The Lexus LFA is a two-seat sports car made by Lexus, the premium automotive division of Toyota (Japanese: LFA, Rekusasu LFA). It is the first solo Lexus F model and the second model in Lexus’ F marque line of high-performance cars, following the IS F. At the North American International Auto Show, three concept versions were shown, each bearing the LF-A moniker as a member of the LF Series concept series. The initial LF-A concept debuted in 2005 following the start of development in the early 2000s (under the codename TXS), and a second idea with a more fully furnished interior and exterior debuted in 2007. In 2008, the LF-third A’s iteration with a roadster body style made its debut. In October 2009, the Tokyo Motor Show hosted the unveiling of the production model, designated LFA[3] by trademark. [4] The “Apex” of the LF line of vehicles is represented by the “A” in the production LFA nomenclature, according to Lexus. [5]
The LFA was an opportunity for Akio Toyoda, CEO of parent firm Toyota Motor Corporation (TMC), to establish a global icon for the Lexus brand and represent Toyoda’s philosophy that the ideal Lexus should connect with its owner.
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The Lexus LFA’s production model has a body constructed of carbon fiber-reinforced polymer and a 412 kW (560 PS; 553 horsepower) V10 engine created in partnership with Yamaha specifically for the vehicle (CFRP). 65 percent of the mass of the LFA’s body is made up of CFRP components. [7] The LFA began manufacturing in the latter part of 2010. [8] [9] One of the most costly Japanese road vehicles ever produced made its dbut in 2012[10] as a circuit-tuned variation. [11] 500 vehicles were built through December 2012, with a Nrburgring Package model serving as the last vehicle. [12]
Alain Uyttenhoven, head of Lexus Europe, said there wouldn’t be a new LFA replacement anytime soon in February 2016.
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After selling three LFAs in 2019, Lexus still had four LFAs available as of 2020[update]. Despite the fact that the LFA’s production ceased in 2012, two were nevertheless sold in March 2020 and another in September 2020. [14] [15] [16]
In This Article...
The Lexus LFA’s owner?
A car’s journey via its various owners can be fascinating. Check out this Lexus LFA for an extreme example of what can occur. None other than reality television diva Paris Hilton was the supercar’s first owner. The supercar is currently for sale in Cleveland, Ohio, which is quite a ways from where it was formerly located in Los Angeles. The price on the table is $495,900.
The odometer on Hilton’s LFA barely reads 3,930 miles, suggesting that she didn’t drive it very often (6,325 kilometers). It has a pearl white body. Blue and white leather are mixed inside, with carbon fiber accents. The automobile appears spotless.
Gallery: Paris Hilton Lexus LFA For Sale
Hilton’s acquisition of the LFA has an amusing backstory. For the celebrity’s 30th birthday, her partner, according to a 2011 Daily Mail article, purchased a yellow supercar. Soon later, she and the guy split up. However, it appears that Hilton enjoyed the vehicle because she traded it in for this white one. Watch the video below from 2013 for an illustration of how long she kept the LFA. Hilton had traded in the Lexus for a McLaren 650S Spider by 2014.
The LFA was produced by Lexus in 500 units between 2010 and 2012. Except for the 50 instances of the Nrburgring Package with an additional 10 horsepower, the supercar had a 4.8-liter V10 producing 553 horsepower (412 kilowatts) (7.4 kW). The engine easily accelerated to 9,000 rpm, where it reached its redline. The car’s monocoque chassis was made of carbon fiber, and some of the body was as well.
How uncommon is a Lexus LFA?
The LFA could very well be the best car to ever carry the Lexus name. The Japanese manufacturer aimed to create a vehicle that could go head-to-head with the best that Europe has to offer. The car’s development started in the early 2000s, and by the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, it was finished. The LFA was all of that and more, with a stunning body created by Kengo Matsumoto and a racing-derived engine constructed with Yamaha’s assistance.
Sadly, it would take some time for the rest of the globe to catch on, by which time the vehicle’s manufacture, which lasted from 2010 to 2012, had stopped. Only 190 of the 500 automobiles produced at the time were exported to the US.
What number of LFA remain?
According to the listing, the owner of the dealership, Arlington Lexus in Palatine, Illinois, bought the vehicle after it was delivered to the business. However, according to the listing, it has only 72 miles on the odometer and has spent the most of the last nine years on display in the dealership’s showroom. The LFA’s final sale price of $808,000 reflects a profit of $433,000 over its initial sticker price of $375,000 plus any initial dealer discount. Sometimes it makes sense to keep a brand-new car for almost ten years.
Many dealerships kept their LFAs as showcase items to draw customers into their showrooms. Five brand-new, unregistered LFA vehicles were still available as of January 2020, even though production on the model finished in December 2012 and the final vehicle arrived in the United States in February 2013.
The carbon-fiber-bodied LFA was intended to be a halo vehicle for Lexus, elevating the company’s reputation while leveraging some of parent Toyota’s Formula One expertise.
A 5.2-liter V-10 with a 9,000-rpm redline and 552 horsepower and 334 lb-ft of torque powers the vehicle. An automatic manual transmission with six speeds and a single clutch is attached to the high-revving engine.
