STUD or DUD: The LF-A's Camo Is Totally OFF, Is It More Than A Modified Supra?

Looking stunning, only the headlights are not as good as were on the concept but rest is great.
The interior is out of the world. Unbelievable.

Great job Toyota.

JUGNU

A great vehicle for sure. At $375K Toyota admits it is selling at a loss, but the point of this car is to prove what Lexus is capable of as an overall brand.

Exactly. Price seems outrageous, but just look at that engine, 115hp/L, surpassed by 458 Italia only. GT3 have about the same output, but hey, do you see that roll cage?

However judging from the video revealed, maybe due to it's FR nature, it doesn't seem as planted as GT-R or 458. No matter how, the next question is, 7:?

the car can look good has too many air dams on the car especially on the side of the car. I think in a design perspective they could have done a better job I am sure the performance is there but this car gives me a DTM feel when i look at it nothing clean cut.

they definitley used the late 90's supra to design this I mean you can see it all in the design....and even though the late 90s supra is over a decade old I like the exterior on that car than this car

Toyota isn't selling the car at a loss.

The LFA Future

"Chief Engineer Tanahashi admits to being disappointed that only 500 people will get to sample his baby. That so few LFAs will now be built at such a breathtaking price underscores the difficulty of producing such cars in the present economic climate, where each car must pay for itself without any subsidies from the rest of the product lineup. "

interview with insideline.com

Selling a maximum of 500 units at only $375,000 does not come anywhere near recouping the cost of the LF-A program. This car was designed from the ground up, including a brand new V10 engine.

Update: Time is 7:25 - 7:30 according to Inside Line. With 550 hp it can certainly use a little more suspension tunning.

STUD...definitely a STUD!!!

though it may not look like the concept (which most produced cars don't anyways), it's still a bad-a$$ ride. Love the rear, very very aggressive. My only rant is the wheels, i think they could of chose a better design...but hey, that's why there is BBS!!!

the performance numbers are great as well, I've already ehard complaints on how the TQ numbers are low and what not, pure biased crap. No one ever peeped when the R8 or the Gallardo TQ numbers weren't impressive. the LFA will be a great competitor, don't really care if it crushes the competition...so long as it gives them a run for their money

guaranteed that the initial 500 will be sold out.....if no so already

look at that interior...one of the nicest to date

Impossible to compare this to a Gallardo or R8. It's way over double the price of the R8, and almost double the Gallardo.

You forget one thing. The LF-A costs more than twice as much as the R8. For the price the the LF-A's numbers are weak. There's no way around it.

Looks like an updated supra! Not a bad thing but not what I would expect for a car with a luxury moniker. The interior is certainly interesting but the instrument cluster surround reminds me of some the the nissans from the 80s.

Wrong. You can certainly see SC in the front end, but overall profile is more 300ZX than Supra!

Very attractive from all angles but the front in my opinion. The headlights and intakes just look off to me. Also, I would be damned if I spent as much as they are asking for an LF-A and got those wheels.

The engine specs are awesome! 4.8 liter V10, 552hp = 115hp per liter. Definitely better numbers then any German v10. nice job lexus.

The engine is nice but they should've added 0.2L of displacement to make it 5.0L. It sounds a lot better...or even 6.0L 600hp+. It wouldn't have costed much for them.

You do realize this is a high rev engine that, with other factors like the low weight and short gearing, will
pull away from anything out there above the 100mph mark.

That 0.2L will be added later in next generation.

Low weight won't matter much above 100mph...and how short can the gearing be if it's only a 6-speed (single clutch) geared to go 202mph?

It will probably run something similar to LP560-4 at most but won't touch the 458 Italia. Don't see how I would pay almost double for it.

Sorry, 600hp+ would've been more convincing.

Your statements, Showtime, tell me you know little about true performance if you believe what you are saying.
Weight and a high rev engine, not only hp or torque
are a HUGE factor when looking at how a vehicle will perform.

Maybe I should be a little more clear with you.

