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Lexus LFA – Love at first sight.

Lexus has long been a luxury car contributor to the motoring world, so when it was announced that they have been working on a 200mph supercar, I was quite skeptical about it. I mean, Lexus? With a supercar? Is it going to be hideous? Is it going to be a total failure? Is it going to tarnish their name altogether? There were the ones who thought it would be a step too high, and then there were the people who were pretty excited as to how this supercar would actually turn out afterall. Either way, in one way or another, everyone wanted to see what this 200mph lexus supercar was going to be all about. Did lexus pull this one off?
First came the figures.A naturally aspirated V10 engine, 552 bhp, six-speed automated sequential gearbox, top speed of 203mph, 0-100km/h in 3.7 seconds. Not bad, sounds like a proper supercar to me. Then came the price,a whopping US$375,000. We all know Lexus is technically Toyota and they weren’t the best at making supercars before this. So to command a hefty price tag for something this company has never tried before (a shot at a 200mph supercar that is), I hoped for the best nevertheless.
The Lexus LFA was unveiled on the 21st of October 2009 at the 41st biennial Tokyo Motor Show. A white supercar with a carbon fiber roof and a rear spoiler that would automatically be deployed at speeds above 50mph. I fell in love with the car the moment I saw the pictures. Before this, no supercar was my dream car, the Ferraris and Lamborghinis were just another supercar to me, none had made an impact for me to even consider them as my dream car. But the LFA (Lexus Fuji Apex) made me fall in love at first sight. Many might agree it isn’t the prettiest car to start with, as compared to the 458 Italia or a Lamborghini Gallardo or even a Porsche 911 (997) for that matters. The sharp edges of the LFA meant it was made to cut through the wind, the vents by the sides of the car meant cool air being taken in just to cool the brakes, the rear spoiler was built to stop this car from banging onto a tree. Everything on this car was built for a purpose, not for looks.
A worthy rival was born then, to compete with the other supercar makers, but one thing separated the LFA from the many that are around today, that V10 sound. Toyota seeked Yamaha’s help to specially tune this V10,(which was what they did with the 2000GT as well) to sound like nothing that has ever came out of a supercar before , but close to that of a high-revving F1 car. It was tuned such that the driver would hear the sound as how Lexus wanted it to be heard. So I thought the looks of this car and its purpose was enough to make me fall in love, but then came the note of this V10 which blew my mind. A high revving V10 engine that revs to 9000rpm at redline was just the icing on the cake on a supercar, besides, what’s a supercar without a sweet note? The engine revs so quickly (0.6 seconds, to be precise) to redline that Lexus claimed an analogue system would not keep up with the pace of the engine, and therefore went digital. A Rev counter appears on the screen once you press that “start engine” button, and that’s just the beginning of how technologically advanced this Japanese supercar is. Toyota spent 10 years to draw this car up from scratch, every single item on this car is made specifically for the LFA at the Motomachi plant in Japan. Every car that comes out of this factory is numbered for exclusivity. Only 500 would ever be made, and no, money can’t buy this car. That’s right, Lexus has to invite you to purchase this car, not the conventional way of purchasing a car, I know. In other words, for normal cars, you choose the car, but for the case of the LFA, the car chooses you. If indeed you want to purchase this car even after realizing Lexus did not handpick you (ouch), then you would have to write in to them stating why you are deserving of their most priced asset to date.
Production for the LFA started in December 2010 with just 20 to be made each month until the 500 mark has been met. The V10 engine is hand-built by Lexus takumis( the best craftsmen from Toyota handpicked by Lexus) together with the rest of the car in accordance to buyer specifications. Why a V10 instead of a V8 or a V12 even you may ask.Well Lexus chose a V10 because of its capability of revving higher than a V8 but just as big as a V8, while opting for the V10 instead of a V12 because of its mass. Pink exterior? With a black interior? You got it. Black exterior with a red interior? Sure. Lexus has 28 standard exterior colors for the LFA, and other special colors are available upon special orders of course!
When you think LFA, you have to think exclusivity. With only 6 in Singapore currently, an LFA is always going to be hard to spot. My wait to ever see and touch an LFA ended when I was on holiday in Australia. A small town 200km off Brisbane called Byron Bay was a huge tourist attraction for its lighthouse that had the best view of the sunrise/sunset. Little did I know, that an LFA was parked 20 meters behind me when I got off the car to check the beach out. My jaws dropped, and I walked as fast as I could to my dream car. It was then I knew why this car was my dream car, and why it made me tick. I felt chills down my spine as if I was on a first date. This was LFA #10. Though I didn’t get to hear the sound of it (owner was fast asleep!) I snapped away at every angle of this beauty. I spent 45 minutes just looking at the car, admiring its beauty, knowing what’s beneath that bonnet that makes this car rev so high and make that amazing sound.
It isn’t the prettiest, it isn’t the fastest, and definitely isn’t the cheapest in the supercar world. But Lexus have pulled off a masterpiece showcasing their technological advancements, their attention to detail and though a supercar, still retaining that lexus refinement and luxury. As their motto goes, “Pursuit of Perfection” is what they have made parts of this car to be, perfect. The sad fact that I might never be able to purchase an LFA (second-hand of course) hasn’t stopped me from getting a 1:18 scale model of this beauty which sits on my desk in a clear acrylic case. While many wouldn’t justify the price tag, I’d say this car is still worth it, why? Because… have you heard that V10 note yet?

(“ Lexus LFA- Love at First Sight “ by Muhammad Salmaan)

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