It's mid-January and Britain is going through one of those winter thaws where the whole island seems covered in grime. The 2011 Lexus LFA has just emerged from the workshop where technicians have spent the past hour pretending to do things to its giblets and crazy multiform surfaces. And now, whiter than the Stig's iPod, the LFA sits bang outside the showroom doors. You wonder if its angelic cleanliness is the result of some new scum-repelling lacquer developed purely for the Lexus supercar.
We have four hours with this car. That would be four hours in a $375,000, 552-horsepower car developed almost exclusively at the Nürburgring. Four hours in a car that is claimed to reach 100 km/h (62 mph) from a standstill in 3.7 seconds and that will apparently touch 202 mph. Four hours in a car that is intended to sprinkle magic dust on the Lexus brand.
But unlike anyone else in the world, we're going to spend four hours in the 2011 Lexus LFA on the roads of the real world, not just a racetrack. Our mission is to deliver one of the world's most expensive production cars to a Lexus showroom in the exclusive London district of Mayfair, so we have four hours to wend as epic a path through rural Bedfordshire as is possible.
The Starting Ritual
We set a course for some cracking technical roads not far from the Lexus technical center in Milton Keynes. Some young hoon in a drift-homage Nissan 240SX nearly swallows his tongue when he spies the Lexus, pointing and jabbering as flecks of spittle shower the inside of the Nissan's side window.
We were impressed ourselves as soon as we experienced the theatrical moment of rousing the 2011 Lexus LFA from its sleep. You enter the cabin by pushing down on a recessed flap on the door, and after the latch surrenders with a recognizable Lexus-style ker-thonk, the featherweight door glides toward you. Tumble down into the cozy chair, use the typically silent Lexus electric motors to perfect the seating position and then manually adjust the steering wheel. Before you plunge the key into the ignition barrel, admire its solid billet of titanium shrouded in carbon-fiber.
One turn of the key seems to ignite the instrument binnacle, as the Thin Film Transfer (TFT) display lights up. The tachometer pulses with dramatic reds and whites, and the redline is all the way up at 9,000 rpm. With your right thumb, you push the ignition button on the steering wheel and the starter motor spins with that distinctive high-pitched shriek that tells you there are lots of pistons on the move. Then all 10 cylinders catch with a demure brrrraaaap from the triple exhausts, and finally the 4,805cc V10 settles into a composed, judder-free idle.
We'll tell you, this thing feels indescribably special at idle. We just didn't expect the exquisite amalgam of tailor-made supercar detail and mass-produced Lexus quality and refinement.
We're Rolling
In order to save weight, the 2011 Lexus LFA disdains the usual dual-clutch automated manual for a racing-style single-clutch automated manual. First gear selects seamlessly, but then the transmission shudders through the 1st-to-2nd change.
The rear tires swiftly spool up and transform a delicate drift into a ditch-tempter of a slide.
The throttle response borders on the immediate, which takes some getting used to, and the Lexus technician riding in the passenger seat must think us an incompetent fool as the car stammers the first few yards. The only engine as free-revving and responsive as this that we've ever experienced has been the Porsche Carrera GT's 612-hp 5.7-liter V10. The resemblance is uncanny, from the heavy, lash-free action of the throttle pedal to the rabid way the engine accumulates revs. Even the noise is there — higher-pitched than the V10s from Audi, BMW and Lamborghini, more shriek than warble.
The LFA's ride is busy but not jarring, and the refinement is pretty good given that the subframes that locate the suspension are hung from a stiff carbon-fiber tub that is bound to transmit vibration. These wide, specially made Bridgestone tires — 265/35ZR20s in front, 305/30ZR20s in the rear — grumble on anything less than virgin asphalt, plus there's some suspension noise as well, but overall the 2011 Lexus LFA feels about as relaxed on the pavement as a Ferrari 599 GTB, which makes it entirely happy as we trundle away.
