jpvarghese

iTrader: (1)

The car looks incredible in that color and combination. I wonder if owners of standard cars have the option of getting NUR parts for their car without spending the additional $75k. From what I can see, the package only benefits those near the ring.

07grIS350

I think you're right-on. the cost of a one year membership at the Ring has got to be a major part of the $75K .

MR_F1

He just doesn't get it.
***Sigh*** I really feel like I'm beating my head against a wall talking to you. I wonder if you are there sitting with your hands over you ears (or eyes) screaming "lalalllalalala can't hear you".

Every really great car that goes down in history has some "story" behind it. It's part of the mystique of these cars. Let me make this clear. I Love the LFA. I understand why and how it as built, it's engineering, it's achievements, and even if I don't like it's price nor it's low availability, I totally get why they are the way they are. It is the first car that I have wanted as bad as a RUF RT-12. It just resonates with me. I got over the fact that it doesn't weight 2800lbs and doesn't do 0-60 in under 3 seconds, and never will. Don't care.

That being said, you don't get to call a car by a "special" name just because. It is why legions of Ferrari fans don't consider the 599 GTO a real GTO. Why? Because GTO means "Gran Turismo Omologato". A GT homolgation special. built for racing. Which the 599 never was. The McLaren F1 has 9 Formula 1 Constructor Championships standing behind it's name. The Enzo? The company founder. The Carrera GT was a car built for competition that was brought to the street instead, and it's ring time by the way is 7:28 (which would be much faster IMO if you could find a driver capable of handling it)... The Carrera however, doesn't have a Walter Rohl edition nor a Nordschliefe package, so I'm not too sure how it wandered into your argument.

I'm glad you brought up the EB110. It's one of my fav supercars ever. Love it more than the Veyron and would probably in the top 5 in my all time favourite supercar garage. It's the EB110 because it was designed to commemorate the company founder Etore Bugatti and brought to market on what would have been his 110th birthday. It's an awesome car, quad turbo, awd high revving V12, swing up doors and 550 hp... all 20 years ago. Guess what though. Who knows about it? Enthusiasts perhaps. Even the average car guy would have never heard of this car. It has gone down in and has been forgotten between the pages of history, and if not for the Veyron, probably would have been even more obscure.

This is exactly what could potentially happen to the LFA, more so the "Nurburgring Edition" if the connection is not concreted. It's pointless to name a car after a track, just because it took class honors in a 24hr race there. And that is pretty much how everyone else will see it.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Knock off the personal commentary. Keep your discussion on the vehicles and off of your opinion of the people posting in the thread.

If you see a problematic post, report it using the link to the left hand side of your screen and let the moderator team review it. DO NOT reply to it and excacerbate the issue.

Guys, the moderator team is not going to keep PMing members and posting requests to have them constantly ignored. Fair warning we're firing up the infractions next time this occurs and removing LFA forum access to folks who keep causing problems.

05RollaXRS

I posted a video of Porsche Carrera GT running it's official 7:29 lap. Enzo was 7:27.

TF109B

I can post opinions if I like, there's no reason for you to say I'm wrong when you've yet to prove it. You can talk till your blue in the face, but lap times for cars costing 400K is probably one of the least important things to a buyer. If they're racers they'll get race cars, or take a stripped down version of some street car you can get for 50K and take it to the track. This isn't about that. The LFA is more than just some track car. It's an exotic. I donno why you think that they NEED a lap time to prove anything. What do they have to prove? Hey WE can set this lap time! But, can you? Sure it shows the capabilities of the car, but weve seen from other tracks what the LFA can do. All along I've been saying this is a PACKAGE, more or less. You get to go to the Nurburgring and drive there for a year. Plus get driving instructions on it! I donno how what I was saying is wrong. Just because YOU differ in opinion doesn't mean I'm wrong. Did you follow the 24Hour Nurburgring race? There's cars that were way faster, does that mean the LFA isn't worth it because some Audi R8's and M3's and 911's set the ultimate times? What's stopping them from saying our car won N24 with this lap time? Point is those are race cars. While the LFA was in 'race trim'. If you follow what I'm saying, they proved themselves with an underpowered car on slicks with a cage and fire equipment. Maybe you didn't know they won their class in the N24 last year, but I followed it and watched when I could. Matter of fact, there were future owners participating in it. The guy from Costa Rica? He owns one, and was the driver for one of the N24 cars. There were future owners from Germany in the Pit Box with the team. Why does Lexus have to prove anything to you or me? Were not in the position to buy one. It's Halo effect isn't going to be "we set the fastest production time on the Nurburgring, too bad you can't buy one". In their commercials you see the LFA make cameo appearances. It doesn't sit there and boast lap times around a track that people who buy Lexus cars probably have no concern with. That's what the LFA is supposed to do right? Be a HALO CAR? So to the average Lexus buyer, they see a cool LFA that's a supercar. Why would it matter if they didn't throw out "nurburgring lap time"? When do people take their Lexus to the Nurburgring? What is a Nurburgring? To Lexus targeted demographic, I'm pretty sure their concerned about other things besides 'lap times'.

