There are still a dozen unsold Lexus LFAs in the USA

[RocZX]

There is still 12 unsold LFA in the US.

While we were digging through automaker sales figures for July, we found a few odd sales of discontinued cars, but the strangest by far was the inclusion of the Lexus LFA in Toyota's numbers. Apparently, a dealersold one in July, and even more amazingly, six were sold last year. This is remarkable because production ended for the LFA way back in 2012, and there weren't many examples to begin with. So we reached out to Toyota for more info, and we have good news, sort of, if you missed out on buying a new one when the car was, well, really new.

According to a Toyota representative, there are currently 12 LFAs around the country that are officially classified as dealer inventory. We also asked about overseas cars, but apparently those numbers weren't available. Still, 12 technically new LFAs is a shocking number. The representative also gave us a detailed explanation from Lexus International on how this might have happened.

Basically, for the U.S. market, Lexus said the company intended to only take purchase orders on LFAs from customers to avoid price gouging and speculation. However, in 2010, orders started to drop off, and to make sure cars weren't sitting at the factory, the company allowed existing LFA holders to order a second car, and also allowed dealers and executives to order cars for themselves or for selling at dealerships, and some of the dealer-ordered cars still come up from time-to-time as new sales.

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[1241Penguin]

There is still 12 unsold LFA in the US.

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I'm a bit surprised by that. One or two maybe, but 12? Damn. Maybe if left mint for the next ten years, it could double in price like a certain Japanese ecobox.

 

[Eunos_Cosmo]

I'll pay $60k for one.

I do wonder how low they would be willing to go to move them. $180k? less?

 

[05XR8]

The more people that phone in, add $2000 per enquiry.

 

[Silver Arrows]

I'll pay $60k for one.

I do wonder how low they would be willing to go to move them. $180k? less?

$200k probably, nothing less.

 

[McLaren]

I've talked a little about this before. Some interesting stats: 4 of the 12 are Nurburgring Editions. 4 of the 12 also listed by 1 dealership. 2 of those 4 by said dealer are aforementioned Nurburgring Editions. And besides 1 dealer, you won't find any of the 12 listed on public inventory, either.
Now, here's some info you won't find in the article: a few of the cars are definitely sold or in some form of use (1 car has 30,000+ miles & all but 1 of the 4 Nurs have mileage; 1 is pushing 20,000 miles). All LFAs are due to go through Toyota HQ's by the end of the year to have a recall done. Some have already gone through California and I expect a few to appear through here in Dallas' new location now that the HQ is open, so one will know when/if any of these cars have been used since their last service report.

What this leads me to believe are a few theories.
1. It's human error and some of these cars were not removed from their inventories after the sale.
2. The cars are not officially registered because they are in use by Toyota/Lexus/dealer.
3. The cars that are still showing delivery mileage are possibly considered to be part of the dealer's "collection", and available for sale to anyone willing to make an inquiry once seen. They may also be waiting to see if used market values rise before publicly advertising them. If LFA values approach MSRP levels, these cars will become highly desirable. The current market could indicate that with most no longer posting their asking prices.

I'll pay $60k for one.

I do wonder how low they would be willing to go to move them. $180k? less?

$200k probably, nothing less.

They go for over $300,000 on the used market alone; we moved one at $340,000+ not long ago.

We tried to make an inquiry for one of these 12 listed cars at work for one of our clients, and we were rejected b/c they would rather sit on the car than allow us to move it. Dealers that have them will not let them go.

 

[Joey D]

I think I found the one listed by the dealer, it was Lexus of Arlington outside Chicago.

From what I found it sounded like a lot of these are actually the dealer owner's cars and they just drive around with them on dealer plates to avoid paying a fortune.

 

[SagarisGTB]

$200k probably, nothing less.

LOL
How many crashes would an LFA have to go through to be sold for "only" $200k.

Even in USA, where LFAs didn't sell out quickly like the rest of the world and are consequently relatively inexpensive, they are listed at 350k+.

In Europe, very low mileage cars are listed for insane prices.

 

[Doomotron]

It's @Jordan's new company car!

 

[Nielsen]

Because it's a Lexus trying to compete in a tough segment.

 

[Schmiggz]

Very strange indeed... the price seems to be at the same levels as competition makers and it's uniqueness should be apelative enough for people that like to fly outside the Ferrari, Porsche, Lamborghini standard thing.
Maybe Lexus should put a greater afford on racing projects throughout Europe and North America to remind (rich) people that they also have a supercar.

 

[Joey D]

As @McLaren noted and I talked about in the article, it's not that they aren't selling. It's more due to the fact that many dealers use them as "show cars" or dealer owners just drive them on dealer plates so they don't have to pay to register them.

Obviously for the right price though, a dealer would probably part with it.

