hardcore of a mag as you will get.
They love it and if you READ it price was NOT an issue for them.
However lets see who is next to not read and then mouth off.
#18
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I know a few exotic owners, and talking with them, logic and reason has very little to do with buying an exotic.
This is just like saying "a $100,000 home theater system is a total waste of money and I have no interest in it". To most normal people that is the logical and reasonable thing to say, but fact is neither you, nor I, nor frankly 99.9% of people out there are even near the target market.
This might be a shocking revelation to you and others, but guess what, there are people that buy 100K home theater systems. Systems in this price range sell. Fact of the matter is, people will also buy the LFA; Lexus will end up selling every one of the 500 cars, whether you, or I, or anyone else likes it or agrees with it, or understands the reasoning of it.
Just because a 100K home theater system is incredibly expensive, I personally would not call it a waste of money. At that price range, you are buying not *just* a home theater system, you are paying for art, and the world's best craftsmanship. You are paying for more than just a commodity or a product; you are paying for something special and unique. To some, that is priceless.
I genuinely want to know, are you simply baiting people into an argument here
![Uhh...](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/1387914497.gif)
I can't get over the price. All I ever hear about is the price. this is just like hyundai putting $120k price tag on Equus to shock the world. even if hyundai makes better MB/7 in Equus people will not get over the ridiculous price. How could they?
and for $375k, i expect something more than 'amazing piece or art'
is this outrageous like lambo?
sexy like ferrari?
does it have the 'gotta have it factor'?
does it look like a zonda/koenigsegg like a car from outter space?
what justifies $375k? attention to details? Lexus quality? give me a break.
and for $375k, i expect something more than 'amazing piece or art'
is this outrageous like lambo?
sexy like ferrari?
does it have the 'gotta have it factor'?
does it look like a zonda/koenigsegg like a car from outter space?
what justifies $375k? attention to details? Lexus quality? give me a break.
![Roll Eyes (Sarcastic)](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/rolleyes.gif)
#19
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Why be so concerned about it? I don't think you're in the target market to buy an LFA, so I don't think you can even imagine what kinds of buyers buy this, or the reasoning for buying an exotic car
.
I know a few exotic owners, and talking with them, logic and reason has very little to do with buying an exotic.
This is just like saying "a $100,000 home theater system is a total waste of money and I have no interest in it". To most normal people that is the logical and reasonable thing to say, but fact is neither you, nor I, nor frankly 99.9% of people out there are even near the target market.
This might be a shocking revelation to you and others, but guess what, there are people that buy 100K home theater systems. Systems in this price range sell. Fact of the matter is, people will also buy the LFA; Lexus will end up selling every one of the 500 cars, whether you, or I, or anyone else likes it or agrees with it, or understands the reasoning of it.
Just because a 100K home theater system is incredibly expensive, I personally would not call it a waste of money. At that price range, you are buying not *just* a home theater system, you are paying for art, and the world's best craftsmanship. You are paying for more than just a commodity or a product; you are paying for something special and unique. To some, that is priceless.
:.
![Wink](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif)
I know a few exotic owners, and talking with them, logic and reason has very little to do with buying an exotic.
This is just like saying "a $100,000 home theater system is a total waste of money and I have no interest in it". To most normal people that is the logical and reasonable thing to say, but fact is neither you, nor I, nor frankly 99.9% of people out there are even near the target market.
This might be a shocking revelation to you and others, but guess what, there are people that buy 100K home theater systems. Systems in this price range sell. Fact of the matter is, people will also buy the LFA; Lexus will end up selling every one of the 500 cars, whether you, or I, or anyone else likes it or agrees with it, or understands the reasoning of it.
Just because a 100K home theater system is incredibly expensive, I personally would not call it a waste of money. At that price range, you are buying not *just* a home theater system, you are paying for art, and the world's best craftsmanship. You are paying for more than just a commodity or a product; you are paying for something special and unique. To some, that is priceless.
:.
Maybe I'm wrong but that's my feeling.
Again,I also feel Toyota will never be say a BMW type to most people.
Lexus/Toyota should concentate on active suspensions. For one thing, the Japanese are good at electronics and in order for Lexus to maintain that smooth ride and handle better, active suspension is the only way to go.
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#20
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At this rate is is OBVIOUS you have not taken any time to read about the car. Surely if it was badged a Hyundai, you would be telling us how this is the greatest car of all time. No sense even trying to inform you why the car costs so much. ![Sad](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/sad.gif)
Since I am getting tired of the general ignorance spout out by members it is time to take the gloves off.
You then post a picture of a Zonda F which shows some basic newb knowledge. It also shows again, you don't care to read about anything. My apologies to the Zonda F, this is a car I absolutely adore and in no way or shape or form am I taking anything away from it.