Of course low weight matters and high revs perform better at higher speeds along with many other factors...but it's not like this is a 2800lb/12,000 RPM car to make an incredible difference over its competitors like you're saying. Beating anything else out there? Yea Okaaaaaaaaay!

The 458 Italia revs to 9k as well and even weighs 200lbs less than the LFA AND has an extra gear and clutch. What do you have to say about that? The LFA is still going to beat it just beacuse you like it so much? Stop getting your emotions involved with facts. You're fooling yourself with it.

Besides, I'm not trying to discredit the LFA. I think it's a great looking car and I actually like the side view more than the 458. All I said was they should've made a bigger engine since they've gone all out with everything else suppossidly.

BTW, they are only going to make 500 because they must know they are not going to sell more than that since there is Ferrari and Lambo with similar performance and half the price.

Showtime,
Lexus will also be introducing an LFA-R version to address the issue of lower weight and more power that everybody seems to be interested in. The new Ferrari 458 seems like it will be a great car and I am looking forward to its release.

The Vett has more HP at $70,000. and they are almost identical in performance numbers.

Looks fine, BUT they want $400,000 for it and acording to Car magazine the tranny is slow and cumbersome. For that kind of coin I want to out accelerate a GT-R. I would rather just have a Viper and shift my own gears.

enjoy your $80k Viper with the $20k Charger interior!

I would do the ZR1 and the Bentley Continental Flying Spur.

They should have twin-clutch. Period.

Will have to wait to see it in person and get some more reviews, but I'm leaning towards dud.

Almost a decade in development for this? I'm not a fan of the origami like styling. Low curb weight is good to see, but I feel like the 6-speed sequential gearbox is already dated since most performance cars are going with 7-speeds (Ferrari, Porsche, AMG, etc.).

For $400k, that is reaching into 599 Ferrari territory. Or a 430 Scuderia or the new 458 for less money. Or an Aston DBS. The alternatives are far more appealing to me.

I'm not sure yet. I do think it would look better with a fixed wing or somekind of integrated spoiler.

I'm a big lexus fan, and I'm really disappointed by this. The headlights aren't aggressive enough and some parts look awkward.

For almost half a million, this car should look awesome! Get back to the drawing board Lexus! This looks like an 80k-100k car (only talking about looks, not performance).

I agree headlight could be more aggresive, but do you know how much money/time is spent on that engine alone? Only Ferrari can beat it. This car is about PERFORMANCE, and it certainly looks way better than those of Chris Bangle to the least.

I agree with that statement on looks. The car should be a stormer, but look wise its to close to the GT-R than Ferrari.

Nothing looks like Ferrari except same mid-engined Lambo.
Besides they don't want it to look like Ferrari.

Stud, and I hope see some exterior design elements trickle down to other future Lexus models.

Seriously, $400k? Why? But other than that it looks good. But at that price there are a LOT of other awesome alternatives to choose from.

that's exactly whta i thought when I saw all the vents and the front bumper, a riced out supra. I like the look of the original concept look much more eloquent, this one looks like it has too many things going on.

wOw...What a price tag.....

I couldn't choose this Lexus over a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

There is no way, in fact.

I would consider the GS over the current 5-Series, but I would get the 3-Series over the IS.

I've been looking at the second profile photo.

The front end from the side is a mess and that scoop on the rear side window is a mess.

It's not sexy like a Ferrari.

It's got gameboy written all over it.

Did EL34 just say he'd CONSIDER a Lexus over a BMW?

WTF?

The reason the back end is so high is because Lexus wanted the upper scoop that covers the side window.

The lower scoop is so large I wonder why they needed the upper scoop other than someone thought it looked cool???

The front and rear shots are not the best in class b a huge amount.

For that kind of money $375K there are so many other cars I would go for.

The angle of the large side scoop looks similar to lines on the RX 350.

BTW, is that color called Starfire Pearl?

Thank you Badgewhore.

Stud. Interior is where it shines design-wise, looks very comfortable and engaging. Happy to see the speedometer made it from the concept. Exterior is kinda what I expected to see, it works, because it doesnt look like anything else.