 

[ALB123]

I still think the car has been a complete flop. Performance numbers on the Nurburgring Edition are very impressive. There's no denying that. At the end of the day it's still just a Lexus. As we have seen since 2012 when this beauty came out people weren't exactly busting down dealer doors to get their hands on one. Personally, I thought they should have sold the thing for like $250,000 even if it meant selling them at a loss. Manufacturers have had to do that with other cars in the past. Even if this story is slightly incorrect, I still believe this car has been an overall embarrassment to Lexus.

 

[McLaren]

And you'd believe wrong. Lexus was and always has been proud of the LFA. They sold them at a loss of even $400,000 bc they essentially, restarted production at one point opting for a carbon fiber body.

In comparison, the car didn't fair too well in its price bracket, but as a car, just by itself, it's an amazing machine to experience. It was a solid try into the exotic market that ended up doing alright despite a rocky launch.

Even today, the LFA is continuously brought up in marketing seminars for Lexus, esp to showcase the link between it and the LC.

 

[Joey D]

Even if this story is slightly incorrect, I still believe this car has been an overall embarrassment to Lexus.

What's incorrect about the story?

 

[infamousphil]

Money to burn? LOL, you don't have to 'couple' an application process and promise to drive the car to justify a 400k purchase. Maybe the car ain't worth the cost PERIOD. The LFA certainly isn't a wonderful thing to look at either. AND... there are much better looking Lexus out there. IMMHO, if I'm going to brougham a half a million dollar whip on some of the worst roads of the civilized world, I'd better look good in it at least because I cain't drive worth a damn

 

[Joey D]

Money to burn? LOL, you don't have to 'couple' an application process and promise to drive the car to justify a 400k purchase.

You did when it was first launched. He's the first article that pops up on Google, but it's pretty well documented on various Lexus forums.

http://www.nydailynews.com/news/mon...car-hot-approved-company-buy-article-1.195299

 

[VYPA-SQUAD_Ace]

My boy's ex-girlfriend owned one. Her's was the Nurburgring Edition. I need to see if I can get in contact with her to see if she wants to buy another since that was her baby until she got a hole in her radiator..

 

[Bram Turismo]

I still think the car has been a complete flop. Performance numbers on the Nurburgring Edition are very impressive. There's no denying that. At the end of the day it's still just a Lexus. As we have seen since 2012 when this beauty came out people weren't exactly busting down dealer doors to get their hands on one. Personally, I thought they should have sold the thing for like $250,000 even if it meant selling them at a loss. Manufacturers have had to do that with other cars in the past. Even if this story is slightly incorrect, I still believe this car has been an overall embarrassment to Lexus.

Please explain how this car has been an embarassment to Lexus, because it's amongst the best supercars to have launched in the last 10 years. People like Jeremy Clarkson and Chris Harris have the LFA amongst their top picks as the dreamcar to have. Granted, Clarkson isn't a world class driver, but the man has driven pretty much every sports-, super-, and hypercar there is. And I think we can all agree us forum knobs have no reason to question Harris' experience and knowledge.

It is a sublime piece of car engineering, period. Styling is to each their own. I think it looks absolutely spectacular, and every car enthusiast who'd deny they'd go absolutely wild upon seeing an LFA in the flesh, is only kidding themselves. Then there's the engine, which is without a doubt one of the, if not the, best V10 engines to ever been put in a road car. I'm even willing to say anyone who's driven this car probably might rate its engine as one of best engines in general.

So how exactly is this car an embarassment? Because it wears the Lexus badge? The Ford GT went on sale at 150,000$, and now goes for nearly half a million. And that is also "only a Ford". Because it is not the best performing supercar compared to its rivals? As Chris Harris put it: "By that logic, the Veyron is 10 times the car the GT-R is, which it isn't".

If anything, the LFA has put Lexus on the map for engineering madness and attention to detail. I refer to Harris' review of the GS-F.

 

[infamousphil]

You did when it was first launched.

Please tell me you read my comment in its entirety, Joey. Is my grammer that bad?

 

[Joey D]

Please tell me you read my comment in its entirety, Joey. Is my grammer that bad?

I did read it, I'm sorry if I misinterpreted it

 

[LMSCorvetteGT2]

I'm a bit surprised by that. One or two maybe, but 12? Damn. Maybe if left mint for the next ten years, it could double in price like a certain Japanese ecobox.

Not sure how an Evo MR IX is an ecobox. As for the Lexus it seems to have suffered from what others idealized it would, a stigma of being a USD 400k car with a Lexus badge, and the first and only of its kind. It's hard to justify one that price in a market where many others out performed it for less or the same and two paying said price for a Lexus.