1. The Zonda F is based on a car that started to be sold in 2000.
2. The Zonda F costs around $750,000, TWICE the PRICE of the LFA.
3. 25 were made
4. The car is not compatible with US federal laws. You can't buy one here.
5. Unofficially it is slower than the LFA around the ring.
You say the car doesn't look special. bitkahuna just posted he has seen it in person and it is special. However lets ignore someone who has seen the car for someone who doesn't like it in the first place and has seen it only on the computer. Yeah thats the ticket.
![Sad](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/sad.gif)
Since I am getting tired of the general ignorance spout out by members it is time to take the gloves off.
You then post a picture of a Zonda F which shows some basic newb knowledge. It also shows again, you don't care to read about anything. My apologies to the Zonda F, this is a car I absolutely adore and in no way or shape or form am I taking anything away from it.
1. The Zonda F is based on a car that started to be sold in 2000.
2. The Zonda F costs around $750,000, TWICE the PRICE of the LFA.
3. 25 were made
4. The car is not compatible with US federal laws. You can't buy one here.
5. Unofficially it is slower than the LFA around the ring.
You say the car doesn't look special. bitkahuna just posted he has seen it in person and it is special. However lets ignore someone who has seen the car for someone who doesn't like it in the first place and has seen it only on the computer. Yeah thats the ticket.
I brought up Zonda because it is twice more expensive than LFA. if Lexus wants to charge $375k, it should look like a zonda and charge 1/2 the price. that was my Hyundai logic. Equus should cost 50% less than S class.
and please...
i don't care how great hyundai makes a new flagship, it will never justify $120k price tag. at the end of the day it's a HYUNDAI. no matter how great the car it shouldn't cost more than S/7/LS/A8.
same logic applies to Lexus because even though how great Lexus is, it's not ferrari, lambo, porsche, and etc.
![](http://gargles.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/2-2007-lamborghini-murcielago-lp640.jpg)
that kinda outrageousness justifies $375k price tag.
again, I enjoyed reading your experiences with the car. Sure looks like a hell of a ride.
but so is every other supercar. but LFA doesn't deliver in 'LOOKS' department IMO. it looks good enough to be $150k. it's better than GTR. however, it sure doesn't look outrageous/crazy/out of this world enough to be $375k.
$375k Lexus better be top 5 fastest car on the planet. because 'amazing piece of art' 'great craftmanship' 'great sound' doesn't justify the price tag.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/producti...st-170000.html
-everybody was stunned when they first heard the rumored price of $170k.
#23
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I brought up Zonda because it is twice more expensive than LFA. if Lexus wants to charge $375k, it should look like a zonda and charge 1/2 the price. that was my Hyundai logic. Equus should cost 50% less than S class.
and please...
i don't care how great hyundai makes a new flagship, it will never justify $120k price tag. at the end of the day it's a HYUNDAI. no matter how great the car it shouldn't cost more than S/7/LS/A8.
same logic applies to Lexus because even though how great Lexus is, it's not ferrari, lambo, porsche, and etc.
![](http://gargles.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/2-2007-lamborghini-murcielago-lp640.jpg)
that kinda outrageousness justifies $375k price tag.
again, I enjoyed reading your experiences with the car. Sure looks like a hell of a ride.
but so is every other supercar. but LFA doesn't deliver in 'LOOKS' department IMO. it looks good enough to be $150k. it's better than GTR. however, it sure doesn't look outrageous/crazy/out of this world enough to be $375k.
$375k Lexus better be top 5 fastest car on the planet. because 'amazing piece of art' 'great craftmanship' 'great sound' doesn't justify the price tag.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/producti...st-170000.html
-everybody was stunned when they first heard the rumored price of $170k.
and please...
i don't care how great hyundai makes a new flagship, it will never justify $120k price tag. at the end of the day it's a HYUNDAI. no matter how great the car it shouldn't cost more than S/7/LS/A8.
same logic applies to Lexus because even though how great Lexus is, it's not ferrari, lambo, porsche, and etc.
![](http://gargles.net/wp-content/uploads/2006/07/2-2007-lamborghini-murcielago-lp640.jpg)
that kinda outrageousness justifies $375k price tag.
again, I enjoyed reading your experiences with the car. Sure looks like a hell of a ride.
but so is every other supercar. but LFA doesn't deliver in 'LOOKS' department IMO. it looks good enough to be $150k. it's better than GTR. however, it sure doesn't look outrageous/crazy/out of this world enough to be $375k.
$375k Lexus better be top 5 fastest car on the planet. because 'amazing piece of art' 'great craftmanship' 'great sound' doesn't justify the price tag.
http://www.leftlanenews.com/producti...st-170000.html
-everybody was stunned when they first heard the rumored price of $170k.
The pic above of the Lambo Reventon is basically a nice bodykit for 1 milliion dollars. 20 were made. It is not logical or rational yet for over 1 million dollars people lined up to buy them. You see its not about sense. No Reventon will see the track. They are bespoke, custom and beyond fantastic. The car costs 4 times more than a Murchialgo but is no faster.