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

TF109B, your posts are still coming across as angry / antagonistic. You've said your piece in the reply above and expressed the same in many others in the thread. I'm going to ask you to exit this thread now please.

Other folks - back to the topic of the vehicle and keep this discussion polite and mature please.

Joe Z

iTrader: (10)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KzwnxXARVn0

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JwyTQamDd9I

BNR34

iTrader: (1)

I feel that one reason Toyota don't post the ring time of the LFA is because the design intent of the LFA is ultimate driving pleasure/sensation. It is not designed for ultimate speed or lap times.

Toyota is not going to, or never will post offical ring time.

On the other hand, the Nissan GTR is designed for absolute speed/lap times, that's why Nissan post ring time like crazy.

They call it the Nürburgring Edition is probably just because they spend a tons of time there testing the LFA, and Nürburgring is trendy now a days. Could be simple as that.

Naruse was just an employee, Toyota is not gonna name the car after him. But then Lambo had a Balboni edition

jpvarghese

iTrader: (1)

BNR good point!

MR_F1

Good point indeed, however my specific jab is at this nurburgring version. Canards, front splitters and fixed rear wings are for going around circuits faster, not for adding to driving pleasure per say.

05RollaXRS

Then again, it goes back to Lexus LFA being a "halo" car.

A "halo" car is what 99% of the people cannot afford. However, it is a demonstration of what the brand is capable of manufacturing and engineering (in some cases, passion and obsession) while money being no object. It is not intended to showcase just to the 1% of the people buying it. It is more for the 99% people who cannot buy it, but are the one's who could potentially buy a cheaper car by the brand.

Therefore, the 99% of the people who cannot afford the Lexus LFA (or any other similar supercar) will always have LFA in their long term memory by its traits, character and above all, it's capabilities.

Once those facts and figures are down on paper, they are recorded forever and it spreads like wild fire.

It is all fine and dandy that Lexus wants to give the owners a great driving experience, but it has nothing to do with it being branded as a "halo" car. When you have facts to back up the claims, you have a halo car that will always be remembered due to its achievements and accomplishments in its era.

In a few years, given the stats and figures of Lexus LFA, will it stay in people's long term memory when people talk about the great supercars of the era?? Given the lack of recognition of its prowess due to lack of proof what it truly is capable of, I doubt it will. It may very well be forgotten in the next couple of years. As a matter of fact, I am sadly suspecting Nissan GTR will far more be included in conversations in the next few years than Lexus LFA will be. Why?? Because the 99% of the people who never drove the LFA, always will remember only the car that cooked up a storm because it had all the facts and figures to back it up and that is what in the long term stays.

p.s. I am sure everyone knows I am one of the biggest fanbois of LFA, but no matter how much I deny it, it is just how things go when it comes to halo cars.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

very close to what i think about it. and that's why i said the lfa won't have any long term or significant effect on the brand (image). but if they have cars like isf and gsf and scf, now that's a different story. and i think that's where lfa comes in, it's the pioneer in leading all the techs, and allow lexus to trigger it down to other models. it's like paving the road

07grIS350

I'd like to think that Lexus is saving it marketing ammunition in order to prolong the LFA effect for the brand. I think sometime before the production run ends, we will see the official performance stats. There is currently a lot of excitement about the car already, why spend more effort promoting it while there are only around 40 production units out there.
The other aspect is that perhaps they don't want to be seen as using the stats to push the sales like what Nissan did for the GT-R or some other supercars.
What I am most curious now is how the LFA is doing in Japan, especially in the exotic buying community, until the US's allocation is gone, Japan has the most cars sold.

jpvarghese

iTrader: (1)

07grIS350, you have a solid point. Nissan's aggressive campaign led to accusations for falsifying ring times to transmission woes that resulted in a C.A. lawsuit. Lexus has been quietly waiting on the sidelines and letting the people develop the hype; positive and negative, through their current efforts. Fortunately, there has been nothing but positivity from the press as far as subjective tests go. Give it some time and once those with the purchasing power get to experience it-from events and other owners-, all the negativity will turn around -my hope-. By the time that happens, allocations will run dry and I believe the car will experience post-mortem desirability even without having the official 'numbers' from the company.