While the Lexus LFA Nrburgring Edition currently boasts the title of being the quickest full-production car to lap the storied German racetrack, with a timing of 7:14, this specifically engineered LFA falls in last place among street-legal cars, falling behind three other cars. With a time of 6:48, the Radical SR8 LM takes first place among street vehicles, followed by the Radical SR8 at 6:55, and the Gumpert Apollo Speed at 7:11.57. Although the Radical SR8 and SR8 LM are technically street legal, they are merely street legal race cars, thus it should be noted. Nevertheless, their breathtaking times should still be appreciated because no other firm has ever come close to matching them.
The Chrysler Group is now working to perfect the next-generation Dodge Viper, which should go on sale in the middle of 2012. When the 2013 Viper is released, we can be sure that it will have some high performance driving aids that should allow it to shave some time off of its previous best “Ring time” of 7:22.1 but will it be enough to beat the LFA Nrburgring Edition? The Viper has previously set all of its records without the driver aids used in cars like the LFA and the Corvette ZR-1. Only time will tell, but for now, the fastest production car is the one with the name of the illustrious racetrack.
In This Article...
How many Lexus LFA vehicles are still being driven?
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.
[6]
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.
[13]
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]
Can I still 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.
Who is a Lexus LFA owner?
Only 50 of the even more rare Lexus LFA Nrburgring models left the Motomachi production line, and Pasin Lathouras is the proud owner of one. When visiting the UK, Pasin, who is based in Thailand, drives the LFA on a regular basis. We spoke with him to learn more about what it’s like to drive and own this storied supercar.
The Lexus LFA’s demise: 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.
There are how many LFA in the US?
Despite the Lexus LFA’s seven-year hiatus from manufacturing, the luxury manufacturer still sold three brand-new copies of the supercar in 2019.
Even more astonishing, with two sold in 2018, that translates to a 50% rise in LFA sales year over year. Only 178 of the 500 LFAs that Lexus produced for sale in the United States.
On Friday, Lexus released its annual sales figures for 2019. The sale of three LFAs was obscured by the numbers. How? It’s simple to explain that.
The LFA had a startling $375,000 retail price when it was brand-new, and that’s assuming a dealership didn’t mark it up. Numerous LFAs went unsold for a variety of reasons, including the outrageous pricing and the fact that some dealers added absurd markups. The cars may then serve as showpieces to get customers into their showrooms, which may have benefited the dealers.
It’s simple to understand why people are interested in the LFA. Toyota’s Formula One program provided technologies that Lexus utilised to create a road vehicle. It is propelled by a 4.8-liter V-10 engine that produces 334 pound-feet of torque and 552 horsepower. The 9,000-rpm redline and Yamaha-tuned exhaust tone are what make this engine wonderful, not that portion. A vintage 6-speed single-clutch automatic manual transmission delivers power to the rear wheels. The car’s body was made of carbon fiber by Lexus, which is the key factor in the exorbitant asking price.
The number of LFA produced.
Because Lexus only produced 500 LFAs in total, with about 190 of those being manufactured in a US version, a significant factor in the LFA’s legendary and bespoke status was its limited production.
It really is the best illustration of what years of hard work and dedication can produce for Lexus. The fact that they are not made in quantities equivalent to those of other supercars, let alone your typical family saloon car, also demonstrates why the vehicle is so distinctive and totally customisable.
Why wasn’t the LFA purchased?
Lexus eventually released the LFA after a decade of development and thorough testing, but nobody bought it.
The Lexus LFA is not only an excellent sports vehicle, but it is also an engineering marvel and a stunning work of art. The LFA, the Millau Viaduct in France, and the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland would be among the top 10 structures ever created if engineering were to someday be considered an art form.
Creating the LFA wasn’t simple. Everyone is already familiar with the tale. Over the course of six years, Toyota engineered and designed the vehicle, and just as it was about to be completed, an engineer questioned whether carbon fiber would make for a better body. After undergoing a revision, it took another four years before the car was unveiled at the 2010 Frankfurt Motor Show in its final production form. Toyota famously lost money on each and every one of the 500 LFAs it made despite selling them for an eye-watering $375,000 each. Although the LFA was seen as a commercial failure, its popularity has grown over the past few years to the point where used cars now fetch double or even more than the MSRP.
Therefore, even if it is extremely improbable that the majority of car aficionados ever drive, let alone see, an LFA, we can still daydream about it and enjoy its heavenly engine sound online. The LexusLFA is the most underestimated supercar ever created for the following ten reasons.
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.
The Uniqueness
The LFA is more than just a typical supercar, despite the fact that it does so obviously. Both the exterior and interior appear to be completely custom-made. Since every single car was totally handcrafted in Japan by a small group of workers known as takumi, the attention to detail is astounding. There’s a slim possibility that you’ll see two LFAs, much less one, at a supercar meet as just 500 of these vehicles were produced.
The Engineering
In addition to having a small number of units produced, the LFA is a marvel of engineering. The first LF-A concept car was unveiled at NAIAS in 2005, but the car’s development actually started back in 2000.
A few years before manufacturing, the development came to an end after continuing continuously for some time. The LFA’s planned aluminum body would be excessively heavy, thus CFRP was chosen instead. It only weights 1480 kg as a result, and when combined with the 552 hp of the 4.8 L V10, you get a vehicle that can accelerate from 0 to 60 in 3.6 seconds and reach a top speed of 326 km/h (203 MPH). Yes, that does seem impressive, but not really. But how it delivers that power is what really stands out about it. Which brings up the next point.
The Sound
The LFA is arguably best known for its instantly recognizable, distinctive, and high-pitched sound. It’s frequently compared to an F1 car because of this. The engine’s relatively small displacement need higher engine revs in order to produce adequate power. As a result, the redline can reach 9000 rpm.
Will the LFA ever resurface?
According to one Japanese publication, one of Japan’s current supercar icons could make a comeback in 2025, but say goodbye to the roaring Yamaha V10 engine.