This isn't a car in which the mere flex of a right toe has you surging past lesser traffic. The pedal works in a great arcing motion and this offers the driver more control over the energy released to the rear differential. So you squeeze the throttle a little farther each time on this damp surface, feel the tires claw at the tarmac and then push deeper into the footwell, hoping to trigger the traction control and, at the very least, understand where the electronics think the limit exists under such conditions.
One Hour Gone
As we drive through some corners, we try to take the measure of a chassis with a weight distribution of 48 percent front/52 percent rear that has been developed diligently in endless laps at the Nürburgring Nordschleife (and even several races in the Nürburgring 24 Hours). And of course we're doing so in a damp, gravel-covered, 2nd-gear bend in Bedfordshire. It's the usual squalid road test of an exquisite automobile, like choosing Yate's Wine Bar for your girl to model a Dolce & Gabbana cocktail dress. Ah, well, a supercar by Lexus has to work everywhere, right?
Matters quickly turn lively when you disable the stability control. When you turn the steering wheel, the car responds. The steering ratio is fast but just the right side of frantically fast, so you don't have to nibble away at the steering wheel to find an apex. But the transition from steering to throttle as you accelerate out of the corner needs to be finely judged. Push a little too hard and the rear tires swiftly spool up and transform a delicate drift into a ditch-tempter of a slide.
Gradually you get a better feeling for the delicacy of the controls and acclimate to the subtle messages that stream through the chassis. The car's 102.6-inch wheelbase actually feels short and brings with it all the expected benefits in terms of agility, so even though the 2011 Lexus LFA is very wide, it doesn't feel too big for everyday use. The steering never really comes alive at these speeds, though.
Two Hours Gone
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. It is a mesmerizing collage of designs and materials that still displays fanatical attention to detail.
The titanium shift paddles offer slightly different levels of effort (the upshift is marginally lighter) and the indicator stalks are little slithers of metal that operate with the type of precision that has you tweaking them purely for recreation. The center console rises up high to your right, with the screen for the navigation system buried within it, and the joystick interface control is placed perfectly by your right hand. Flawlessly made carbon-fiber trim pushes up against exotic metals, while the hand-stitched leather is supple and expensive. As a place to enjoy, be comfortable and operate a machine, this might be our favorite supercar cabin of them all. Never thought we'd hear ourselves say that.
You certainly wouldn't hear yourself say such a thing in the LFA at high speed, because this car makes some noise. LFA chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi is pretty obsessed with the car's musical attributes, and he's made it a very vocal sports car. Induction and exhaust noises are ducted into the cabin and the result is an ever-changing melee of mechanical sounds. At first you grin at the idea of a Lexus with such an obstreperous personality, but after three hours these sounds become an irritating drone, at least if you're cruising down the M1 to London. You can only alleviate the annoyance with a punch of throttle, which is no great hardship.
When you do this, the LFA gets moving. Some 552 hp might not sound like much these days, but this car weighs just 3,263 pounds. The combination translates into some ferocious performance once the V10 is fully lit, which is at anything above 3,000 rpm. Once the tachometer reaches 4,000 rpm, the engine is pulling very hard. When you get to 7,500 rpm, the noise from the engine, road and wind is intimidating and you think it's time for another gear but there's still 2,000 rpm to go before the fuel cutout cries foul. The last 2,000 rpm is completely explosive, and as the tachometer needle bears down on the 9,000 rpm redline, the LFA's V10 is at once dignified and deranged.
Three and a Half Hours Gone
We've got about 30 minutes in north London traffic to go, and we're following the directions from the navigation system while soaking up tunes from the Mark Levinson hi-fi. What a strange, fascinating car this is.
We've deliberately avoided any talk of the 2011 Lexus LFA's list price of $375,000 until now, because having spent the day (well, four hours) in this car, the price doesn't strike us as especially relevant. That'll sound absurd to many of you, but this car isn't a normal retail proposition, not even in the abnormal reality of Planet Supercar. Just 500 will be made, some 150 of which will go to the United States and only 70 of which are destined for Europe (18 of them to the U.K.). Perhaps the biggest compliment we can pay this Lexus is to say that it doesn't feel like a bad value.
