I think you hit the nail on the head.. Wherever they roll up to only 5% of the people staring at will know its an under performer for the $$$.. its exotic, people will drool over it..

Mike

 

I really disagree. It would be an embarrassment to show up to a car club with that thing and it's pitiful numbers. Plus after seeing it in person I think it is ugly as sin.

 

vyce77, No offense... but I don't think anyone was trying to bring up the whole "well I can build X car to beat Y car with Z amount of parts/money."

 

Well seeing I am not one of the nut hangers that will be drooling over this car, I am a car enthusiast. So what pray tell me does the LFA do you you as a car enthusiast not as a rolling ***** extension? Because there are a lot cheaper way to achieve the hey look at me car thing! Like a BMW Z8 for instance, how often do you see those?

The 20 year old kids drooling over an F40 may like the LFA but how many times are you going to get a guy driving an F40 that can go buy an LFA tomorrow to give you any kind of credit? And do you think an LFA makes a better hey look at me car than the 458 Italia a car that also provides class leading performance? ( for the time being anyway)

Lets look at reality here, the average person is going to go wow that is a very exotic looking car what is it? Than they are going to hear its a Lexus and they are going to assume a car like that should be priced at what? About $100k? Maybe $150k? Than a Ferrari 458 Italia parks next to an LFA which one do you think that they will assume cost more? I mean if you want to strictly look at superficial B.S. as a way to justify a cars value.

 

You can drool over this car and be a car enthusiast. The two are not mutually exclusive.
What does the LFA do for the car enthusiast?
- Sound worthy of the "sounds like an F1 car" compliment
- Superb build quality and attention to detail
- Driving involvement and responses
- An engine that revs like a superbike
- Exceptional high speed stability
- Trick and customizable TFT dashboard display

You think the Z8 is just as rare? They buit 11 times as many. In 2002, they sold more in the US alone than the entire worldwide run of LFAs. You can go to BMW car club events and find a handful in attendance.
The Z8 shares a drivetrain with a sedan too. And it didn't hold a candle to the 360 Modena, one of its contemporaries, in overall driving dynamics, nevermind an F430 Scuderia. Ever heard a Z8 that sounds like this?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a5jlbzabMqI

And who gives a **** if the Z8's cheaper. If that's such a concern, you were never really realistically going to afford an LFA anyway. Not everyone wants a convertible anyway. Just so you know, some people who are getting the LFA have multiple Ferraris anyway, so your competition angle is absurd. It's like asking what does a 599 offer that a 458 doesn't. I'd wager they will both depreciate significantly over time, while the LFA stands a good chance of being a collector car.

 

My post was in response to this one, about the car tangibly being worth what it is because of the look at me factor. There are a lot of rare cars out there and certainly cars with less than 500 built. But the question is are they rare because of a certain back story or simply because no one wanted one?

The Fact is Lexus and their relentless pursuit for perfection spent 10 years developing an exotic and are engineering by press release at this point. The game has moved on and forward and its a constantly changing goal post. Call me crazy but a Carrera GT would be a lot sounder place to put $375k and it doesn't sound too shabby either!

 

The back story on the LFA is that they received 1200 applicants for 500 cars, so I don't think it's a case of "no one wanting one." The cars you mentioned, Z8 & 458, are certainly not built in less than 500 units. Not even close.

With the CGT's price dropping, how can you be sure they will be more sound investments? And again, some people will have both.

 

Ok since your the only one blindly defending a car you have never driven or seen why don't you buy one? Me, I don't get the engineering by press release the non American/ German companies seem to do about their perspective halo super cars. I also don't desire to be part of the Lexus rotary loom development fund!

 

Blindly defending? No, I'm going off of published test drive reports. Not press releases. That question, and your inability to acknowledge that the examples you provided prove nothing (Z8 and 458 are not built in units of less than 500), pretty much means you've run out of ideas and should probably quit posting.

