Dave600hL

Thanks, but remember there is still a way to go yet. Since there is only one per dealer here and there are 3 people on the list at my dealer and you can't put your name down at 2 dealers at once, so there is still a lot of uncertainty as to who will get one.

Dave600hL

Admittedly , this is more than I wanted to spend, but I don't see this car depreciating in value much. Which is why I don't see that much of a problem with the price, well as much as some people seem to be making it anyway.

bnizzle87

damn! 375k!! but some cars are worth the price. this my friends....is one of them! whoever is lucky to own one, congrats! it sure is a beauty and a marvel with all of its technology and R&D

ExTrEmE99

iTrader: (6)

Dave congrats on signing up. I hope you do indeed get the car but you need to promise us one thing! Once you get the car we want hellllaz pictures and a review if you want haha

MR_F1

GT1. Nuff said.

Guess that will add the requisite "Euro cred" and all will be well with whatever price 899 want for it.

LexFather

Lexus LFA Supercar Steals Green Spotlight in Tokyo
http://wheels.blogs.nytimes.com/2009...-in-tokyo/?hpw

October 21, 2009, 1:50 pm
Lexus LFA Supercar Steals Green Spotlight in Tokyo
By Richard S. Chang
The Lexus LFA.Kazuhiro Nogi/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images The Lexus LFA. Photographs Slide Show: 2009 Tokyo Motor Show

The Tokyo Motor Show opened to the news media on Wednesday with Mitsubishi introducing its PX-MiEV plug-in hybrid crossover. That event was followed by Nissan’s news conference, during which the company’s chief executive, Carlos Ghosn, drove onto the stage in a Nissan Land Glider, a concept for a new breed of slender ultra-efficient vehicles that’s a cross between a city car and a kayak. And it was pretty clear by that point that the biannual auto show was going to focus on good green fun.

But it could also very well be remembered for the introduction of the first supercar from Japan – the Lexus LFA, a sleek, powerful car with a price tag of $375,000. Toyota boasts that the LFA will be the most powerful car it has ever produced. Less flaunted is that the limited-edition supercar will also be the automaker’s most expensive.

The LFA has quite a bit of science fiction to its look — it’s tremendously angular with cutaways and vents — and there’s quite a lot of race-bred engineering to its construction. Much of the chassis and body is made of lightweight carbon-fiber reinforced polymer, which Toyota developed in-house. The suspension components are made of lightweight aluminum alloy, and the brakes are carbon-ceramic material. Weight distribution is 48:52.

“The development of the LFA was unlike any other Lexus,” Mark Templin, Lexus division group vice president and general manager, said in a news release. “Minute details were engineered to provide an engaging and serious supercar that delivers impressive performance on and off the racetrack.”

Itsuo Inouye/Associated Press

While some people may consider that the Acura NSX was the first Japanese supercar, or consider the Nissan GT-R as supercar material, both were lacking in at least one area in the unofficial definition of a supercar. The NSX came with only 280 horsepower, and its performance was based more on its sophisticated handling characteristics than pure power. The GT-R, while fine looking enough for a sports coupe, doesn’t have the same exotic style of say a Ferrari or Lamborghini.

The LFA, shown in production form for the first time on Wednesday in Tokyo, covers all the bases. Its 4.8-liter V-10 engine revs to 9,000 r.p.m. and makes 552 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque. Toyota said the LFA will have a top speed of 202 miles an hour. The transmission is a 6-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox.

“Only 500 will ever be built worldwide, and each will be assembled to customer order,” said Mr. Templin. And each LFA will be assembled by hand in a fashion that we’re more accustomed to seeing from British coachbuilders — no more than 20 will be made a month.

Toyota will begin production of the LFA in Dec. 2010.

LexFather

Lexus Unveils LFA, Jaws Drop Around the World

http://www.gizmodo.com.au/2009/10/le...und-the-world/



Life is full of hard questions, such as: Do I date 1996 Jennifer Aniston or do I buy a Lexus LFA? Luckily I don’t have to answer that question. It’s 2009 and even if I had the money to buy a Lexus LFA (which I never, ever, ever, ever will) my luck isn’t good enough to be one of the 500 people who gets in quick enough to grab one.