There are faster supercars and more dramatic-looking supercars than the 2011 Lexus LFA, and all of them have a more appealing badge than this one. But we're nevertheless ever-so-slightly smitten by the LFA. The execution is very good — especially that monster V10 — and the details are stunning. Chances are, most people will never see one, and you shouldn't underestimate the power of this.
Most of all, we adore the incongruous mix of refined Lexus values and harsh supercar tech. It's like Marmite and strawberries, only it works. They were a good four hours.
Portions of this content have appeared in foreign print media and are reproduced with permission.
Add A Comment »
turtle99 says:
05:50 AM, 06/03/2010
well... I agree that the interior is just outstanding. Performance is 552 hp, 3.7 sec... this is great performance, but still slower than 599, GTR specV, R8 V10. Anyone can notice that Lexus put lots of efforts with originality in design. However, still the exterior is not there yet.
Price is around 400k, which is higher than any cars mentioned above. Since there are lots of Lexus fans around, and some of them may want to buy it... but I wouldn't with the heavy price tag.
charlesb says:
12:50 PM, 02/22/2010
Just what Toyota needs to swing public opinion back in their favor post-recall debacle a toy for the top tenth of one percent. I'll bet they don't really build 500 of these things.
g_k says:
01:57 PM, 02/20/2010
That's Thin Film Transistor, not Transfer.
lzks says:
10:50 AM, 02/20/2010
Ya all are stupid. So Aston One77 performance is worth 1 million euro? What about Lambo reventon? I'm sure those companies make tons of money selling those. But at least Lexus doesn't. Yes, I would rather buy something else myself. But this car has its own merit. And rest assured, all those stupid enough to think ZR1 will outperform, forget it. Just forget it. I KNOW this outperforms ZR1.
atlvalet says:
07:25 PM, 02/18/2010
550 hp is plenty of thrust? I guess when you don't have all that much power, you talk about "driving experience." But from a Lexus? C'mon. Toyota hasn't build anything decent since the Supra. This thing is a POS. The Carrera GT is cool. This abortion is not. I'd rather have a Ford GT if you're gonna put me in a limited production car.
godofgambler says:
06:28 PM, 02/18/2010
I agree. The car does look like Nissan 300ZX with body kit. At $400K or so, I'd better off buying a Ferrari instead. To me, this car's price range should be same as Audi R8.
aston_dbs says:
12:32 PM, 02/18/2010
Thank you, rakekniven!
'stingray454', please next time do some research before making comment...
Even though this car is 'lease' only, the reason I put 'Buy/Lease' is that
I'm sure some people are 'well connected' and perhaps able to be an exception and 'buy' this car for themselves...
Like I said: 'People with money to burn!'
According to Toyota: even with $400k+ price tag, they still lose money for EACH of the LFA they produced...
That's what I like... Build it for the passion of engineering and driving experience!!
Still my opinion: Sweet and one-of-a-kind Super car!
"rakekniven says: Actually Lexus will only be offering the LFA on a lease agreement, just like the Enzo and other halo cars, they don't want people buying them on speculation to sell at a markup later."
"stingray454 says: Lease??? Toyota is not going to lease an LFA to anybody. Those who have the money to afford a car like the LFA do not need to rely on lease financing to drive one. The vast majority buy one with cash. If you need to finance an LFA, or any car in its price range, then you are a tool and can't actually afford one. Financing a toy that you don't need is complete stupidity, IMO. Pay cash or don't buy it until you can."
eldaino2 says:
12:02 PM, 02/18/2010
sherief:
have you driven it? if not you cant really comment on how the visceral and brutal the 'driving experience' is.
eldaino2 says:
12:00 PM, 02/18/2010
wjtinatl:
i'm not saying its pretty, but there are other cars more deserving of the 'ugly' moniker. besides beauty is in the eye of the beholder and no one is forcing you to buy a car that you find gross looking.