Yet you rationalize that makes sense but the LFA does not?
GT3-911 based, which shared parts with a Cayman/Boxster....not even close
Gallardo-V-10 is shared with the R10, S6, S8 and its not carbon fiber.
F430-V-8, not based in carbon fiber
Ford GT-no longer made, not based in carbon fiber
Again I am astounded people want the LFA "Dumbed down" so it allows their brains to function so it "makes sense".
This realm DOESN'T MAKE SENSE to most. Logic is thrown out the window. This is about a companies passion to produce the BEST it can.
And we want to sling poo on that.
![Frown](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif)
With that said how about take 10 minutes and read what Chris Harris wrote on the LFA. I'll even help and bold some points they made.
On the Road With the 2011 Lexus LFA
Not What You've Been Expecting
By Chris Harris, Contributor | Published Feb 17, 2010
It's mid-January and Britain is going through one of those winter thaws where the whole island seems covered in grime. The 2011 Lexus LFA has just emerged from the workshop where technicians have spent the past hour pretending to do things to its giblets and crazy multiform surfaces. And now, whiter than the Stig's iPod, the LFA sits bang outside the showroom doors. You wonder if its angelic cleanliness is the result of some new scum-repelling lacquer developed purely for the Lexus supercar.
We have four hours with this car. That would be four hours in a $375,000, 552-horsepower car developed almost exclusively at the Nürburgring. Four hours in a car that is claimed to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 3.7 seconds and that will apparently touch 202 mph. Four hours in a car that is intended to sprinkle magic dust on the Lexus brand.
But unlike anyone else in the world, we're going to spend four hours in the 2011 Lexus LFA on the roads of the real world, not just a racetrack. Our mission is to deliver one of the world's most expensive production cars to a Lexus showroom in the exclusive London district of Mayfair, so we have four hours to wend as epic a path through rural Bedfordshire as is possible.
The Starting Ritual
We set a course for some cracking technical roads not far from the Lexus technical center in Milton Keynes. Some young hoon in a drift-homage Nissan 240SX nearly swallows his tongue when he spies the Lexus, pointing and jabbering as flecks of spittle shower the inside of the Nissan's side window.
We were impressed ourselves as soon as we experienced the theatrical moment of rousing the 2011 Lexus LFA from its sleep. You enter the cabin by pushing down on a recessed flap on the door, and after the latch surrenders with a recognizable Lexus-style ker-thonk, the featherweight door glides toward you. Tumble down into the cozy chair, use the typically silent Lexus electric motors to perfect the seating position and then manually adjust the steering wheel. Before you plunge the key into the ignition barrel, admire its solid billet of titanium shrouded in carbon-fiber.
One turn of the key seems to ignite the instrument binnacle, as the Thin Film Transfer (TFT) display lights up. The tachometer pulses with dramatic reds and whites, and the redline is all the way up at 9,000 rpm. With your right thumb, you push the ignition button on the steering wheel and the starter motor spins with that distinctive high-pitched shriek that tells you there are lots of pistons on the move. Then all 10 cylinders catch with a demure brrrraaaap from the triple exhausts, and finally the 4,805cc V10 settles into a composed, judder-free idle.
We'll tell you, this thing feels indescribably special at idle. We just didn't expect the exquisite amalgam of tailor-made supercar detail and mass-produced Lexus quality and refinement.
We're Rolling
In order to save weight, the 2011 Lexus LFA disdains the usual dual-clutch automated manual for a racing-style single-clutch automated manual. First gear selects seamlessly, but then the transmission shudders through the 1st-to-2nd change.
The rear tires swiftly spool up and transform a delicate drift into a ditch-tempter of a slide.
The throttle response borders on the immediate, which takes some getting used to, and the Lexus technician riding in the passenger seat must think us an incompetent fool as the car stammers the first few yards. The only engine as free-revving and responsive as this that we've ever experienced has been the Porsche Carrera GT's 612-hp 5.7-liter V10. The resemblance is uncanny, from the heavy, lash-free action of the throttle pedal to the rabid way the engine accumulates revs. Even the noise is there — higher-pitched than the V10s from Audi, BMW and Lamborghini, more shriek than warble.
The LFA's ride is busy but not jarring, and the refinement is pretty good given that the subframes that locate the suspension are hung from a stiff carbon-fiber tub that is bound to transmit vibration. These wide, specially made Bridgestone tires — 265/35ZR20s in front, 305/30ZR20s in the rear — grumble on anything less than virgin asphalt, plus there's some suspension noise as well, but overall the 2011 Lexus LFA feels about as relaxed on the pavement as a Ferrari 599 GTB, which makes it entirely happy as we trundle away.