Despite that magnificent V-10, many people have trouble grasping the concept of a Lexus supercar. In comparison to the rest of the Lexus series, the $375,000 base price appeared absurd. That could help to explain why even the modest 500-unit production run was difficult for Lexus to sell.
According to the listing, this vehicle is one of just five Pearl Yellow versions made for the American market. Though sources disagree on the precise number, less than 200 automobiles were imported into the United States.
Even more than other recent LFA sales, the sale price was high. A brown LFA was posted for sale at a dealership in January with an asking price of $680,000, while a silver LFA sold for $720,000 at an auction earlier this year.
The LFA failed, why?
Last but not least, the price tag of this supercar was the main factor in its failure. The LFA debuted in 2011 with a windscreen sticker that read $400,000 on the market. It cost almost twice as much as a Ferrari 599, the same model.
Can I purchase an LFA?
With a reported price of $680,000, the dealership Hyper Voitures is selling a 2012 Lexus LFA in an unusual hue.
Only 178 of the 500 supercars produced by Lexus were exported to the US. Even among that exclusive group, this car stands out thanks to its Pearl Brown Metallic paint job and orange leather interior.
The original price for the LFA was an astounding $375,000 when it was brand-new, so this lightly-used model with 1,073 miles on the odometer offers a sizable markup.
Any LFA is unquestionably uncommon and collectible, but as of January 2020, five brand-new, unregistered LFAs are still available. Some dealerships kept their LFAs as showcase vehicles to increase showroom traffic because the vehicle did not sell quickly when it was first introduced. The last LFA arrived in the United States in February 2013 after LFA production came to a stop in December 2012.
The LFA was designed to represent Lexus as a brand and bring some of Toyota’s Formula One expertise to the road. It has a 4.8-liter V-10 engine with a 9,000-rpm redline and 552 horsepower and 334 pound-feet of torque. Although the LFA’s carbon fiber exterior and powertrain still appear to be cutting-edge, the vehicle’s outdated 6-speed single-clutch automated manual transmission is a dead giveaway.
The LFA was never followed up by Lexus. The more opulent LC is currently the brand’s flagship model, having been produced in the same Japanese plant as the Toyota Mirai fuel-cell car. Still a possibility is a hotter LC F performance variant, but this time with a twin-turbo V-8 rather than a roaring normally aspirated V-10.
Which car is the most uncommon?
The 25 Most Expensive Cars in the World
- Ferrari’s 250 GT California SWB Spider from 1961. Price or estimated value: $17.2 million.
- Koenigsegg CCXR Trevita from 2009.
- Lamborghini Veneno from 2013.
- Pagani Huayra BC from 2017.
- Oldsmobile F-88 from 1954.
- Ford GT40 from 1964.
- Icona Vulcano Titanium, 2016.
- Pagani Zonda Revolucion from 2013.
What Lexus LFA has the highest price tag?
The Lexus LFA is a very rare piece of automotive history with a production run of just 500 cars over two years. Through Bring a Trailer, one of them (chassis number 184 of 500) recently changed hands. With the current currency rate, $808,000 USD, or around $997,000 CAD, was the winning bid.
What was the price of the most recent LFA?
The sale of a 2012 Lexus LFA Nrburgring Edition for $1.6 million at an RM Sotheby’s auction in California that took place in conjunction with the most recent Monterey Car Week may be the clearest example of how expensive rare cars continue to become.
The final price far exceeded the range of estimates, which was between $900,000 and $1.1 million. It also exceeded the prices paid for many other valuable vehicles at the auction, such as an original Mercedes-Benz 300SL Gullwing ($1.352M), a contemporary Ford GT ($1.215M), and a Bugatti Veyron ($1.545M).
The LFA Nrburgring Edition is obviously not your average vehicle. Only 25 of the 64 Lexus models were made, and only one of them were transported to the United States. The vehicle was designed to improve the LFA’s performance even more by incorporating more aggressive aerodynamic features, such as a sizable front spoiler, dive planes, and a sizable fixed rear wing.
The 4.8-liter V-10 in the LFA was given a 10-hp boost to 562 hp, while Lexus claims that the 6-speed single-clutch automatic gearbox’s shift times were decreased by 0.15 seconds. This makes it possible for the conventional LFA to maintain its 3.7-second 0-62 mph pace and 202-mph top speed despite the added drag from the aero features.
The Nrburgring Edition also included model-specific wheels, tires, and suspension calibration. The modifications led to a 7:14.64 lap time at the car’s home circuit in 2011, placing the LFA among the top five production-car lap times at the time. But the vehicle also increased the LFA’s $375,000 base price for the 2012 model year by $70,000.
This specific LFA Nrburgring Edition, according to the listing, also includes the uncommon mix of a black exterior and a black inside.
Given that a conventional LFA recently sold for $808,000 on Bring a Trailer, the price paid for this vehicle may not come as much of a surprise. That vehicle only had 72 miles on it, as opposed to this LFA’s 930 miles.