forced induction changes the name of the game...sucking epic amount of horspower out of an n/a engine is an art form...either you appreciate it or you dont, as as evidenced by the semi-crude cars you just compared it to, that speaks worlds of your 'appreciation'.
fbo says:
03:40 AM, 02/18/2010
LOOKS LIKE A 93 300ZX WITH BODY KIT :)
wjtinatl says:
09:28 PM, 02/17/2010
Jeez... all these years in development and 300k + and it's... ugly? The interior may be spectacular, I'll never be able to get beyond the exterior. It is a Tour de Force of technology and wretched excess however! Surprised all that technology in the "monster" V-10 only equals the output of a Shelby GT500 or ZR1 'Vette however, forced induction or no.
svt_man says:
08:45 PM, 02/17/2010
What an ugly mess. That's all I have to say. I'm glad only 500 are going to be made. If there were more, I'd likely have to gouge my eyes out. Nothing can match the beauty of an Aston Martin. Period.
ne1butu2 says:
07:32 PM, 02/17/2010
This car is out of its league. If it were only $100k and presented to me beneath a custom fit carbon fiber cheese cloth to the sounds of a live orchestra, it would still not be good enough, attractive enough or appealing enough to be a serious consideration. How Lexus think it can get away with something that looks like a kit car is astonishing. It's not that I want this car to fail, because I enjoy the products that result from visionaries. But except for the comical arrogance of Toyota charging over $300k for anything, I really just don't care about this... ahem... "exotic" at all.
_advance_ says:
07:12 PM, 02/17/2010
It would really suck if the throttle got stuck...
sheikha says:
04:24 PM, 02/17/2010
this is piece of crap... will never spend a $1 on this even if i had money to burn. I totally agree with "cz75" comment... ppl with money will buy establish brand cars not LEXUS ---come on now...
not to mention it looks UGLY --- REALLLY UGLY.
jbrown08 says:
01:57 PM, 02/17/2010
LISTEN TO SHERIF, that is exactly 100% correct that is someone who knows about cars thank you for those experienced words bravo
sherief says:
11:00 AM, 02/17/2010
I saw an LF-A at the LA Auto Show, and up close I thought it looked pretty good. Like the GT-R, its design is form following function, but I like the LF-A's execution much more.
That interior...wow, it's gorgeous. Possibly my favorite ever. If I can find a high res image it will be my new desktop.
The price is somewhat unavoidable, considering all the headaches and time that were associated with developing this thing. Were Lexus to decide that they would expand production to a few thousand units, it would be signficantly cheaper.
"Only" 550hp. Get real. That is plenty of thrust. Drive the thing and enjoy it. Unlike the GT-R, the LF-A is not about the numbers. It's actually about the driving experience.
I love the soundtrack of this thing, and I love how the driving experience is so brutal and visceral, and matched with Lexus' levels of build quality and refinement. Were it not for the unavoidable price I think this would be the perfect supercar.
cz75 says:
01:52 PM, 02/17/2010
If the "commoners" don't care for it, how are you going to psychologically extend your penis size with such an expenditure? Those with etablished money will buy the established brands to awe the serfs and won't be impressed with an ugly, overpriced and underpreforming Japanese upstart.
icecubefosho says:
01:43 PM, 02/17/2010
Yeah I read before that this is a lease-only vehicle.
rakekniven says:
12:40 PM, 02/17/2010
"stingray454 says:
11:27 AM, 02/17/2010
Lease??? Toyota is not going to lease an LFA to anybody. Those who have the money to afford a car like the LFA do not need to rely on lease financing to drive one. The vast majority buy one with cash. If you need to finance an LFA, or any car in its price range, then you are a tool and can't actually afford one. Financing a toy that you don't need is complete stupidity, IMO. Pay cash or don't buy it until you can."
