The first ever Lexus supercar
The LFA is the first Lexus supercar. Described variously as 'bonkers', 'scary' and 'weird', it has been a decade in the making
This is the first Toyota Lexus supercar, and has been a decade in the making, says Andrew English in The Daily Telegraph. And at first glance, you may wonder where the drama is. But although unusual, the styling works: "someone's put a lot of love into the LFA". The cabin is "delightful"; the engine "extraordinary".
The cabin is an unalloyed triumph, says English. The fascia feels "pleasingly retro and is beautifully finished". The V10 engine sits low and well back in the chassis, says Evo, and produces 552bhp at 8,700rpm. It's more an assertive car than a beautiful one, says Evo, but it has "neat detailing" such as the rear wing.
To drive it feels "heavy and unwilling" and "edgy and unsettled" when you pull away, but once you get driving it hard "this nervous feeling disappears" and the depth of its competency is revealed". The LFA is "a very serious machine, but one that also wants to play". In short, it's "scary, weird, wildly expensive and without any discernable practicality or purpose". In other words, it's a "bonkers" and "bona fide" supercar.
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The only downside is the price, says John Simister in Evo. It's six times the price of a Nissan GT-R, which makes it a "touch pricey". But there's no doubting that it's "explosively entertaining"; a "great machine" that was worth the decade-long wait.
Price: £340,000. On sale April 2010.
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