Lexus announced the car at the Tokyo Motor Show yesterday and has confirmed it is only building 500 of them worldwide. It’s expected, but not confirmed, that Australia will only get five of these. One of which will probably go Lexus or Toyota Australia as well so that would be four that MIGHT hit our shores.

That’s probably a good thing too because Australian roads don’t justify the use of a car like this. This is a car that deserves a track. No, this is a car that demands a track. Yes, it is that awesome.

A 4.8-litre V10 engine that generates 560PS horsepower powers the LFA. It boasts 412kW/8700rpm maximum output with maximum torque of 480N-m (48.9kgf-m)/6800rpm. It has a wheelbase of 2605mm with front engine and rear-wheel drive configuration. The supercar weighs an impressively small 1480kg.

If you have the guts to use second gear you’ll be doing it on a six-speed automated sequential gearbox. Second gear might not be such a great idea for Australian roads though, with a maximum speed of 325km/h and acceleration to 100km/h in just 3.7 seconds we would suggest you get very comfortable with first gear before you try to be a hero.

The Lexus LFA will be walking out the door with an approximate RRP of just $375,000 and pre-sales have already started. The sales period is expected to be between December 2010 and December 2012. Be warned, this is a strictly limited model so if you find some money behind the sofa, put a deposit down now!

Toyota also launched its first sports car since the dawn of time (almost) just before the LFA. Check it out here.

LexFather

Breaking: Lexus LFA to Make North American Debut at SEMA Show



Officially unveiled today at the Tokyo Auto Show, the first showing of the Lexus LFA supercar in North American will be at the SEMA Show in Las Vegas. The SEMA (Specialty Equipment Manufacturers Association) Show, which runs from November 3rd to 7th is not a public event, however, and so the first public showing of the car will happen at the L.A. Auto Show in December.

After those venues Lexus plans to show the car in Detroit (at the North American International Auto Show), Chicago, Dallas and New York. For those who get the opportunity, it will be a rare one as Lexus has said it will build just 500 LFAs at a cost of $375,000 each.

The LFA is powered by a 4.8-liter V10 engine with 552-hp and 354 ft-lbs of torque. Weighing just 3,263 lbs thanks to a chassis and body that is mostly constructed of carbon fiber, the LFA can hit 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and tops out a 202 mph!

The decision to show the car at SEMA is a bit unconventional, however, the world’s largest aftermarket parts trade show does bring together automotive enthusiasts, as well as the publications and websites that cater to them.

AutoGuide will be in attendance with live coverage of the SEMA Show starting November 3rd.

Mind18

And I don't believe it had to be the way it is purely for aerodynamics. I guess I sort of knew in the back of my mind that the production version would be tamer, but considering this is Lexus' halo/supercar, I thought they would be a bit more aggressive with the design. Again though, I'm happy that the wait is finally over, just wish it were more jaw dropping.

LexFather

Lexus debuts $375,000 supercar at Tokyo Motor Show
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/upto...otor-show.html

A $375,000 Lexus? Toyota seems to think it's a good idea. The Lexus LFA, which debuted today at the Tokyo Motor Show, isn't, after all, one of their normal wares; it's their new supercar.

The low-slung, angular body design houses a 4.8-liter V-10 engine that distributes a meaty 552 hp and 354 pound-foot of torque to the rear wheels via a six-speed sequential gearbox (don't hold your breath for a third pedal). It also clocks a 3.7-second 0-62 mph time at a top speed of 202 mph. Try racing your RX350 against that.
The price may be prohibitive, but exclusivity generally wins out; Lexus is only producing 500 units for worldwide distribution, and we have little doubt every last one will sell.

LexFather

Lexus LFA supercar

http://www.evo.co.uk/news/evonews/24..._supercar.html

The 202mph Lexus LFA supercar is finally revealed in production spec
By Stephen Dobie
21st October 2009
Lexus LFA supercar

The Lexus LFA is finally here. It’s a car with a rather long development phase – nine years – with oodles of test mules spied and some racegoing LFA’s competing in recent Nürburgring 24 hour races to help fine-tune the road car.