Actually Lexus will only be offering the LFA on a lease agreement, just like the Enzo and other halo cars, they don't want people buying them on speculation to sell at a markup later.
lt1boy says:
12:32 PM, 02/17/2010
The first picture of the LFA perfectly portrays where it'll be - always behind the GT-R.
freyhoven says:
11:55 AM, 02/17/2010
Looks nice, the constant drone is a big turn off. For the money I can find something more spectacular. It'll be a one of a kind car that only 990 people want in the whole world, the other 10 won't be able to get rid of it. Owning one of these will be like bragging how you own and Edsel.
raytheater says:
11:35 AM, 02/17/2010
delraylocal - kuruma wa mimikui unchi desu. (car is ugly poo in japanese, I think).
Aside from that, I like the car, it is something totally unlike Lexus. Awesome engine note as well.
stingray454 says:
11:27 AM, 02/17/2010
"aston_dbs says:
10:11 AM, 02/17/2010
Those who whine "I rather have this/that..." simply cannot afford this car.
Accept this: those who buy/lease this LFA do it because of 1 reason and 1 reason only:"
Lease??? Toyota is not going to lease an LFA to anybody. Those who have the money to afford a car like the LFA do not need to rely on lease financing to drive one. The vast majority buy one with cash. If you need to finance an LFA, or any car in its price range, then you are a tool and can't actually afford one. Financing a toy that you don't need is complete stupidity, IMO. Pay cash or don't buy it until you can.
aston_dbs says:
11:25 AM, 02/17/2010
Gosh... Looking more at the Interior, I must say that I almost cannot take my eyes off of it.
I keep imagining to slowly rub my hand on the smooth leather surface (Is that the 'Start' button on the left of the steering wheel?)
Saw the clip of Top Gear on Youtube, I must say the noise from inside the car is intoxicating as well...
Can't believe I'd say this: this Lexus is another Sex on Wheel (other than my fav: the DBS)
sherief says:
11:00 AM, 02/17/2010
I saw an LF-A at the LA Auto Show, and up close I thought it looked pretty good. Like the GT-R, its design is form following function, but I like the LF-A's execution much more.
That interior...wow, it's gorgeous. Possibly my favorite ever. If I can find a high res image it will be my new desktop.
The price is somewhat unavoidable, considering all the headaches and time that were associated with developing this thing. Were Lexus to decide that they would expand production to a few thousand units, it would be signficantly cheaper.
"Only" 550hp. Get real. That is plenty of thrust. Drive the thing and enjoy it. Unlike the GT-R, the LF-A is not about the numbers. It's actually about the driving experience.
I love the soundtrack of this thing, and I love how the driving experience is so brutal and visceral, and matched with Lexus' levels of build quality and refinement. Were it not for the unavoidable price I think this would be the perfect supercar.
fuhteng says:
10:32 AM, 02/17/2010
delraylocal - recently the Japanese term for "ugly piece of poo" is Acura.
aston_dbs says:
10:11 AM, 02/17/2010
Those who whine "I rather have this/that..." simply cannot afford this car.
Accept this: those who buy/lease this LFA do it because of 1 reason and 1 reason only:
The rights to brag that they have money to burn.
Other than this car, they probably already own 458, 599, LP640, Carrera GT, DBS, you name it. They just got bored and wanted to burn some more of their money.
So, please just make the comment about the car/performance/shape/specs, etc, but keep the pointless whine to yourself.
cr_driver says:
09:24 AM, 02/17/2010
I`ll have the amazing 458 italia, which is a ferrari by the way, not a simple lexus, and pocket the change to boot!
