LFA Appreciation | Page 4 | FerrariChat

LFA Appreciation

Discussion in 'General Automotive Discussion' started by Sterling Sackey, Jan 23, 2018.

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  1. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
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    #76 Sterling Sackey, Feb 8, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 8, 2018
    I almost forgot to respond to this point. Here's an example of a similar car for you: the McLaren F1. McLaren only managed to sell 64 road cars, and when new the cars were considered to be vastly overpriced and lacking the prestige and "it factor" of a Ferrari, Porsche, etc. New units were still available for purchase years after production ceased. There are stories of respected collectors who were offered one new, and passed. Values stayed relatively stagnant for years after that. Take a look at values for McLaren F1s today, and you'll understand that some cars are seriously misunderstood and underappreciated upon their release.

    Before anybody chimes in, I am not saying that the LFA is as special or impressive as an F1. I'm simply using that car to make an important point.
     
  2. GuyIncognito

    GuyIncognito Nine Time F1 World Champ
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    Jun 30, 2007
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    since you're in SoCal, you may remember Lexus Beverly Hills had a black (or dark gray?) LFA sitting on the showroom floor for years.

    funny how cars are unloved new and become classics. XJ220 would be another example.
     
  3. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
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    Sure, the XJ220 is an interesting comparison, although I think in reality the production car left quite a bit to be desired in the build quality department and powertrain (V6 TT vs. the planned V12 with AWD). This is compounded by the fact that the LFA saw around a decade of development and refinement with a near unlimited budget, while the XJ220 only had a few years to "bake" during a time of financial hardship for the company. As a result, the LFA, when viewed in person, is crafted like few other supercars ever made, the benefit of a parent company that is obsessive about build quality. The engine, too, is incredible as we all know. So, I think it will age much better than the XJ220 in all departments other than perhaps the Jag's iconic exterior styling.
     
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  4. aaladesawe

    aaladesawe Rookie

    Mar 26, 2017
    35
    I think it’s as special as a Mclaren F1


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  5. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Let's not gloss over the fact that your stereotypical view which you've established here is also uniformed, as you clearly weren't even aware of the common-knowledge that Toyota had a pretty well-established V10 motorsports link!

    That said, contrarian views are fair enough, so here is one for you - I would much rather take an endurance racing-tested engine that has proven itself at venues such as the Le Mans 24 hrs over one that is simply Formula 1-inspired, any day of the week.

    Not really, it's a resource thread started to share hitherto not often disseminated material, not a basic thumbs up or thumbs down discussion thread. As such, the purpose of this thread is to to extol the virtues of the car from a design, engineering, performance & market point of view, so that we all actually learn something. Coming on here and disparaging the LFA is pretty pointless, and its as uncalled for as if someone wanders into your garage, looks at your cars and disparages them.
     
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  6. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
    5,505
    1st of all, do not ever tell me where to post and not post. That is highly offensive.

    If the engine is F1 inspired, then why are all of the three videos you posted not on their F1 efforts? I'll tell you why. Because their F1 effort was a complete disaster..

    You call my views off-base because I don't share the same views as you. It is becoming apparently clear you created this thread to drum up business more than anything else. I've never come across a thread that wasn't up for discussion on F-Chat, except here where if I am not praising the LAF, then my views aren't welcome. Maybe you should just write an article about the car instead of posting in a forum meant for discussion. Or re-title the thread so people know that it is only meant to praise the car.

    LMAO, as special as an F1????? Wow. That is hilarious! The F1 rose in value because people came to realize that it was the birth child of one of the most respected F1 designers in the history of the sport. I knew what the F1 was, and the significance it carries from the get go, as I am a student of F1. There simply is no comparison.
     
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  7. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ
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    I remember when people regarded the F50 as ugly and I could not get any of my clients to pay 750k for one. Now, rediscovered amongst the faithful, better understood and fully-appreciated, they are knocking on the door @ $3 million, and ugly comments simply come across as dismissive ignorance.

    Actually, there is a similarity between McLaren F1 & the LFA on several levels, the LFA was created with different intent and with a different cinfiguration, but they are parallel cars, examples of state-of-the-art for what they are.

    Agreed, that and a fairly long list besides.
     
  8. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Relax Dan.

    If as you say this is a discussion thread, then accept that your views can & will be met with contrarian ones.

    You complain that your views are being viewed as off-base just because you don't share the same views as the OP, yet here you are belittling the views of aaladesawe chracterizing them as hilarious.

    Cmon.
     
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  9. TnJed

    TnJed Karting

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    One of my favorite modern cars.
     
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  10. kizdan

    kizdan F1 Veteran

    Dec 31, 2003
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    I didn't complain that my views are being seen as off-base, Sterling is the one who said that. (are you and Sterling the same person?)He made sure to belittle my views because they aren't helping him promote the LAF. Heck, he has the audacity to tell me where and where not to post. Contrary views are part of a discussion. I posted my views, and Sterling made sure to respond to them all. It's a 2-way street my friend.

    As much as it is being said this thread is meant to inform, people can also be informed about what the LAF is not. There's some people posting in this thread who are placing the LAF on ridiculously high levels - I am informing them as to why the car is nowhere near those levels.

    I am not belittling aaladesawe. His comparison is hilarious. That is a fact. You are calling the LFA state-of-the-art? That is hilarious too. Maybe it could be argued it was state-of-the-art when comparing it to a 575, but the 599 trounced it in every way, which was Ferrari's offering at the time the LAF finally debuted. If the LAF didn't have such a ridiculously long development time, and they would have introduced it when the 575 was still out, then this could have been an entirely different discussion.
     
