The LFA will be a legend VERY soon as it truely is a spectacular car. I'm so happy a dedicated thread was created for this masterpiece.
The LFA is completely out of my price range so my opinion probably doesn't matter much but here it is anyway. One thing about the LFA that is special is how rare it is to see one. I see a Ferrari at least once a week, usually more, driving around Houston. I don't know that I've ever seen an LFA on the street. If I saw one at a car show I'd certainly walk over to look at it over a 599 since you see those all the time. The sound of the engine has to be one of the best on a street car ever, right up there with F50 and CGT. I'll never know what the driving experience is so can't comment on that. The things that I don't like about the car are that it's a front engine car with an automatic transmission and it's just not very pretty. I grew up in the 70s and 80s when supercars were mid-engine. I still haven't forgiven Ferrari for giving up on mid-engine V12s after the Testarossa. I really don't even care if the engineers say the car will perform better with the engine in the front, I'd sacrifice performance for the engine to be behind the seats. I don't track my cars so performance really doesn't matter all that much.
Agreed, like many great cars it may take time for people to realize what they're looking at, but I do believe it will be a highly desired car down the road. And it already is, amongst those who own them. Tough to find anyone who will sell!
Some good comments here, and I do understand that many people are not able to see past pre-conceived notions that a supercar must be mid-engined. Luckily, I am one of those who appreciates variety in life, so I'm glad that not all supercars follow one specific mold or formula. I think things would get a little boring if every manufacturer made the exact same car over and over. It's funny, I'm sure when the Miura debuted in the '60s, the Ferrari fans said, "That just doesn't make sense, a true sports car has its engine in the front. An engine behind the seats is for a Volkswagen Beetle or a Fiat 500!" It's funny how things change. As for the single-clutch transmission, I think Ferrari's sales of manual transmissions in 2012 when this car was being sold were probably in the double-digits. Today they don't sell any, so that's an industry-wide thing really. The truth is, many of these cars are too fast for manual transmissions to be a user-friendly option. The chief engineer for the Carrera GT actually admitted that they only used a manual transmission because their dual-clutch setup was not ready in time. Something to think about.
A lot of nice shots of the LFA here, especially showing the incredible interior quality and attention to detail.
I think Pearl Blue (Color Code 8V8) might be one of the best colors on the LFA, it suits the car's simple lines so well. Interestingly, the very similar Ultrasonic Blue Mica has always been the "signature" color for Lexus' "F" brand since the debut of the IS F in 2007. However, the debut color for the LFA was Whitest White (Color Code 079). Below photos are from Evo's 2011 comparison against the 599 GTO, in which they found that the LFA was ultimately the more satisfying and exciting car to drive. Evo's closing comments are below: What marks out the LFA for particular praise is its bravery and originality; for Lexus to create such a car from scratch, with no evolutionary engineering or existing bias from which to work, is a remarkable achievement. Innovative, extreme, immaculately executed and exquisite to drive, it’s the greatest high-performance car Japan has ever produced. Get hung up on the badge and you’ll be blind to its magic. Revel in its rarity, its rare abilities and the fact we’re unlikely to see its like again and you’ll understand why the LFA is one of the greats, and why this test ends with three unexpected, hard-won and thoroughly deserved words: Lexus beats Ferrari.
Here is the same Lexus UK press car in Pearl Blue. I am not partial to the red calipers or white interior, but the beauty of the LFA is every car could be specced exactly as the buyer liked!
Linked below is a great article Motor Trend did on their visit to LFA Works, the production facility that was responsible for all 500 LFAs produced at a production rate of 1 car per day. Toyota developed its own carbon fiber program specifically for this car, including a gigantic carbon fiber loom machine that took inspiration from Toyota's early 20th century days as a textile company (before they ever started producing cars). Perhaps my favorite line from this article, quite telling: "When it’s all over, I might cry," said Nobuaki Amano, senior LFA test driver." I don't doubt that! http://www.motortrend.com/news/inside-lexus-lfa-works/
I wanted to save this photo for a separate post. Fun fact about the LFA's shift paddles: The paddle shifters of the LFA are designed so that the force required to operate them varies between upshifting and downshifting, with the downshifting paddle requiring a greater degree of force than the upshifting paddle. The reasoning is detailed in the Lexus LFA Owner's Manual supplement: It is understood that drivers tend to anticipate downshifts more than upshifts. To mechanically reflect this phenomenon, the downshift paddle shift switch (-) has a comparatively higher force pull than the upshift paddle switch (+) to foster a greater sense of excitement when stepping down a gear. Details...