Perhaps the inflated development period is one of the reasons for the equally large price – around £336,000 at current exchange rates. That puts it in the same ballpark at recent supercars such as the Porsche Carrera GT and McLaren Mercedes SLR, and well over £100K more than a handling pack-equipped Ferrari 599 GTB. So what does it do to justify such a stocky outlay?

Well, the performance is fairly impressive – 0-62mph in 3.7sec and a 202mph top speed – but both figures are bettered by some of the market’s much cheaper supercars.

The car’s construction is where the money seems to go. There’s a bespoke, high revving normally aspirated 4.8-litre V10 (with 552bhp and 354lb ft), which comes mated to a six-speed sequential auto. The LFA is rear-wheel drive, and boasts a near perfect 48/52 front/rear weight distribution, thanks to the engine being front-mid mounted and the transmission being at the rear.

Key to the LFA’s dynamics is its lightweight construction, with the chassis and bodywork consisting of CFRP – carbonfibre reinforced plastic. It offers four times the strength of aluminium while weighing in at around 100kg less on an LFA-sized chunk. As a result the car is 1480kg, leading to a potent 379bhp/ton power-to-weight ratio, more than the Ferrari 599. The engine’s 115bhp/litre specific output is also ten per cent better than the Prancing Horse’s.

Dynamically, the car has had extensive development at the Nordschleife, with wishbones for the front suspension and a multilink design at the rear. Both feature extensive use of aluminium to save further weight, something also achieved by the stonking carbon ceramic brakes.

Customers can choose to delete options such as the stereo to make things even lighter, but with the LFA straddling supercar and GT genres, it’s hard to see many people obliging.

LFA production will be strictly limited to 500 cars, with a maximum of 20 cars made per month and each V10 engine being put together by a single engineer – bespoke touches that go some way to justify the price tag.

We’ve driven the Lexus LFA, and you can read our views in Issue 138 of evo, on sale November 11 2009.

LexFather

2011 Lexus LFA Test Drive: Pushing the Limits of This 552-hp Supercar Prototype

http://www.popularmechanics.com/auto...91.html?page=2



Nürburgring, Germany—Much in the way the aspiring Hollywood star needs to "do Shakespeare," Toyota felt it needed to "do supercar." Full model competence these days doesn't just include the world's best-selling hybrid, successful luxury and youth brands and a full lineup of trucks and crossovers—it also requires something mad, bad and jet-fighter fast in the showroom.

Ten years ago, Toyota instructed its Lexus luxury division to start bottling up enough super to build an eponymous car. But in a decade of development, the forthcoming LFA has seen a few specification changes, including at least one complete redesign swapping an aluminium cabin section, chassis and coachwork for carbon fiber and at least one complete restyle after less-than-positive reactions to the zany and whimsical LF-A conceptseen at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show. Recently we had a chance to test drive an LFA prototype in Germany on the famed Nürburgring race track to see how the most eagerly anticipated Lexus of all time drives.

The Specs
One glance at the specification sheet is enough to confirm that much blood and treasure has been expended on the LFA. Aluminium subframes hang off the central carbon tub and hold the wishbone front and multilink rear suspension along with the massive carbon-ceramic brake rotors. The engine is a race-derived 72-degree V10, displacing 4.8 liters with twin overhead camshafts per bank and four titanium valves per cylinder. This exotic approach to engineering typifies the whole car. Just a handful of the LFA's parts (the air-conditioning unit, for example) are shared with other Lexus or Toyota models. The V10 produces its peak 552 hp at a heady 8800 rpm, and maximum engine speed is an ear-splitting 9000 rpm. With a 354-lb-ft torque peak produced at 6800 rpm, this is perhaps not the right car to be towing an Airstream trailer with. The engine will go from idle to peak revs in just 0.6 seconds—think Formula One racing levels of throttle response here, or a Japanese race replica motorcycle.

The engine sits up front, but low and as rearward as possible for proper weight distribution. Even the oil and water pumps are on the lower rear portion of the engine block to improve the balance. Attached to the engine is a torque tube, which takes the drive to a rear-mounted six-speed manual transaxle transmission shifted via steering-wheel paddles.