Later on we`ll see how good or bad the new mclaren is.
jeepsrt says:
08:55 AM, 02/17/2010
I would rather have the GT-R parked in front of it and buy a ZR1 and a Ferrari 458 italia for about what this ugly Lexus costs. Seriously it is is so overpriced it is a joke.
delraylocal says:
08:13 AM, 02/17/2010
How do you say looks like an ugly peice of poo in Japanese!
aux1 says:
07:37 AM, 02/17/2010
great car
check out this review: http://aux.akashjshah.com/2009/10/car-of-the-week-lexus-lfa/
stingray454 says:
07:24 AM, 02/17/2010
That TFT display is a nifty idea, but the projected gauges are difficult to read, and the half analog, half digital look makes it even more difficult to read (i.e. a bar graph versus a needle for the temp gauges). I find it funny that the author found the TFT display 'hi tech' when the 1984 Corvette used digital bar graph gauges and got slammed for it back then, and TFT displays have been around in use on laptops for the last 15 years. The Ford Fusion hybrid also uses a TFT display, and to much greater effect than the LFA.
Nonetheless, the LFA is a pretty cool car, albeit absurd.
yellowmiata says:
06:43 AM, 02/17/2010
"552 hp might not sound like much these days"
words only spoken by dragsters and journalists
hondacura4 says:
06:35 AM, 02/17/2010
- I'm absolutely in love with the LFA's drivetrain as the engines rev characteristics are even more urgent than the overly urgent F20C in my S2000. If you're used to large displacement engines you probably wont like these types of high revving engines as they are intentionally more involving and not relaxed in an way.
- Interior styling is another area that I like. It's subtle, understated, timeless yet modern all at the same time with typical Lexus like build and material quality. The gauge cluster with its TFT display is simply magnificent!
- Exterior styling......I like it but it doesn't seem quite finished. It's missing a few details here and there. The sillohette is great but the design elements and lack of detailing make it a bit boring.
- The price....given Lexus spent YEARS developing this car which uses it's own dedicated platform, engine and everything else I expected this car to be expensive. However that and the fact that there will only be 500 units produced makes that price go up even further. Lexus should consider making more units as that would certainly help the price go down. However it is a lease.
- The performance....great performance but it really doesn't raise the bar in any sort of way however it's certainly competitive with what's currently offered.
fuhteng says:
05:46 AM, 02/17/2010
I'm inclined to agree with Mr. Harris. It is incredibly pricey, but in this super-car company, it can be. Good for Lexus for building it, but I wish their efforts had gone into a new Supra instead. Maybe this car will help them with the Supra.
notabigdeal - I still don't get how ANYONE can eat vegemite/marmite. That stuff is awful! It is literally poo from the beer-making process, with an equal weight of salt. Yuck.
sixwheeler says:
04:51 AM, 02/17/2010
Okay, an engine that sounds and feels like a Carrera GT's and a ride that's just like a 599 GTB's. So, then, what's special about it?
gts09 says:
12:33 AM, 02/17/2010
LMAO at the LooFA comment
dutchdabomb says:
11:42 PM, 02/16/2010
The closing says:
"We've deliberately avoided any talk of the 2011 Lexus LFA's list price of $375,000 until now..."
But you mentioned it in the opening:
"That would be four hours in a $375,000, 552-horsepower car..."
alexdi says:
11:32 PM, 02/16/2010
"Some 552 hp might not sound like much these days..."
That made me laugh. At equal prices, would you prefer this car to a 458 Italia? Or even a ZR1?
notabigdeal says:
10:27 PM, 02/16/2010
I doubt that people here know what marmite is. Me growing up in Aussi-land will vouch and say DON'T TRY MARMITE WITH STRAWBERRIES. We call it vegemite, but whatever. I love vegemite and have actually dipped strawberries into a jar once (big waste of strawberries). I've also tried eating it with carrots (this one is ok), Steak (don't), and rice (really don't).
Notice i'm ignoring the supercar because i'll never afford one.
desmolicious says:
09:43 PM, 02/16/2010
Looks like a loofa, no wonder they called it the LooFA
cz75 says:
09:13 PM, 02/16/2010
I would also note that this car looks best viewed from above and that the rear end is pitifully ugly.
cz75 says:
09:12 PM, 02/16/2010
Where are the rest destined for? The US and Europe seem to be getting less than their share based on wealth and market size. I imagine the Middle East will get a large proportion.