The Lexus LFA is often spoken of with awe and reverence — after all, this was Lexus’ halo car, and with a very limited production run of just 500 units. This made it a rare sight to behold, and its no-compromises development meant that this was the best that Toyota could make. However, it also meant that it took the company seven years from the first prototype in 2003 to starting production in 2010. This was an insanely long time for any vehicle model and is one of the things you should know about the LFA.
Despite Toyota putting all its effort into making the LFA as perfect as possible, it unfortunately didn’t sell all too well. Even if it only had a limited production run, it took the company a few years to clear its inventory. With no one buying this pricey supercar, Lexus decided to discontinue the best car they ever made. In fact, Lexus sold three brand-new LFA models in 2019, some seven years after it went out of production, showing how long it took the company and its dealers to move their inventory.
You can say that this was a commercial failure, especially as LFA initially stood for Lexus Future Advance. It was eventually renamed to Lexus F-Sports Apex when it entered production to follow its F performance branding. But even if it did not sell well, the LFA was still a technical masterpiece, especially with its special V10 engine. The company also launched an even more exclusive Nürburgring Edition, of which only 50 were made.
The LFA was the first Lexus supercar
Despite not selling well, the Lexus LFA was indeed the first supercar the company made. It’s still the top model in the fastest cars that Lexus (or Toyota) has ever made, with the car boasting a 0-60 time of 3.6 seconds and a top speed of 202 mph. This is substantially faster than some of the fastest Toyota cars ever, with the 2022 Toyota Supra that tops this list only hitting 0-60 in 3.9 seconds and a top speed of 160 mph.
But aside from raw speed, the car itself is also a darling on the track. According to Lexus UK Magazine, Toyota Chief Test Driver and Chief Test Engineer Hiromu Naruse said that it should have a front-mounted mid-engine design for the perfect balance, with “a chassis that would reward the adventurous yet keep the less talented safe.”
With production ending in 2012, Toyota and Lexus have yet to launch another supercar that will replace the LFA. However, we might not have to wait long to see its replacement, especially as we’ve already spotted some prototypes being tested in Nürburgring. Hopefully, the rumored Lexus LFR is real, and we won’t have to wait several years before we see it in showrooms. Maybe this time, Lexus will give it the right price and those with the money would come in droves to buy them.