This isn't a car in which the mere flex of a right toe has you surging past lesser traffic. The pedal works in a great arcing motion and this offers the driver more control over the energy released to the rear differential. So you squeeze the throttle a little farther each time on this damp surface, feel the tires claw at the tarmac and then push deeper into the footwell, hoping to trigger the traction control and, at the very least, understand where the electronics think the limit exists under such conditions.
One Hour Gone
As we drive through some corners, we try to take the measure of a chassis with a weight distribution of 48 percent front/52 percent rear that has been developed diligently in endless laps at the Nürburgring Nordschleife (and even several races in the Nürburgring 24 Hours). And of course we're doing so in a damp, gravel-covered, 2nd-gear bend in Bedfordshire. It's the usual squalid road test of an exquisite automobile, like choosing Yate's Wine Bar for your girl to model a Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress. Ah, well, a supercar by Lexus has to work everywhere, right?
Matters quickly turn lively when you disable the stability control. When you turn the steering wheel, the car responds. The steering ratio is fast but just the right side of frantically fast, so you don't have to nibble away at the steering wheel to find an apex. But the transition from steering to throttle as you accelerate out of the corner needs to be finely judged. Push a little too hard and the rear tires swiftly spool up and transform a delicate drift into a ditch-tempter of a slide.
Gradually you get a better feeling for the delicacy of the controls and acclimate to the subtle messages that stream through the chassis. The car's 102.6-inch wheelbase actually feels short and brings with it all the expected benefits in terms of agility, so even though the 2011 Lexus LFA is very wide, it doesn't feel too big for everyday use. The steering never really comes alive at these speeds, though.
Two Hours Gone
Not since Mr. Gordon Murray went native with his design of the McLaren F1's interior detailing (well, he was a racing car designer, after all) has there been a more interesting cabin in a road car than this one. It is a mesmerizing collage of designs and materials that still displays fanatical attention to detail.
The titanium shift paddles offer slightly different levels of effort (the upshift is marginally lighter) and the indicator stalks are little slithers of metal that operate with the type of precision that has you tweaking them purely for recreation. The center console rises up high to your right, with the screen for the navigation system buried within it, and the joystick interface control is placed perfectly by your right hand. Flawlessly made carbon-fiber trim pushes up against exotic metals, while the hand-stitched leather is supple and expensive. As a place to enjoy, be comfortable and operate a machine, this might be our favorite supercar cabin of them all. Never thought we'd hear ourselves say that.
You certainly wouldn't hear yourself say such a thing in the LFA at high speed, because this car makes some noise. LFA chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi is pretty obsessed with the car's musical attributes, and he's made it a very vocal sports car. Induction and exhaust noises are ducted into the cabin and the result is an ever-changing melee of mechanical sounds. At first you grin at the idea of a Lexus with such an obstreperous personality, but after three hours these sounds become an irritating drone, at least if you're cruising down the M1 to London. You can only alleviate the annoyance with a punch of throttle, which is no great hardship.
When you do this, the LFA gets moving. Some 552 hp might not sound like much these days, but this car weighs just 3,263 pounds. The combination translates into some ferocious performance once the V10 is fully lit, which is at anything above 3,000 rpm. Once the tachometer reaches 4,000 rpm, the engine is pulling very hard. When you get to 7,500 rpm, the noise from the engine, road and wind is intimidating and you think it's time for another gear but there's still 2,000 rpm to go before the fuel cutout cries foul. The last 2,000 rpm is completely explosive, and as the tachometer needle bears down on the 9,000 rpm redline, the LFA's V10 is at once dignified and deranged.
Three and a Half Hours Gone
We've got about 30 minutes in north London traffic to go, and we're following the directions from the navigation system while soaking up tunes from the Mark Levinson hi-fi. What a strange, fascinating car this is.
We've deliberately avoided any talk of the 2011 Lexus LFA's list price of $375,000 until now, because having spent the day (well, four hours) in this car, the price doesn't strike us as especially relevant. That'll sound absurd to many of you, but this car isn't a normal retail proposition, not even in the abnormal reality of Planet Supercar. Just 500 will be made, some 150 of which will go to the United States and only 70 of which are destined for Europe (18 of them to the U.K.). Perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay this Lexus is to say that it doesn't feel like a bad value.
There are faster supercars and more dramatic-looking supercars than the 2011 Lexus LFA, and all of them have a more appealing badge than this one. But we're nevertheless ever-so-slightly smitten by the LFA. The execution is very good — especially that monster V10 — and the details are stunning. Chances are, most people will never see one, and you shouldn't underestimate the power of this.
Most of all, we adore the incongruous mix of refined Lexus values and harsh supercar tech. It's like Marmite and strawberries, only it works. They were a good four hours.