Another cool detail, this picture demonstrates that the USA-mandated front side "markers" are actually used as an aero-element on the LFA, acting as small canards on the front bumper. This is likely why all LFAs worldwide have these markers, and not just USA cars. Image Unavailable, Please Login
The 575 was state of the art in 2002 1) First road going V12 with an f1 system 2) First "mass" produced Ferrari that could do 200 MPH The 575 is also the first of an era for Ferrari. Every Ferrari v12 from the 575 on came mostly with paddle shifters, the 575 kicked it all off with what is now considered a pretty mediocre single disc clutch system. I personally think it will make the 575 a legend one day, like Mr Sackey said, there was once a time nobody wanted an F50, thats where the 575 is imo. It's cheap, unloved, but beautiful, and a historic feat for Ferrari. There are less than 600 that ever came to the US and im sure plenty have crashed. Im not sure how many still exist but for $85-125k the range most trade in right now, you'd be hard pressed to find a better, rarer, classic Ferrari. I own a 575 and its better than my SLR Mclaren in every way from driving experience to comfort to looks frankly and yet the Mclaren is triple the price and both have nearly similar US production numbers, at some point the 575 will be loved I believe.
All very true. A Maranello is THE best kept secret. If I was in the market in that price range, I would be all over one, with nothing else to even consider. I would have a hard time choosing between an F1 and a 6-speed. The throws are a little long with the manual, but something that I could easily live with. For a single clutch, the F1 is pretty good. Drive a 360 with an F1, and you'll appreciate the 575's!
Why are you talking about the 575 on a LFA forum? Please go to Ferrari Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I just wanted to say thanks for taking the time to do all of the posts on the LFA! Very informative. It's interesting how they developed the carbon fiber weaving process. If you're ever in Nagoya Japan definitely go to the Toyota Museum of Industry and Technology. Half of the museum is devoted to the early days of the company and how they developed all of the technology to creat modern fabrics. Even though I'm more of a car guy than a fabric guy it was really fascinating.
I appreciate it! Yes, almost all big car companies have some fascinating histories if you take the time to study them.
Why are you talking about any exotic cars, you don't own any......two can play that game.....no need to be a jerk, someone had mentioned the 575 above and I replied, thats it. Don't get your panties in such a wad over comments on an internet forum, life is too short for a man such as yourself to stress over such menial things in life.
As a dyed-in-the-wool car enthusiast who has owned many amazing Italian & German sportscars, the story of the conception, design, testing & manufacture of the LFA is nothing short of amazing. Respect, and I hope to get acquainted with one soon. Thanks for posting this, epic.
I rewatched this last night; this video is really way more than just a focus on the LFA's factory, it in reality serves as a great summary from the actual designers & engineers on what the car is all about, from concept to excecution. For anyone curious about the car, watch this in its entirety and you won't be disappointed. This is perhaps the best media piece that has ever been done on this car, I would argue!
This thread does give a lot of information about the car that I did not know. I love the engine and the video where they used a dremel over all the milled points to polish everything smooth. I've been buying Toyota's well before there was Lexus and the quality back then was insane. This car will no doubt increase in value over time. However, it is very bland design compared to exotics as others point out and it is also pretty slow due to low horsepower and pretty high weight. Got to love the way the Japanese put the car together. Unlimited overtime as long as it comes out perfect. Can't argue with that and something Ferrari has never been known for. If Ferrari would do that they'd go out of business but the cars would finally be worth the MSRP! I don't like the fiberglass body of the LFA. Ruins the level of the car IMO. I just have a problem with that. This car would make a really great DD though. Not draw too much attention but crazy performance, great sound (but not as good as a Ferrari V12 - too tinny) and fun to drive. Thanks for posting the thread.