I do NOT think the price is an issue - why? Limited to 500 units, no one on this site should care how much it costs, because they won't buy one anyway. This car will be purchased by super-rich car collectors only. Kinda like the Veritas, would you pay all that money for that car over a Ferrari? I wouldn't either.

Why some of you are caring too much about price. When cars cross some price-points (Here in UAE it is 1 million Dirhams which is around USD 260K) then it doesn't matter how high it goes. The potential customers look at exclusivity, design, performance, technology, luxury...etc more than price.

I think LF-A should beat GT2, 599, 458 Italia, Mclaren MP4-12C...etc at everything, then there shouldn't be even 1% problem for Toyota finding buyers for it. And it is looking very promising. Can't wait for numbers.

JUGNU

I don't care about the price and I'm sure the LF-A is worth $375k, but the car is not pleasing to look at from any angle.

In fact, there are many watches that cost more than this car like the Swiss Made Confrérie Horlogère La Clef du Temps Tourbillon .

JUGNU there are exclusive buyers but they will not just purchase anything north of $100K just because. You are purchasing the name. Look how long it took to sell most of Bugatti's 16.4 (yeah, yeah at a cool $1.5 mil it would get Bill Gates to pause) but almost half a mil for a new car is alot. I do understand Lexus wants each car to pay for itself because Toyota don't need to have such a car imagery to be absorbed into the product lines like other manufactures. IF the LF-A can beat everyone, and from the looks it should, then it still isn't a Ferrari or a Lambo. Nothing but a name, no racing heritage, wins nothing. Like others, it still need to prove itself on the world stage like the GT-R did (that is another story, but it got out there and changed the entry level supercar game and had Porsche standing by scratching their collective heads)

This is a well conceived car with so much riding on it. If I were Lexus, I would have bit the bullet and priced it in the range of its competitors. It has all the tech available, extremely unique interior that fits the car beautifully. Toyota needs this car just as bad as the FT-86. This decision will bring a completely different customer to Toyota because it will be seen as not just an appliance building company, there is passion and excitement and the LFA proves it.

The statement:

"In fact, there are many watches that cost more than this car like the Swiss Made Confrérie Horlogère La Clef du Temps Tourbillon."

Doesn't really support your argument.

Okay, I officially like it (I know hard to believe).

They should have marketed the top speed as "limited to 201 MPH though.. Implies it would then go significantly faster.

why...so you could write an article on how they mislead us by doing so?

They are marketing it as "limited to...." BTW

They are marketing it as "limited to...." BTW

design, meh I can't say stud or dud. Performance... hmmm I dunno considering you have to rev the balls off of it to get anywhere... 354ft-lbs in a 3263lb car really isn't that special.

I have to laugh at some of the comments here about "there are other cars out there that I would take like a ZR1"
The reason Lexus took there time designing this car was to blow away every other supercar exotic with its
TECHNOLOGY. Nothing out there compares with the LF-A
in terms of the quality of the interior, or likely its durability as compared to any other exclusive supercar.

I have to laugh at David999 for commenting on the interior quality of a car he's never even seen before in his life.

Much less the competitors of the LF-A.

Willis,
I have seen the LF-A concepts in person, and have read the latest reviews of the pre-production model to draw my own conclusion of what the car will be like.

Here's a more eye-opening shot of the cabin for you.

http://i30.photobucket.com/albums/c342/hemi666/LF-A13.jpg


Now correct me if I am wrong but weren't you one of those Lexus lovers who criticized the Murcielago, SLS and god knows what other exotics out there for having "cheap interiors"? And wasn't your definition of a cheap interior one with lots of "black plastic"?

Here is a quote from Autocar.UK who actually drove the car and reviewed it:

"Similarly the interior is incredibly well finished, with a mixture of leather, carbon, aluminium and a super high tech TFT screen rev-counter. The best detail though are the pedals which simply exquisite – each one a single piece of forged aluminium. So the typical Lexus virtues of quality and refinement are very much intact in even this, its most extreme model"
You must have read this Willis, since you posted more useless comments in the thread where the article is posted here on Autospies.