Not What You've Been Expecting
By Chris Harris, Contributor | Published Feb 17, 2010
It's mid-January and Britain is going through one of those winter thaws where the whole island seems covered in grime. The 2011 Lexus LFA has just emerged from the workshop where technicians have spent the past hour pretending to do things to its giblets and crazy multiform surfaces. And now, whiter than the Stig's iPod, the LFA sits bang outside the showroom doors. You wonder if its angelic cleanliness is the result of some new scum-repelling lacquer developed purely for the Lexus supercar.
We have four hours with this car. That would be four hours in a $375,000, 552-horsepower car developed almost exclusively at the Nürburgring. Four hours in a car that is claimed to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 3.7 seconds and that will apparently touch 202 mph. Four hours in a car that is intended to sprinkle magic dust on the Lexus brand.
But unlike anyone else in the world, we're going to spend four hours in the 2011 Lexus LFA on the roads of the real world, not just a racetrack. Our mission is to deliver one of the world's most expensive production cars to a Lexus showroom in the exclusive London district of Mayfair, so we have four hours to wend as epic a path through rural Bedfordshire as is possible.
The Starting Ritual
We set a course for some cracking technical roads not far from the Lexus technical center in Milton Keynes. Some young hoon in a drift-homage Nissan 240SX nearly swallows his tongue when he spies the Lexus, pointing and jabbering as flecks of spittle shower the inside of the Nissan's side window.
We were impressed ourselves as soon as we experienced the theatrical moment of rousing the 2011 Lexus LFA from its sleep. You enter the cabin by pushing down on a recessed flap on the door, and after the latch surrenders with a recognizable Lexus-style ker-thonk, the featherweight door glides toward you. Tumble down into the cozy chair, use the typically silent Lexus electric motors to perfect the seating position and then manually adjust the steering wheel. Before you plunge the key into the ignition barrel, admire its solid billet of titanium shrouded in carbon-fiber.
One turn of the key seems to ignite the instrument binnacle, as the Thin Film Transfer (TFT) display lights up. The tachometer pulses with dramatic reds and whites, and the redline is all the way up at 9,000 rpm. With your right thumb, you push the ignition button on the steering wheel and the starter motor spins with that distinctive high-pitched shriek that tells you there are lots of pistons on the move. Then all 10 cylinders catch with a demure brrrraaaap from the triple exhausts, and finally the 4,805cc V10 settles into a composed, judder-free idle.
We'll tell you, this thing feels indescribably special at idle. We just didn't expect the exquisite amalgam of tailor-made supercar detail and mass-produced Lexus quality and refinement.
We're Rolling
In order to save weight, the 2011 Lexus LFA disdains the usual dual-clutch automated manual for a racing-style single-clutch automated manual. First gear selects seamlessly, but then the transmission shudders through the 1st-to-2nd change.
The rear tires swiftly spool up and transform a delicate drift into a ditch-tempter of a slide.
The throttle response borders on the immediate, which takes some getting used to, and the Lexus technician riding in the passenger seat must think us an incompetent fool as the car stammers the first few yards. The only engine as free-revving and responsive as this that we've ever experienced has been the Porsche Carrera GT's 612-hp 5.7-liter V10. The resemblance is uncanny, from the heavy, lash-free action of the throttle pedal to the rabid way the engine accumulates revs. Even the noise is there — higher-pitched than the V10s from Audi, BMW and Lamborghini, more shriek than warble.
The LFA's ride is busy but not jarring, and the refinement is pretty good given that the subframes that locate the suspension are hung from a stiff carbon-fiber tub that is bound to transmit vibration. These wide, specially made Bridgestone tires — 265/35ZR20s in front, 305/30ZR20s in the rear — grumble on anything less than virgin asphalt, plus there's some suspension noise as well, but overall the 2011 Lexus LFA feels about as relaxed on the pavement as a Ferrari 599 GTB, which makes it entirely happy as we trundle away.
This isn't a car in which the mere flex of a right toe has you surging past lesser traffic. The pedal works in a great arcing motion and this offers the driver more control over the energy released to the rear differential. So you squeeze the throttle a little farther each time on this damp surface, feel the tires claw at the tarmac and then push deeper into the footwell, hoping to trigger the traction control and, at the very least, understand where the electronics think the limit exists under such conditions.
One Hour Gone
As we drive through some corners, we try to take the measure of a chassis with a weight distribution of 48 percent front/52 percent rear that has been developed diligently in endless laps at the Nürburgring Nordschleife (and even several races in the Nürburgring 24 Hours). And of course we're doing so in a damp, gravel-covered, 2nd-gear bend in Bedfordshire. It's the usual squalid road test of an exquisite automobile, like choosing Yate's Wine Bar for your girl to model a Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress. Ah, well, a supercar by Lexus has to work everywhere, right?
Matters quickly turn lively when you disable the stability control. When you turn the steering wheel, the car responds. The steering ratio is fast but just the right side of frantically fast, so you don't have to nibble away at the steering wheel to find an apex. But the transition from steering to throttle as you accelerate out of the corner needs to be finely judged. Push a little too hard and the rear tires swiftly spool up and transform a delicate drift into a ditch-tempter of a slide.
