Lexus Lambo?

I just want to play with the dashboard

I like the car alot, but I don't like the price tag at all. I did read in a magazine that the motor was designed by yamaha. I like that fact quite a bit. Seing as I kind of have a thing for high reving yamahas (see avatar).

I really like it, and would be ecstatic if I were in a position to choose between the LF-A and a Ferrari 599. I'm not sure what I would choose...probably the Lexus...smaller, lighter weight, even more exclusive, and such an awesome exhaust note. The engine response looks amazing...I'm sure if I got access to one I could easily waste days just revving it up and down and listening to it. The carbon fiber loom they use to build these things is a crazy machine. I haven't seen one in person, but I am under the impression that they are more 911/430-sized, and not as big as the modern Ferrari FR coupes.

A small side note...thanks to the GRM community for being savvy enough about classes and categories of vehicles to not repeat the same idiotic crap everywhere else on the internet and in the print media comparing it to the new Skyline GTR! People don't say, "why buy a Porsche Carrera GT when you can Germany's other high performance car, a BMW 3-series coupe with much of the same performance for a lot less money?" It would be idiotic to claim that a Z06 Carbon Edition is silly because people can just go out and buy another American sports car like the Mustang for a lot less money.

The LF-A is a spiritual successor to the 2000GT, an ultra-high-end, no-holds-barred Japanese attempt to shake up the supercar world order....and just like the 2000GT, it is an impressive technical showcase, it is unlike anything to come from Japan before, and it doesn't fare well when looking at the performance numbers and then comparing the price tag to offerings from Europe.

I am starting to think that I'm broken. Why?

The Exhaust note just doesn't do a thing for me.

Course, I don't like F1 either.

Amazing car, for someone else.

For that kind of money, think of what awful things could be done to an NSX.

ScottRA21 wrote: I am starting to think that I'm broken. Why? The Exhaust note just doesn't do a thing for me. Course, I don't like F1 either. Amazing car, for someone else.

I agree with this. Never been a fan of most Ferraris either, for that reason. Sports cars shouldn't sing soprano.

Keith wrote: 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.

Okay, so I buy the car, sell it, without title to another, and in three years, the new buyer gets the title when Lexota hands it to me. Seems simple enough, and I'm sure that a lawyer could draw up some paperwork making it possible. For a fee, of course.

TuffWork wrote: I like the car alot, but I don't like the price tag at all. I did read in a magazine that the motor was designed by yamaha. I like that fact quite a bit. Seing as I kind of have a thing for high reving yamahas (see avatar).

Historically, Toyota outsourced their high performance head design work to Yamaha. The 18RG head even had "Yamaha" cast into it. The 4AG head was said to be designed by Yamaha, I believe both 16 and 20 valve versions.

Toyota has had this car on the back burner for close to 15 years. There were pics in the magazines in the late 90's. I'm sure they changed the style a bit to bring it into the '10's, but still, it's been around a while.

ae86andkp61 wrote: I I haven't seen one in person, but I am under the impression that they are more 911/430-sized, and not as big as the modern Ferrari FR coupes.

I saw the one they had at SEMA this year up close.

It is big (at least as large as a 599 IIRC) I don't find it good looking, although like the GT-R it does have presence. It really is a stupid car, but I'm glad they make it as a techo showpiece. I prefer mechanical connectivity to whiz-bang techno tomfoolery.

I also prefer cars that I can at least dream of one day owning. I'd much rather have a house on the water.....with a dock, and a nice boat, and a Miata.

Yeah, instead of building that, which is ok, I'd rather they built a real replacement for the MR2 instead of the last Spider.

The engine note gives me a tingly feeling below the belt. I won't ever be able to afford one with out a winning powerball ticket. However, if one ever ends up at one of those exotic rental places it would be worth the money for a spin.

I'm curious what the stig could do for a lap time on dry pavement.

I like it but the price just kills it for me. I would rather spend it on a Porsche or a Ferrari. If they named it the Toyota Supra it would probably be cheaper. I bet if the GTR came in as an Infiniti it would probably be more expensive.

The F40 in my book was the first real supercar. It and the 959 duked it out for a couple of years. The techno glitz of the Lexus is cool but it looses something. The F40 is still the benchmark that all others are still measuring up to in my book.

Yeah, because people who buy six figure cars are bargain hunters...

People buy cars like this for exclusivity. The LFA certainly fits that bill.

I like when people who can and never will be able to afford a car in this price range want to debate pricing. Just one more exotic none of us will own.

dean1484 wrote: The F40 in my book was the first real supercar. It and the 959 duked it out for a couple of years. The techno glitz of the Lexus is cool but it looses something. The F40 is still the benchmark that all others are still measuring up to in my book.

I'll take a McLaren F1

It is about the only supercar that really does it for me. Well, maybe a Ferrari 288 GTO, but that's just because there was one hanging on my bedroom wall as a teenager.