 

Going off your logic the Bugatti EB110 SS is a much better car than the LFA, Enzo, Carrera GT or Pagani Zonda even. With your logic your telling me that the people on this thread that own LP670-SV's and Carrera GT's should be putting those cars for sale in favor of the LFA? Anyone care to step forward with proof that they decided to sign on the dotted line and why?

But lets again go back to facts, you follow me around on MY threads posting your nonsense and garbage as if to discredit my knowledge. My knowledge of cars isn't in dispute here. Its your personal vendetta to shove the GTR and LFA down the throats of everyone with brute force and keyboard warrior tactics! You my friend are now reaching the rarified air of a super FAN BOI!

 

Wait, who said anything about the car being better? You brought up the Z8 and 458 as if they're just as rare (500 units, remember?). I replied that that was false. They're not just as rare. Perhaps your knowledge of cars should be disputed. What's the relevance of the EB110 SS? I have never said that car was a waste of money or a better deal than any other.
You wondered what could make the car appealing to a car enthusiast. I gave those reasons. Do you care to address those reasons, are do you want to cry like a little baby in giant red words when your argument goes in the crapper?
I don't follow you around on your threads. If I see a thread that interests me, I post in it. I've posted in other LFA threads that aren't even yours.

As for the GT-R, I'm not shoving that down everyone's throat. I gave perfectly valid reasons as to why the car is as fast as it is. And now that tests of the DCT-equipped Turbo and 458 are coming out, it seems others who agreed on my position were vindicated.
And does it sound like I'm shoving the GT-R down everyone's throat in this post? (Pay attention to the last paragraph):
https://www.6speedonline.com/forums/...ml#post2808331

At the very least, can you not at least open your mind to the possibility that people who can afford 3 Ferraris or 2 Veyrons or a $70k watch or a $100M scultpure don't look at the world with the same value system that you do?

 

LOL. Easy there, chester.

 

Are you like this in real life? The putting words in peoples mouths and trying to force people to think the way you do? Did I ever say that those cars were as rare as an LFA? If you would take off your Lexus tinted glasses you could probably read that I never said that, I was simply responding to the comment about a cars hey look at me factor not its true rarity.

Are you someone who can afford an LFA? I posted the question on this and every other LFA thread. No one has yet to step up and say they have a deposit on an LFA or they ordered one. We are not talking about a car that is a few tenths slower here and there.....we are talking about a car no faster than the GT3. Which has been known as one of the worlds great track cars, I don't see Porsche charging $375k for a GT3 RS.

I can't speak for those people, but I can speak for Lexus owners and I can also say that the things that make the Lexus brand relevant in the under $100k market are things that are not as important to me when looking for a sports car, let alone an exotic.

 

I wish Lexus would just up the powa by 100-150hp and drop the price by 100k so this good discussion turned worthless argument can be rendered pointless.

Bottomline is that the car just doesnt have the performance that its asking price and impressive overengineering suggests it should. Its merits as a technological tour-de-force is unquestioned. Its the performance thats at issue with most car dudes not its rarity, cache etc imho.

 

Then you misunderstood the other poster's comment, because he was talking about the rarity and this car's obvious differences with other Lexuses.

No, I cannot afford an LFA.
Why does it matter that no one has come forward on this forum? They have on Lexus forums. Maybe you should try your questions there.

Is it really no faster than the GT3? Take a look again.
0-130
LFA: 12.9
GT3: 14.7
That's not a few tenths.

You will see Porsche charging €169,300 (without VAT) for the 911 Sport Classic, while a GT3 RS goes for €148,727 (with VAT). Do you think the Sport Classic is as fast as the GT3 RS and as resolved on a track?

I'm sure if Porsche thought they could charge $375k on the GT3 RS with the production volume they have in mind, they would.

You are entitled to you opinion, but you're right: You can't speak for those people. Nor can you speak for Lexus owners who can afford this car.