Gradually you get a better feeling for the delicacy of the controls and acclimate to the subtle messages that stream through the chassis. The car's 102.6-inch wheelbase actually feels short and brings with it all the expected benefits in terms of agility, so even though the 2011 Lexus LFA is very wide, it doesn't feel too big for everyday use. The steering never really comes alive at these speeds, though.
Two Hours Gone
Not since Mr. Gordon Murray went native with his design of the McLaren F1's interior detailing (well, he was a racing car designer, after all) has there been a more interesting cabin in a road car than this one. It is a mesmerizing collage of designs and materials that still displays fanatical attention to detail.
The titanium shift paddles offer slightly different levels of effort (the upshift is marginally lighter) and the indicator stalks are little slithers of metal that operate with the type of precision that has you tweaking them purely for recreation. The center console rises up high to your right, with the screen for the navigation system buried within it, and the joystick interface control is placed perfectly by your right hand. Flawlessly made carbon-fiber trim pushes up against exotic metals, while the hand-stitched leather is supple and expensive. As a place to enjoy, be comfortable and operate a machine, this might be our favorite supercar cabin of them all. Never thought we'd hear ourselves say that.
You certainly wouldn't hear yourself say such a thing in the LFA at high speed, because this car makes some noise. LFA chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi is pretty obsessed with the car's musical attributes, and he's made it a very vocal sports car. Induction and exhaust noises are ducted into the cabin and the result is an ever-changing melee of mechanical sounds. At first you grin at the idea of a Lexus with such an obstreperous personality, but after three hours these sounds become an irritating drone, at least if you're cruising down the M1 to London. You can only alleviate the annoyance with a punch of throttle, which is no great hardship.
When you do this, the LFA gets moving. Some 552 hp might not sound like much these days, but this car weighs just 3,263 pounds. The combination translates into some ferocious performance once the V10 is fully lit, which is at anything above 3,000 rpm. Once the tachometer reaches 4,000 rpm, the engine is pulling very hard. When you get to 7,500 rpm, the noise from the engine, road and wind is intimidating and you think it's time for another gear but there's still 2,000 rpm to go before the fuel cutout cries foul. The last 2,000 rpm is completely explosive, and as the tachometer needle bears down on the 9,000 rpm redline, the LFA's V10 is at once dignified and deranged.
Three and a Half Hours Gone
We've got about 30 minutes in north London traffic to go, and we're following the directions from the navigation system while soaking up tunes from the Mark Levinson hi-fi. What a strange, fascinating car this is.
We've deliberately avoided any talk of the 2011 Lexus LFA's list price of $375,000 until now, because having spent the day (well, four hours) in this car, the price doesn't strike us as especially relevant. That'll sound absurd to many of you, but this car isn't a normal retail proposition, not even in the abnormal reality of Planet Supercar. Just 500 will be made, some 150 of which will go to the United States and only 70 of which are destined for Europe (18 of them to the U.K.). Perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay this Lexus is to say that it doesn't feel like a bad value.
There are faster supercars and more dramatic-looking supercars than the 2011 Lexus LFA, and all of them have a more appealing badge than this one. But we're nevertheless ever-so-slightly smitten by the LFA. The execution is very good — especially that monster V10 — and the details are stunning. Chances are, most people will never see one, and you shouldn't underestimate the power of this.
Most of all, we adore the incongruous mix of refined Lexus values and harsh supercar tech. It's like Marmite and strawberries, only it works. They were a good four hours.
![](http://image3.examiner.com/images/blog/EXID572/slideshows/SS-Lexus_LFA_2011_profilegarage.jpg)
Last edited by LexFather; 02-17-10 at 10:35 AM.
#24
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Why be so concerned about it? I don't think you're in the target market to buy an LFA, so I don't think you can even imagine what kinds of buyers buy this, or the reasoning for buying an exotic car
.
I know a few exotic owners, and talking with them, logic and reason has very little to do with buying an exotic.
This is just like saying "a $100,000 home theater system is a total waste of money and I have no interest in it". To most normal people that is the logical and reasonable thing to say, but fact is neither you, nor I, nor frankly 99.9% of people out there are even near the target market.
![Wink](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/wink.gif)
I know a few exotic owners, and talking with them, logic and reason has very little to do with buying an exotic.
This is just like saying "a $100,000 home theater system is a total waste of money and I have no interest in it". To most normal people that is the logical and reasonable thing to say, but fact is neither you, nor I, nor frankly 99.9% of people out there are even near the target market.
![Big Grin](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/biggrin.gif)
However, when it comes to TVs..., I don't skimp.
