Unsung Heroics: The Lexus LFA
The only thing not to like is the price. Otherwise, the Lexus LFA is a tour de force, as both Top Gear and Car and Driver have attested to. Yes, there’s the whole image thing, but I have a hunch that’s less of an obstacle on this side of the pond than it is for TG’s Richard Hammond, speaking from a place where Lexus has made fewer inroads on the established luxury marques. Here in the US, Lexus commands if not the same, than very close to the same level of prestige as BMW or Mercedes-Benz, so their output is judged more on the actual merits of the cars and less on brand perception.
In any case, a slightly modified version of the car lapped the Nürburgring in 7:14 recently, placing itself atop the production car leaderboard, except for specialized track-only toys. It’s a remarkable achievement, and I sincerely hope it boosts the car and its manufacturer’s performance image.
Goodness knows the boost is deserved. When compared with other Japanese heavy-hitters like the Nissan GT-R, the clean-sheet LFA, with its bespoke, naturally-aspirated 552 hp V10 and passion-infused road manners, is in a class by itself. And topping it off, in my mind, is the styling, which is the only example of the new “techno-brutal” Japanese design philosophy to be actually beautiful. Well done indeed. If a new Lexus SC coupe shares some of the LFA’s attributes, I’ll be very pleased.