The same comments about interior quality also given to the Lamborghini etc. Amazing how the Lexus leads the pack...

i'm pretty sure the "black plastic" is black leather...

Show me the numbers...for now I still with Germans and Italians sport cars.

A mean real numbers, not manufacturer numbers or projected numbers...the car looks good but the design do not touch my heart as it happens with the 458 or the Gallardo.........

I love the doors, the rear in the profile shots look somewhat like a Celica. The original headlights blow these out of the water, it's a shame they were changed. Also, $400k is pure insanity. I'm a big fan of Lexus (own 2), but you can get a Tesla Roadster Sport with the same acceleration, equivalent handling, and a customized leather interior for a third of the price.

You could get that kind of acceleration from a $15k motorcyle...but no one is saying you could buy that.

Cool.

Now make a new SC with some carryover features from this thing.

I'm confused. The price for admission is it $350,000 or $500,000?

$375,000

Reason for my questioning the price, leftlane news has the car at £336,000 ($557,000), insideline "a cool $534,000, some $100,000 more than an Aston Martin DBS,"

Call 1-866-532-4794 as per Lexus.com and they will tell you it starts at $375,000US.

I agree that it is totally a Stud, but the GT-R will still reign over it!! Good job though Toyota.

Toyota can not make a good looking car. And I buy Toyota's, not for looks though. But mechanically, it sounds great. Why buy this car when you can buy an Italian or something that looks so much better and performs well, and maintains its value???

The car overall looks very busy which is not as good as the concept. But it's not bad at all and the performance numbers are stunning.

Is it just me or did David969 finally figure out David999's password?

Lexus LF-A:
Performanace - Stud
Styling - Dud

Ferrari California:
Performanace - Stud
Styling - Stud

That steering wheel would get old real fast.

;-/

Reminds me of the wheel from the 1980's Knight Rider.

I like it because it's so unique.

It does not carry any styling cues from currently made supercars but speaks its own design language. Wide, very aggressive and very XXI century.

To be honest, I'm not a fan of supercars. (Plug-in) hybrids are what interests me but it does not stop me from being impressed by this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDsXsdNgov0

Price? It's not a car for sale, more a halo project to promote the brand, just like, for instance, the Bugatti Veyron. Its cost will be recouped in sales of Lexus ordinary vehicles.

1995, that is disgusting.

Nice but boring. Put it next to a Ferrari and no one will notice it.

Is there any philanthropists out there that want to buy an artist a car? lol, For the first time Lexus looks incredible and performance numbers to match, I would love to know how fast this car stops, and is this car an all wheel drive?

this is a Stud, but I was expecting more than this on design. but, shocked by interior design and odo meter too, they looks great too... it shoudn't any troble to seel 50 of them

500 of them, error can't edit

Nice car, to bad for Lexus the Ferrari 458 Itaila was here first.

Sure the Ferrari was here first, but the Ferrari spends every other weekend in the repair shop, although this car is way overpriced, does this beat the Vett?

Where does Lexus come off charging $375K for the thing? Am I the only one who sees this car as being massively overpriced?

Nop, you are not the only one. I prefer to buy a 911TT and an R8V10 and any of those is up to the performance of this Lexus....but a lot cheaper.. and it is very likely that I will save some money for other stuff...and If you ask me, R8 looks more atractive.....for the price it should be as good as the LP640 or a Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano...and till I see the test and the compares...I'll wait to give my final thoughs about that car.

You know for the price of this Lexus you could get an Audi R8 V10 and a Mercedes S-Klasse AMG S65.

I do like the remote touch in the LF-A. I have the same thing in my new 2010 Lexus RX 350.

:-D

And you can get a GT-R for half the price of the R8 or the S65, so what's your point? The Lexus is in a diffrent class alltogether, and no amount of anti-Lexus bashing by the Euro fanboys will change that. I am sure a lot of you are disappointed they are making the car because it will open up the eyes of the buying public the way the first LS did.