![Thumb Up](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/thumbsup.gif)
You can't persuade someone who has already made up their mind and to keep explaining it to them. If they want it, they want it. If they don't, they don't
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#25
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K,I'm not going to play post tag on the subject but the car is ugly to me,not necessary and developed in a period when Toyota quality went down the tubes.
A Lexus was a vehicle that was all about class and refinement.A smooth comfortable ride with no quality issues.Can you honestly say that Lexus vehicle made 5-6 years ago aren't better vehicles?
Toyota/Lexus got involved with too many projects and today's issues is what you have because of that.
Besides,like most other people,if I were to spend $375K on a exotic,it would be a Porsche,Ferrari,Lambo etc not a Lexus.
A Lexus was a vehicle that was all about class and refinement.A smooth comfortable ride with no quality issues.Can you honestly say that Lexus vehicle made 5-6 years ago aren't better vehicles?
Toyota/Lexus got involved with too many projects and today's issues is what you have because of that.
Besides,like most other people,if I were to spend $375K on a exotic,it would be a Porsche,Ferrari,Lambo etc not a Lexus.
I just feel that Toyota's quality issues in the past say 8-10 years are because they had too much interest and spending in other projects.
Maybe I'm wrong but that's my feeling.
Again,I also feel Toyota will never be say a BMW type to most people.
Lexus/Toyota should concentate on active suspensions. For one thing, the Japanese are good at electronics and in order for Lexus to maintain that smooth ride and handle better, active suspension is the only way to go.![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
Maybe I'm wrong but that's my feeling.
Again,I also feel Toyota will never be say a BMW type to most people.
Lexus/Toyota should concentate on active suspensions. For one thing, the Japanese are good at electronics and in order for Lexus to maintain that smooth ride and handle better, active suspension is the only way to go.
![Smilie](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/smile.gif)
The original LS 400 was about the pursuit of perfection. Toyota spent 6 years, and over 1 Billion dollars back in the 1980s to create the car. There were NO time OR budget limitations on the original LS 400 project, just like the LFA project.
Toyota simply gave the development team the goal of building the best luxury car they possibly could at that time, with no regard for time limits or budgets.
The LS 400 also did not use any existing Toyota platforms or parts. Just about everything on the LS was new and unique to Toyota.
The LFA is extremely similar to the original LS. The LFA team was given no time limits and no budget limits. They were told by Toyota to create the best supercar they could possibly build.
With the original LS, Toyota had no real experience building a premium luxury full-size sedan.
Same thing with the LFA project; Toyota had no experience building a supercar. Like the original LS, just about everything on the LFA is new and unique to Toyota.
What the LFA stands for in other words is the pursuit of perfection and quality at all costs.
When some of the amazing technology, craftsmanship, and quality of the LFA is applied and filtered down to future Lexus models, you can thank Toyota then for making the LFA in the first place.
When the suspension technology and know-how of the LFA is applied to future Lexus models, you can thank Toyota then.
#26
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Wow, so first you post a car costing TWICE the price of the LFA. Now you post one costing almost FOUR times the price.
The pic above of the Lambo Reventon is basically a nice bodykit for 1 milliion dollars. 20 were made. It is not logical or rational yet for over 1 million dollars people lined up to buy them. You see its not about sense. No Reventon will see the track. They are bespoke, custom and beyond fantastic. The car costs 4 times more than a Murchialgo but is no faster.
Yet you rationalize that makes sense but the LFA does not?
The pic above of the Lambo Reventon is basically a nice bodykit for 1 milliion dollars. 20 were made. It is not logical or rational yet for over 1 million dollars people lined up to buy them. You see its not about sense. No Reventon will see the track. They are bespoke, custom and beyond fantastic. The car costs 4 times more than a Murchialgo but is no faster.
Yet you rationalize that makes sense but the LFA does not?
I intended to put picture of Murcielago. that's LP640.
Last edited by joe80; 02-17-10 at 10:34 AM.
#27
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0-62 mph
Lexus----------in 3.7
Porsche TT----in 3.2
hp
Lexus-----552hp
Porsche---500hp
torque
lexus----354lb-ft @6800
porsche---516lb-ft @6000
drive
lexus-----rear wheel
Porsche--awd
engine
lexus-----v-10
porsche--f-6
looks
lexus----9
porsche--7
Lexus $375,000
Porsche $140,000
but the craziest thing is that it's even more expensive in UK. €350,000! you can get 2 ferraris for 350k!
Lexus----------in 3.7
Porsche TT----in 3.2
hp
Lexus-----552hp
Porsche---500hp
torque
lexus----354lb-ft @6800
porsche---516lb-ft @6000
drive
lexus-----rear wheel
Porsche--awd
engine
lexus-----v-10
porsche--f-6
looks
lexus----9
porsche--7
Lexus $375,000
Porsche $140,000
but the craziest thing is that it's even more expensive in UK. €350,000! you can get 2 ferraris for 350k!