Cone_Junky wrote: Yeah, because people who buy six figure cars are bargain hunters... People buy cars like this for exclusivity. The LFA certainly fits that bill. I like when people who can and never will be able to afford a car in this price range want to debate pricing. Just one more exotic none of us will own.

^This. Reading that only 500 will be made and only a fraction of that will even make it stateside AND Lexus/Toyota chooses who gets the car. This car is a statement, Lexus isn't just cushy, soft, quiet appliance cars without "soul" any more. The technology and materials, design and research and testing/tuning plus being built by hand and limited production, qualifies for supercar status in my book. And not only that, I wouldn't be going out on a limb to assume it will have Toyota reliability, which is something exotics and supercars aren't really known for.

When it comes to cars like this, the potential buyers aren't thinking "this one or a ferrari/lambo/porsche?" but more along the lines of "one of each."

dean1484 wrote: The F40 in my book was the first real supercar. It and the 959 duked it out for a couple of years. The techno glitz of the Lexus is cool but it looses something. The F40 is still the benchmark that all others are still measuring up to in my book.

I completely disargee with this statement. There was the Mercedes Benz 300SLR. 180mph in 1955. Nevermind the Muira, XKSS, GT40, etc.

xfactoraeg wrote: ^This. Reading that only 500 will be made and only a fraction of that will even make it stateside AND Lexus/Toyota chooses who gets the car. This car is a statement, Lexus isn't just cushy, soft, quiet appliance cars without "soul" any more. The technology and materials, design and research and testing/tuning plus being built by hand and limited production, qualifies for supercar status in my book. And not only that, I wouldn't be going out on a limb to assume it will have Toyota reliability, which is something exotics and supercars aren't really known for. When it comes to cars like this, the potential buyers aren't thinking "this one or a ferrari/lambo/porsche?" but more along the lines of "one of each."

I don't know, had this guy kept up with his maintenance I bet it would still be running.

http://jalopnik.com/5559767/i-sold-everything-to-buy-a-lamborghini-and-drive-across-the-country

Quite impressive indeed, but a timing chain that pops at 90k? Most belts are to be changed at that interval! Either way, one can only hope to be able to afford any of those machines, I'd consider myself lucky to have to deal with such concerns.

The BMW M88/S38 engines (original M1/M5/M6) engines have timing chains that are recommended to be changed at the 150K km mark (approx 90k miles). Expensive but cheaper than rebuilding the head.

xfactoraeg wrote: Quite impressive indeed, but a timing chain that pops at 90k? Most belts are to be changed at that interval! Either way, one can only hope to be able to afford any of those machines, I'd consider myself lucky to have to deal with such concerns.

Could be worse. Ferraris require the engine to be pulled so that the timing belt and every gasket can be changed every 30K.

Cone_Junky wrote:

xfactoraeg wrote: Quite impressive indeed, but a timing chain that pops at 90k? Most belts are to be changed at that interval! Either way, one can only hope to be able to afford any of those machines, I'd consider myself lucky to have to deal with such concerns.

Could be worse. Ferraris require the engine to be pulled so that the timing belt and every gasket can be changed every 30K.

The answer is LS1?

fastbmw wrote: The BMW M88/S38 engines (original M1/M5/M6) engines have timing chains that are recommended to be changed at the 150K km mark (approx 90k miles). Expensive but cheaper than rebuilding the head.

Replacing the tensioner on a S50/52 isn't unheard of either...

I agree with the target-market comments. The price for the car was probably determined through market research, not with any concerns about profit - since Toyota will apparently lose money over the entire production run.

The sound is glorious... that and a recent video of a prototype F600 car lapping at full song make me want to build a MC-engined B-Mod locost.

I'll take a new ZR1 ($110k), a barely used Eurocopter: http://www.controller.com/listingsdetail/detail.aspx?OHID=1161279 ($100k), a founding membership at Atlanta Motorsports Park ($40k): http://www.atlantamotorsportspark.net/index.shtml, and still have $150k for flight instructions on my helicopter, spares, maintenance for both my helicopter and my car, and I can avoid traffic to get to the track....

Jay wrote: I agree with this. Never been a fan of most Ferraris either, for that reason. Sports cars shouldn't sing soprano.

I think we will just have to agree to disagree on this one. I love the sound of most Ferraris. The first sound that pops into my head when thinking sports cars or roadracing cars is soprano. Crossplane V-8 baritone is a sound some sports cars make, but in my mind that sound is a lot more likely to make me think of dirt ovals or drag races.

I guess it just indicates what I experienced as a kid. I didn't really see Lamborghinis and Ferraris at the local cruise-in, drags, or oval track, which were the accessible (but therefore run-of-the-mill) automotive events. Going to a roadrace or historic roadrace was a rare special occasion filled with high-winding fours, sixes, flatplane V-8s and V-12s...and sure, a few Corvettes, Cobras, and the like. You can tell which left the bigger impression on me.