Are you kidding?

An Audi R8 V10 or a Nissan GTR???

I would get the Audi ;-)

That my friend is a no brainer. Now, a LFA over a R8? Of course, the R8 V10 5.2 FSI Quattro. Same performance, but with the Quattro system (so its heavier) and still have like performance numbers at half the price (about $170,000 Euro conversion rate) and better looks, win, win. Again a no brainer.

The R8 wouldn't be considered an "exotic" the same way as the Lexus, ie, rare or extraordinary.

Dude, who are you kidding? Audi produces fewer V10 models than Ferrari, and they are exotics. So, just because Toyota decides to limit their car to 500 doesn't make it more exotic. Rarer, yes exotic, nope.

I beg to disagree.

Beg on, its your choice.

david999: I recommend you to wait till you see the numbers...
HyundaiSmoke: I like Mercedes But SLK for that..no way..face it: SLR or SL65 BS or CLK Black Series....may be....

I knew they'll reuin the front end, a horrible decission by Lexus on changing the front end that was on the red concept.

The red concept shouldve been the production, from an exterior design standpoint. i think it'd look really awesome in black, btw.

Absolute Stud. Wish i could afford one.

Seriously awesome car. Not the sexiest, nor the most aggressive, neither is it the most beautiful, but for some reason i really like this car. Very original, a very much japanese design, and certainly reminds me of the supra, no shadow of doubt about it. I am certain Lexus deliberately moved away from the L finesse shape of the concept to produce a super car that is filled with emotion of the glorious past from the supra days. This car looks like a supercar made from the motif of a pure bred street right. Right I said it, it looks like a metamorphosis of the original street racer the Supra and that is why so many scoops, vents, creases, not plain sexy, but awkward aggressive and beautiful, and i love it to bits. That engine is exactly what a car engine should be, i feel like crying, when i hear the mellowing high pitched super revving engine roar like the blitzkreiging sirens. What a sound, and what an engine, the car is worth just for that engine. But to mushy my appetite i can also look at that unbelievable interior, really the best interior in a car that i have ever seen, better that veyron, better than 458 italia, better than anything you can name(well from the looks that is). And remember that interview by the dutch journalist, he said this was as good a car as the zondas and the ferraris that he usually drove for testing, so even though i agree that the figures are not as impressive for a 370,000 dollar car, the car must feel very ultra awesome to drive, otherwise surely a company would not dare to hike the price that high!! or would they?

It's a supercar with a style all its own. May look like a Supra to some, but Lexus and Toyota ARE related and I see no reason why anyone should stick up their nose for that fact. Toyota has a corporate heritage. Doesn't matter if you don't like it, someone will.

ugly.

They have no economies of scale and the price is so high to pay off development costs, not just buying the product. They should make about 1500 instead of 500 to recoup loss at about 275k-300K to make it more competitive with the Ferrari F-430 and Ferrari 548 Italia since it's specs are more in line with those cars.

The problem is their use of conventional Carbon Fiber drove up costs more because they are not as innovative as McLaren with their cheaper to produce tub that only takes 4 hours in the McLaren MP4-12C.

"I ONLY CARE ABOUT THE FERRARI'S"

Point taken. Toyota took so long in developing this car and in some cases, started over. This is why the project has been off and on so long and driving cost. The smart thing would have been to consult with those in the supercar arena (private consulting is common within the industry) and save time and money. It seem like they tried to re-invent the wheel and it still came out round.

STUD!!!

This car looks great, but way over priced, the Vett is only $70,000. compared to over half a million, The vett will tie or beat this at Nurmberg, Lex mad a mistake by making only 500 of them, with metal at 30ish $ a ton they should have mass produced this car and competed with the Vett, on the other hand If you are American that may be a good thing with your economy being where it is.For all you de boosters, I do like this car, its just too much $$ for what you get compared to the vett.

I can stay at the Days Inn for $60 or the Plaza for $250. Both have beds and both have bathrooms. Are you saying everyone should stay at the Vett motor Inn?