#197 of 500
Absolutely Red Exterior / Saddle Tan Interior
4.8L V10 Engine - 552 hp / 354 lb-ft Torque
6-Speed Automated Sequential Gearbox
Carbon-Ceramic Brakes
For Toyota, the Lexus LFA became the ultimate culmination of a decade of intense product development. The end result was a feat of engineering marvel and pure driving bliss. Toyota combined their experience in Formula 1, and hand-picked their best engineers and assemblers to produce the LFA that would be the pedigree of the Lexus F-series lineup for years to come. Their efforts put them right up there in competition with Ferrari, Lamborghini, and Porsche in terms of engineering, quality, and performance. In 2011, the LFA became the fastest production car to lap the famous Nurburgring track.
The LFA is powered by a legendary 4.8-liter V10 engine, that produces 552 horsepower and 354 lb-ft of torque with a blistering 9000 rpm redline. Toyota teamed up with Yahama to hand build the engine, using the same facility that they used to produce their Formula 1 V10 engines. The engine consists of an aluminum block and utilizes 10 individual throttle bodies that are fine-tuned to produce an incredible induction noise along with their Yahama designed surge tank. They were able to achieve a 0-9000 rpm rev travel in only 0.6 seconds. The end result was an engine tone that is regarded as one of the greatest in the world.
The suspension became the core of the LFA, chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi was an expert in suspension design and technology, and he sought out to perfect the handling and balance of the LFA platform. Components are all aluminum, with forged knuckles and control arms, utilizing a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension setup. The shocks were co-developed by KYB, it's a state-of-the-art dampener that features remote body canisters, with threaded shock bodies that allow the ride height to be adjusted for corner balancing. The internal shock pistons were coated to reduce friction and improve longevity for endurance tracking.
The brakes are Brembo carbon ceramics with monoblock calipers, 6-piston fronts, and 4-piston rears. Operated electronically using a brake-by-wire system, with a backup hydraulic system in place to complement. The transmission is a rear-mounted 6-speed automated single dry plate clutch assembly that can also be controlled manually through steering wheel column-mounted paddle shifters. The shift speed logic can be adjusted between 7 levels through 4 default modes: Auto, Sport, Normal, and Wet. Depending on the mode that the driver selects, this allows the shift speed to be adjusted from level 1, taking 1 full second to shift, all the way to level 7 that shifts in 0.15 seconds.
The LFA body and frame are largely comprised of carbon fiber which was a first for Toyota's production cars. They spent an incredible amount of effort and investment to be able to manufacture and mold the parts on a large scale. About 65% of the body is carbon fiber reinforced plastic, with the remainder comprised of aluminum. Switching over to mainly carbon fiber halfway into development was an incredible challenge, but they were able to reduce the total weight of the LFA by 220 lbs, and this was crucial in achieving the performance goals that they set at the beginning of the design process. Total curb weight measures at just over 3,200 lbs with a 48:52 front to rear weight distribution.
This particular LFA is number 197 out of 500 total builds. The odometer is currently showing only 666 miles, 33 of which were added from the factory by the engineers for post-production quality confirmations. Painted in Absolutely Red, this is a stunning bright nonmetallic red color. The interior is finished in Saddle Tan leather on the seats, door cards, center console, and steering wheel, and features a black alcantara headliner and matching carpet. The dash is covered in full black leather complemented by glossy carbon fiber trim panels, and metallic brownish-black anodized trim surrounding the center console. The interior space feels incredibly refined and full of quality materials, the best perhaps being the floor-mounted billet machined aluminum foot pedals that are undoubtedly some of the best pedals you will feel in any supercar. The gauge cluster is fully digital, with an adjustable center ring section that can move depending on the menu you're in.
This LFA is fully stock and comes with factory polished 20" forged aluminum BBS wheels, dressed with Bridgestone Potenza S001 tires, 265/35 front, and 305/30 rear. Also included are a Torsen limited-slip differential, factory carbon-ceramic Brembo brakes with yellow calipers, 10-way adjustable power seats with heaters, Mark Levinson 12-speaker premium surround-sound audio system, Bluetooth accessibility, and bi-xenon headlamps with headlamp cleaners. The sticker price in 2012 was $393,600.
The LFA is quickly appreciating into an extremely sought-after collector car. But not just that, when you get to experience firsthand everything that it has to offer, you begin to understand and appreciate the amount of effort and engineering that Toyota poured into it, and wonder why it took so long for the rest of the world to catch up to its incredible appeal. One rev to 9000 rpm out of its naturally aspirated V10 is enough to make anyone an instant fan of this incredible vehicle. The design is timeless, the quality is without question, and the tuning of the engine performance and suspension makes this an extremely usable vehicle for both the street and the track. With 500 total units, these will undoubtedly only continue to rise in value, #197 here is one of the lowest mileage LFA's in existence.