The Lexus LFA is not only an excellent sports car, but it is also an engineering marvel and a stunning work of art.
The LFA would easily rank among the top ten designs ever made if engineering were ever considered an art form and some have even said it is one of the greatest cars Japan has ever produced.
The Lexus LFA was a two-door sports car that was as immensely stylish as it was powerful. It had a lot of potentials but it was simply too expensive.
Toyota famously lost money on each and every one of the 500 LFAs it made despite selling them for an eye-watering $375,000 each. Although the LFA was seen as a commercial failure, its popularity has grown over the past few years to the point where used cars now fetch double or even more than the manufacturer's suggested retail price.
Creating the LFA wasn't simple. Everyone is already familiar with the tale. Over the course of six years, Toyota engineered and designed the vehicle, and just as it was about to be completed, an engineer questioned whether carbon fiber would make for a better body.
After undergoing a revision, it took another four years before the car was unveiled at the 2010 Frankfurt Motor Show in its final production form, but only continued production till 2012.
The LFA was produced by Lexus from 2010 until 2012, with a total of 500 units made. 50 of them had the Nurburgring package, which provided extra 10 horsepower, a small amount of carbon fibre, and some gearbox adjustments, while the other 450 were the normal car.
Engine
A 4.8-litre V-10 engine under the hood produced 354 pound-feet of torque and 553 horsepower at a high-for-the-time 8,700 rpm.
The LFA reached 100 kmph in 3.5 seconds thanks to its impressive power, which also enabled it to reach 0.4 kilometres in just 11.8 seconds and reached a top speed of 321 kmph. The only available transmission was a six-speed manual, which was excellent but you could get the same performance or better for a lot less money at that time.
Interior
Except for the infotainment system, the LFA's interior is essentially wholly unique. The steering wheel, which preserves the classic Lexus style but has been improved upon, and the seats were both created specifically for the vehicle. Indicator stalks were even built specifically for the LFA.
Neither the center console nor the steering column of the car has a conventional gear selector. To choose between drive, reverse, and neutral, the driver instead uses the shift paddles. According to reports, performing a three-point turn is a laborious operation that involves numerous inputs.
Best sounding car of all time?
The engine's intake and exhaust manifolds were deliberately engineered to make the car sound like an older Formula One car and almost rev as high as one.
Toyota engineers openly revealed that they wanted the exhaust note to sound like the "roar of an angel."
Over the years, many carmakers claimed their cars to be the best-sounding car in the world.
While several have come close, none have stirred the same degree of passion and emotion as the LFA.
The Lexus LFA infuses its interior and surroundings with sheer automotive ecstasy, unlike some expertly engineered vehicles that can lack personality.
The Lexus LFA was an amazing car in and of itself, but Lexus just couldn't sell them all off the lots. The manufacturer declared that only 12 remained in 2017.
This announcement sparked a sales boom that resulted in the sale of three instances in 2017, two more in 2018, and three more in 2019.
So far as we can tell, there are still a handful of brand-new Lexus LFA cars available for purchase in dealerships across the US.