Lexus LFA Photo Gallery

+ CLICK PHOTOS TO ENLARGE


Any one familiar with American cars in the 1960s will find a familiarity in the cabin, except this is '60s Americana done by Lexus. So on the reverse-sloping fascia the instrument bezels and egg-crate air vents are finished in elegantly machined aluminium instead of chrome-effect muscle car plastics. There's even a big, round, central rev counter with a digital speedometer inside that can be moved from side to side within the instrument binnacle to uncover more ancillary instruments underneath. There's even an east-west facing rotary headlamp dial on the side of the instrument binnacle, again in immaculately machined aluminium. "We sought a functional but restrained style," says Harukiko Tanahashi, the chief engineer on the project.

They found it, too. The LFA has a well-made style of its own, from the accommodating leather bucket seats, to the high dashboard which restricts vision but also gives an impression of safety and security. There's room enough for six-footers, some limited storage space around the twin seats and a trunk the size of one aircraft-hand-baggage suitcase underneath the tilting rear windscreen. The only bum note here is the carbon-fiber and leather steering wheel, which is no fun to touch, not well made and is horribly squared off.

The Drive
Vital statistics are impressive enough; 0 to 62 mph in 3.7 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph. With deliveries not scheduled until 2011, Lexus has not done any official fuel consumption testing, and the unofficial tests must have been so embarrassing that the engineers refused to even speculate what level of mpg it will return in the real world.

If that potentially crippling thirst doesn't convince you that the LFA is a supercar, then pressing the starter should assuage all doubts. That V10 bursts into life and whines into an absurdly high idle speed like an industrial fan heater. Pull the right-hand shift paddle into first and the car pulls away reluctantly, as if the single-plate clutch were sparing you the full force of the engine. Our previous experience of these types of automated manual gearboxes is that they can be pretty hard on the friction plate, although Lexus claims it's Aisin-made transmission has passed all the longevity tests. In fact, the LFA is fairly hard to maneuver round a parking lot. The transmission's recalcitrant shifting combines with the total impossibility of judging the car's extremities, so it's important that rear parking sensors are standard.

Speed up a little and the LFA still seems as ungainly as Clark Kent before he's put on the spandex tights. At medium speeds, the throttle is overly sensitive, and with the firm ride and engine so willing to answer any call, it's very easy to accidentally spin the rear wheels. You need to concentrate hard to keep your foot steady on the throttle. In fact, the LFA feels something of a handful, in the vein of a 1980s Ferrari 512 Testarossa; difficult to drive smoothly and with a character that wants to gnaw at your shinbone at the smallest error. The steering feels a bit light and the gears thwack into mesh with little mechanical sympathy. The gearbox has four programs; Normal, Wet, Sport and a very slow Automatic mode. You can adjust the shifting times down to a shuddering 0.2 seconds if someone else is paying for the clutch wear.

Speed up a whole lot more, however, and you start to realize just how super the LFA actually is. That V10 dominates the experience, with a hammering, band-saw engine note that feeds back directly into the cabin and your synapses. Power delivery is as flat as a sports bike; you add revs and it goes faster. How much faster? Plenty. Out on the new Nürburgring grand prix track, we saw 170 mph on the speedo and the LFA was still pulling incredibly hard, that V10 howling away. In Sport mode the gearbox feels incredibly good and the driveline, crisp and tight.

With most of its 1.5 tons mounted near the center and low down, the LFA turns in fast without much nose-on understeer. Get on the gas too early and the tail will come out to play, but this isn't a car with a bad temper, and the resulting slides are benign and slow enough to be nipped in the bud. At speed, the handling turns neutral with nice balance and feedback through the steering wheel. It rides well, too. Not soft, but not shake-your-teeth-loose harsh, either. For a carbon-ceramic setup, the disc brakes are fairly progressive, at least at first. In the end, however, you have to stand on them to get the ultimate stopping power. Needless to say, these are fade-free anchors.