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  11. aaladesawe

    aaladesawe Rookie

    Mar 26, 2017
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    History will tell


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  12. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ
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    As a result of this thread I know a lot more about the LFA, and I agree!
     
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  13. aaladesawe

    aaladesawe Rookie

    Mar 26, 2017
    35
    Me too I have learnt a lot about the LFA


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  14. kev360

    kev360 Formula Junior

    Feb 19, 2006
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    Lots of reasons why people would want one. I think its a great looking car and most others do too. I get more compliments when I am out in my LFA than I ever do in my Ferraris, including my 599GTOs. The tech in the car is way beyond the 599 and while the GTOs were faster thats not the only indicator of a great car. While I can understand you not liking the car not sure why you would question why I might want one. It is a great compliment to other cars and for the fortunate few that have them it is fun to alternate and enjoy different cars at different times. Lexus did a remarkable job with the LFA and the passion for the car by current owners is second to none. As a final note, service after the sale by Lexus is unbeatable.
     
  15. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Thanks for sharing this perspective.
     
  16. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    That's just silly. not even close.
     
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  17. joe sackey

    joe sackey Five Time F1 World Champ
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    Perhaps to some.

    However, others may have noticed that aaladesawe is not the first to draw the parallel between the McLaren F1 and the LFA.

    A noted motoring authority having tested both cars published a piece in a UK journal the year before last declaring that "The LFA, then, was a freak, a car like McLaren F1 made with no apparent regard for cost, just to be the best it could be".

    Another motoring authority who has also had the opportunity to spend time with both cars as a basis for comparison published a piece a number of years ago emphatically stating "Not since Mr. Gordon Murray went native with his design of the McLaren F1's interior detailing (well, he was a racing car designer, after all) has there been a more interesting cabin in a road car than this one".

    Finally, yet another direct comparison published a few years ago extolled "This (the LFA) is an all-round superb car with great looks, track pedigree and limited availability, and it is a fabulous machine to drive. Indeed, one well regarded motoring journal described it as the only car that felt as special as a McLaren F1"
     
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  18. Sterling Sackey

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    Wow, the debate carries on...

    I think it boils down to the fact that there is always something exciting about a car that is not part of a regular series production, but stands alone as a moment in time in a particular company's history. I am interested in cars with the most passion behind them, not the cars that pulled the fastest 0-60 time and the most G's on the skid course for the least price for that particular year. I don't think any true car enthusiast looks at cars that way, otherwise we would all be driving Nissan GT-Rs.

    Speaking further on passion and series production cars, there is no shred of doubt in my mind that McLaren put 10x the blood, sweat, & tears into the F1 program as compared to any one of their modern series production cars. Similarly, Lexus and Toyota's engineers put an incredible amount of passion, thought, planning, and funding into this supercar, the first of its type they had produced since the 2000GT. The amount of pride and thinking behind a project like this cannot be compared to a regular series production car.

    Something like a previously mentioned Ferrari 599 is, at the end of the day, another in a long line of front-engined Ferrari replacements, certainly a special car but not something that the company was hanging its entire reputation on, or putting all of its engineering might into. It was a car intended to sell as many units as possible, until it got replaced again, just like any other normal production sports or supercar. And, I'm sure the 599 is a very fast car, perhaps it can beat the LFA in a drag race or at your favorite track. However, as time carries on, nobody is going to care which car was fastest or put down certain numbers, they are going to care about which car is most special and exciting. That's why enthusiasts will pay millions of dollars for a 250 GTO that's slower than a modern hot hatchback in a 0-60 run. All true car enthusiasts understand that way of thinking, and those who don't can't really be helped I guess.
     
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  19. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
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    Attached is probably my favorite LFA factory documentation I've found, the PDF guide for the Nurburgring edition. There are a lot of amazing details in here, but perhaps the most striking to me is the way in which the Nurburgring version’s engine was made to produce 11 extra horsepower. I always assumed that this was simply an ECU or exhaust tweak, the solution most companies would use to produce such a small amount of extra power. However, in actuality the engineers extracted the extra power by reducing friction losses in the engine, including refining the oiling system’s efficiency and introducing a lower friction piston ring design. That’s right, rather than simply retune the ECU or open up the exhaust, Toyota engineers literally redesigned engine internals to achieve an extra 11 horsepower for a production run of only 50 Nurburgring units. Rather than do it the cheap way, they went with a solution that would not only produce more power, but make the already lightning quick engine response even better.

    To me, that fact shows the type of passion and dedication that makes a car like this more exciting than the average supercar! These guys had one car to pour all of their dedication into, and they made it the absolute best they could.



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    Attached Files:

  20. carguyjohn350

    carguyjohn350 F1 Rookie
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    Personally I think it's a weird looking car, but there's no denying it's impressive. Enjoying learning more. Thanks Sterling.

    Sent from my SM-G955U using Tapatalk
     
  21. Tcar

    Tcar F1 Rookie

    Just wish it was a better looking car....
     
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  22. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
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    #98 Sterling Sackey, Feb 20, 2018
    Last edited: Feb 20, 2018
    This video really captures the interior sound of the LFA quite well throughout the rev range. Yamaha tuned the engine's sound for both the exterior's exhaust sound and the interior's intake and exhaust combination symphony. Jump to 1:19 and enjoy as the car climbs up the famous Goodwood hill climb with well-known Japanese GT racing driver Takayuki Kinoshita behind the wheel...

     
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  23. Sterling Sackey

    Sterling Sackey Formula 3
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    Wing up!

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  24. NürScud

    NürScud F1 Veteran

    Nov 3, 2012
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    Here is a nice video of the exhaust's sound!

     
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