#28
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Wow, so first you post a car costing TWICE the price of the LFA. Now you post one costing almost FOUR times the price.
The pic above of the Lambo Reventon is basically a nice bodykit for 1 milliion dollars. 20 were made. It is not logical or rational yet for over 1 million dollars people lined up to buy them. You see its not about sense. No Reventon will see the track. They are bespoke, custom and beyond fantastic. The car costs 4 times more than a Murchialgo but is no faster.
Yet you rationalize that makes sense but the LFA does not?
Which goes back to you not reading on the LFA or even reading our posts. It originally started as an aluminum bodies car (would have been cheaper but heavier) but Lexus decided to make it Carbon Fiber and produce it in house (extremely rare, most CF is outsourced). Now lets see here (no disrespect intended to the other cars I admire them all)
GT3-911 based, which shared parts with a Cayman/Boxster....not even close
Gallardo-V-10 is shared with the R10, S6, S8 and its not carbon fiber.
F430-V-8, not based in carbon fiber
Ford GT-no longer made, not based in carbon fiber
Again I am astounded people want the LFA "Dumbed down" so it allows their brains to function so it "makes sense".
This realm DOESN'T MAKE SENSE to most. Logic is thrown out the window. This is about a companies passion to produce the BEST it can.
And we want to sling poo on that.![Frown](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif)
With that said how about take 10 minutes and read what Chris Harris wrote on the LFA. I'll even help and bold some points they made.
![](http://www.lincah.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2011-Lexus-LFA-Front-Angle-View-588x391.jpg)
The pic above of the Lambo Reventon is basically a nice bodykit for 1 milliion dollars. 20 were made. It is not logical or rational yet for over 1 million dollars people lined up to buy them. You see its not about sense. No Reventon will see the track. They are bespoke, custom and beyond fantastic. The car costs 4 times more than a Murchialgo but is no faster.
Yet you rationalize that makes sense but the LFA does not?
Which goes back to you not reading on the LFA or even reading our posts. It originally started as an aluminum bodies car (would have been cheaper but heavier) but Lexus decided to make it Carbon Fiber and produce it in house (extremely rare, most CF is outsourced). Now lets see here (no disrespect intended to the other cars I admire them all)
GT3-911 based, which shared parts with a Cayman/Boxster....not even close
Gallardo-V-10 is shared with the R10, S6, S8 and its not carbon fiber.
F430-V-8, not based in carbon fiber
Ford GT-no longer made, not based in carbon fiber
Again I am astounded people want the LFA "Dumbed down" so it allows their brains to function so it "makes sense".
This realm DOESN'T MAKE SENSE to most. Logic is thrown out the window. This is about a companies passion to produce the BEST it can.
And we want to sling poo on that.
![Frown](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/frown.gif)
With that said how about take 10 minutes and read what Chris Harris wrote on the LFA. I'll even help and bold some points they made.
![](http://www.lincah.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/10/2011-Lexus-LFA-Front-Angle-View-588x391.jpg)
http://www.rsportscars.com/lamborghi...cielago-lp640/
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Lambo Lp640 £210,000 - £240,000 in U.K
#29
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0-62 mph
Lexus----------in 3.7
Porsche TT----in 3.2
hp
Lexus-----552hp
Porsche---500hp
torque
lexus----354lb-ft @6800
porsche---516lb-ft @6000
drive
lexus-----rear wheel
Porsche--awd
engine
lexus-----v-10
porsche--f-6
looks
lexus----9
porsche--7
Lexus $375,000
Porsche $140,000
but the craziest thing is that it's even more expensive in UK. €350,000! you can get 2 ferraris for 350k!
Lexus----------in 3.7
Porsche TT----in 3.2
hp
Lexus-----552hp
Porsche---500hp
torque
lexus----354lb-ft @6800
porsche---516lb-ft @6000
drive
lexus-----rear wheel
Porsche--awd
engine
lexus-----v-10
porsche--f-6
looks
lexus----9
porsche--7
Lexus $375,000
Porsche $140,000
but the craziest thing is that it's even more expensive in UK. €350,000! you can get 2 ferraris for 350k!
The 911 turbo has always been fast. It is nowhere near as exotic or involving as a LFA.
If you want to race in a straight line and save money why not post up stats and pics of Supras, EVOs, Mustang Cobras, Vipers, ZR-1s, M6s, swapped out Civics, 240s, GT-Rs, etc
![Egads!](https://www.clublexus.com/forums/images/smilies/pat.gif)
Don't stop at the 911 turbo.
#30
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Again, i don't care how technologically advanced LFA is it sure doesn't look like it can compete with Lambo and Ferrari's of the world. and yes, i've read all about it with my mind saying "WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k? WTF? $375k?"
It's a better more exotic version of GTR to me. would've been a great $150k car.
It's a better more exotic version of GTR to me. would've been a great $150k car.