The Bottom Line
Exclusive, with stunning performance, an exotic soundtrack and price (deep into six figures), plus an admission from Lexus that each one of the 250 limited-production run will lose money, the LFA ticks all the boxes in the lexicon of supercar. It's also genuinely charismatic, with a feel and spirit all its own. Such a pity it's at least five years too late. In 2011 when the first LFAs are delivered, MacLaren will launch its own carbon-fiber supercar at a fraction of the cost, and right now, there's formidable and a-bucket-less-expensive opposition from Nissan's GT-R . Still, as Sancho Panza would testify, to be a superhero you need to do your share of tilting at windmills and in the LFA, Lexus has shown it isn't above the pride and hubris that marks out the truly Quixotically super, supercar maker. Mission accomplished, then.

LexFather

http://www.icars.sg/2009/10067/552-h...units-planned/

Lexus has officially unveiled the LFA super car that will make its public debut at the Tokyo Motor Show this week. The LFA has its rear wheels driven by a mid-front mounted 1LR-GSE 4.8 liter DOHC V10 that produces 552 HP at 8,700 revs and 480Nm of pulling power that is achieved at 6,800 revs and 90% of it is available from 3,700 revs. The engine that features Dual VVT-i technology, equal length exhaust manifolds and high-volume, a total of 40 valves, 12-hole fuel injectors and a 12:1 compression ratio is paired with a rear-mounted 6-speed Automated Sequential Gearbox that is operated by steering-mounted paddle shifters.

The LFA also has four driving modes including Auto, Sport, Normal and Wet. 0 – 100 km/h takes only 3.7 seconds and top speed is rated at 325 km/h. The Japanese supercar which has a limited slip differential features a track-tuned suspension made up by a bespoke front wishbone and rear multilink design configuration that is mostly made of aluminium alloy.

It also has aluminium monotube dampers that were also featured in the LFA race car that took part in the Nurburgring 24-hour event. The rack and pinion setup in the LFA features an Electric Power Steering System. Braking wise, it has 390 mm and 306 mm discs for the front and rear. All discs feature a carbon ceramic construction. The front discs feature 6-piston aluminium calipers while the rear features 4 pistons.

The LFA weighs 1,480kg and sits on the ground with 20-inch aluminium BBS wheels fitted with 265/35ZR20 tires for the front and 305/20ZR20 tires for the rear supplied by Bridgestone. The Lexus made vehicle also features a carbon fiber rear diffuser, a flat underbody as well as an active rear wing. Inside the LFA is treated to seats that are finished in fine leather and Alcantara, trim details in brushed metal while the floor-hinged brake and throttle pedals are made of forged aluminium. There is also a hooded instrument panel that combines an LCD display panel with a colour Thin Film Transistor (TFT).

Only 500 examples will be made and each will set you back by about £336,000. The supercar will be hand-assembled at the Motomachi factory in Toyota City while each V10 powerplant will be assembled by one engineer. Look for more images after the jump. There is also a promo video of LFA.

LexFather

Lexus LFA supercar will be sold in UK

http://www.motortrader.com/industry-...old-in-uk.html

Lexus LFA supercar will be sold in UK
Wednesday, 21 October 2009
lexus_lfa_largeLexus has announced that its UK dealers will be able to take orders for its forthcoming LFA supercar, although worldwide production will be limited to just 500 models and it will be priced at around £336,000.

The UK allocation will be limited to just 10 models over the fie year life span of the car. Deposits can be taken by any Lexus dealer in the UK but the delivery process, for the UK and Europe, will be managed by a Lexus Park Lane.

"Outside the mainstream"
The announcement comes just one month after Lexus said it would only sell hybrid powered vehicles in the future. A spokesman for the brand told Motor Trader this will remain the case as "the LFA sits outside mainstream Lexus cars".

The rear-wheel drive LFA, revealed at this month's Tokyo Motor Show, will be powered by a new 552bhp 4.8-litre naturally aspirated V10 engine offering a top speed of 202mph and a 0 to 62mph of 3.7 seconds. Lexus claimed the engine would exceed Euro 5 emissions standards. The chassis and bodywork will be made from Carbon Fibre Reinforced Plastic.

Options
Owners can choose from a range of options to personalise their car, including 30 different paint finishes. Certain items of standard equipment can also be removed, such as the audio system, to reduce the car's weight.

Production starts at the end of 2010.

LexFather

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDsXs...layer_embedded