cwh
SuperDork
6/10/10 1:29 p.m.
I've seen a couple of ads from Lexus showing a new coupe that looks all swoopy and sleek, with the speedo showing beyond 170mph. No model name/ number given, just a champagne glass breaking. Is this a real car, or just advertising fluff? It does look good.
http://www.lexus.com/LFA/
This. The Lexus LFA.
It does look good, sounds like an F1 car, revs so fast you can't use a mechanical tach, goes like stink...but you paid $390,000 for a Toyota.
Possibly the only new "supercar" that stirs my loins. WANT.
cwh
SuperDork
6/10/10 1:52 p.m.
The engine specs look incredible.
Okay, it's cool, but if you had the choice between that and a Ferrari of equivalent performance that costs less, which would you choose?
I'd choose the Lexus. New Ferraris don't stimulate me.
A Lambo or Lexus?
I would rather have the Lambo.
Actually I have always wanted a Ferrari 360 Challenge Stradale. And at 1/3 - 1/2 the cost of the Lexus. I only wish it would have came with a manual gearbox instead of the flappy-paddle.
Keith
SuperDork
6/10/10 2:39 p.m.
Well, you could spend some of your LFA savings converting it back to the stick.
Yeah, it might just take most of my savings! LOL. I guess that's why I have always like the Porsche GT3's...they have stuck with H patterns.
NYG95GA
SuperDork
6/10/10 2:50 p.m.
Looks just like that new Scion.
EvanB
Dork
6/10/10 3:17 p.m.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HJJZe_vXfHE
Top Gear's take
Matt B
Reader
6/10/10 3:31 p.m.
I find the brand elitism a bit tiring myself. A rose by any other name . . . And honestly I trust Japanese engineering just as much, if not more than the European stuff. (bring on the Toyota jokes, lol) Also, although I love Top Gear and find it an entertaining show, they are the worst kind of brand snobs. The episode on the NSX sticks out in my mind. Here we had Hammond (again) going on about how incredible the car was, only to tell Honda to "step away from the NSX" because they apparently shouldn't be allowed to build cars like that. If we had a rolls-eyes emoticon available on this board I'd use it here. End rant.
That said, the LF-A is an amazing piece of techno-wizardry, but a performance bargain it ain't. The price is so stratospheric that it reminds me of those Victoria's Secret diamond-studded bras (that nobody actually buys) - a good showpiece and marketing exercise, but not much else. Cool car nonetheless.
Call me impressed when they bring the FT-86 to market in a potent-enough and affordable form.
My understanding is your $400k doesn't even buy you the car - it buys you a 3 year lease.
ReverendDexter wrote:
My understanding is your $400k doesn't even buy you the car - it buys you a 3 year lease.
Wait, what? Maybe to prevent the car from being "reverse engineered"?
But that aside, because I don't and will likely never have a car that expensive, the Lexus wins HANDS DOWN for me.
The sound of the engine is absolutely intoxicating. At that point, all the cars in that class are blindingly insane, so you pick off emotion.
Matt B
Reader
6/10/10 4:31 p.m.
So . . . how much for a fender? ouch.
Courtesy of JG's Germany Track Shoot - Facebook style (hope you don't mind! feel free to delete)
Keith
SuperDork
6/10/10 4:32 p.m.
You get the car, but Toyota hangs on to the title for three years to stymie the speculators. Sorta like Ferrari only selling certain cars to special customers.
In the stratosphere class, I'll take a 911 GT3 RS in screaming orange thanks. Because I like a car with a factory-fit roll cage.
Keith wrote:
In the stratosphere class, I'll take a 911 GT3 RS in screaming orange thanks. Because I like a car with a factory-fit roll cage.
Oh, Oh, I want mine in white with red wheels!
Matt B wrote:
I find the brand elitism a bit tiring myself. A rose by any other name . . . And honestly I trust Japanese engineering just as much, if not more than the European stuff. (bring on the Toyota jokes, lol) Also, although I love Top Gear and find it an entertaining show, they are the worst kind of brand snobs. The episode on the NSX sticks out in my mind. Here we had Hammond (again) going on about how incredible the car was, only to tell Honda to "step away from the NSX" because they apparently shouldn't be allowed to build cars like that. If we had a rolls-eyes emoticon available on this board I'd use it here. End rant.
That said, the LF-A is an amazing piece of techno-wizardry, but a performance bargain it ain't. The price is so stratospheric that it reminds me of those Victoria's Secret diamond-studded bras (that nobody actually buys) - a good showpiece and marketing exercise, but not much else. Cool car nonetheless.
Call me impressed when they bring the FT-86 to market in a potent-enough and affordable form.
But Japanese cars rarely have that special something that I would look for in an automobile esp. at that price. And Lexus is the worst about that. They are as exciting as dry white bread. It is probably just a bit of techno-wizardy which can probably just drive itself around the track.
the sound of the engine alone is well worth the entry price. I would MUCH rather have the LFA than the F430. The Lexus is much more exclusive than the Ferrari (never thought I would say that.)
Matt B
Reader
6/10/10 5:07 p.m.
96DXCivic wrote:
But Japanese cars rarely have that special something that I would look for in an automobile esp. at that price.
Well, everybody's got different tastes, so fair enough. Spend your money on what makes you happy. I still find it dubious that the Japanese "just can't do it" at any price, or that the Europeans are the only ones who can get it right. Besides all that European "character" sure does seem to increase the rate of repairs.
96DXCivic wrote:
And Lexus is the worst about that. They are as exciting as dry white bread.
Agreed, for the most part. I still wouldn't kick an IS300 out of bed.
96DXCivic wrote:
It is probably just a bit of techno-wizardy which can probably just drive itself around the track.
No, that would be the Nissan GTR
I'd buy about anything else. I think the car is ugly and too expensive. It score a techno A+, but It is largely unlovable.
I think it's gorgeous, and i don't care if i thought it was ugly... that engine note is beyond amazing.