It's a Lexus and while state of the art for what it was, I'd be willing to bet if any other company of the same ilk did that production tactic they'd also have trouble years after life cycle ended selling them. Then you add in how there are new variants almost every six months of more modern super cars coming out, and the LFA virtually becomes a distant memory. If I could buy a GT2 RS 2018 for less than the LFA and be faster, more modern, and more capable, why would I be head hunting a car brand new whose production ended five years ago.

@Bram Turismo sad that they're barely on the map, when the engineering was always there, one only has to look back at the SC300/400 line up and others on the same platform. Or simply the fact that Lexus is Toyota and all of it is the same engineering.

 

[SagarisGTB]

What is it with people pushing this "LFA was a failure" narrative? The car sold out very quickly in most markets, it has appreciated in value in most markets since (and even in the US, it has held its value fairly well) and it seems to me the car is mentioned far more often on web articles, forums and reviews than contemporaries such as the 599 GTO. If the LFA is barely on the map, cars that have become truly forgotten like the 997 GT2 or MP4-12C must have been fired to the moon.

 

[infamousphil]

I did read it, I'm sorry if I misinterpreted it

Salright, Joey
It's not in me to be blunt but the LFA just ain't worth it IMO. But I would understand a wealthy one would be OK with owning 1 of 500 of something... but they supposed to drive it? What's the depreciation at 12thounsand miles? And a quick internet comprison...
The 599GTB sold for the same $s and performance but Lexus is another class of automobili (imo again)
The GTR has same performance but the LFA sold for 4x as much. An additional 100k each for leather, carbon fibre and exclusivity? A wealthy man's gamble indeed.

 

[McLaren]

Salright, Joey
It's not in me to be blunt but the LFA just ain't worth it IMO. But I would understand a wealthy one would be OK with owning 1 of 500 of something... but they supposed to drive it? What's the depreciation at 12thounsand miles? And a quick internet comprison...
The 599GTB sold for the same $s and performance but Lexus is another class of automobili (imo again)
The GTR has same performance but the LFA sold for 4x as much. An additional 100k each for leather, carbon fibre and exclusivity? A wealthy man's gamble indeed.

The depreciation at 12,000 miles is still $325-$350,000 at bare minimum these days. A 31,000 mile example was being asked at $269,000 in December of last year. You will not find many exotics you can put that kind of mileage on after 5 years and only lose $100,000 in value that doesn't bare the name, "Ferrari".

Comparing the GT-R is rather pointless. Performance is the same, but Lexus owners, much like Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, etc. etc. owners aren't shelling out over $300,000 for a car on performance alone. There a multitude of other variables from the materials, build quality, client service, & most importantly, how it drives. This last category is where Ferrari excels at, so it's impressive that in most reviews, the LFA got the nod over a 599 because of how enjoyable it was, despite the 599 being a better performing car.

 

[Beeblebrox237]

The depreciation at 12,000 miles is still $325-$350,000 at bare minimum these days. A 31,000 mile example was being asked at $269,000 in December of last year. You will not find many exotics you can put that kind of mileage on after 5 years and only lose $100,000 in value that doesn't bare the name, "Ferrari".

Comparing the GT-R is rather pointless. Performance is the same, but Lexus owners, much like Lamborghini, Ferrari, McLaren, etc. etc. owners aren't shelling out over $300,000 for a car on performance alone. There a multitude of other variables from the materials, build quality, client service, & most importantly, how it drives. This last category is where Ferrari excels at, so it's impressive that in most reviews, the LFA got the nod over a 599 because of how enjoyable it was, despite the 599 being a better performing car.

^This.

I personally doubt that there are very many LFA owners who don't have at least one other $100k+ car. And if you're buying a car for 300 grand, you aren't going to look at numbers in detail unless you're about 16. You're buying a luxury item, and the whole point of luxury items is that they make us as humans feel good. Why buy a £50 steak when you can have an objectively better meal of rice and beans for £5? Why buy a 25 year old Talisker when Jack Daniels gets you equally drunk for a tenth the price? Why buy a £60k A. Lange & Sohne Datograph when your £400 phone does everything the Dato does, but more precisely? Why buy a £300k Lexus LFA when a £30k Lotus Exige is realistically going to be just as fast? It's all about the experience. They way these things look, smell, and feel. The way they taste, or the way they feed back to you mechanically when you operate them. And at the end of the day, isn't it special experiences that we're looking for in life? That's why the LFA is a great car.

 

[ALB123]

The LFA is a great piece of engineering. No question about that. It just also happens to be up near the top of the list of Supercars No One Cares About. Besides super passionate "car guys", nobody has ever said, "Man...I want a Lexus LFA". Why? Probably due to the badge - Lexus. I'm sure there are some other factors. Setting a price of $400,000 was ridiculous. I consider the LFA a flop because it did absolutely nothing for the Lexus brand. Someone mentioned the McLaren MP4-12C in comparison, but the MP4-12C started off a wave of street car models - people are anxious for news from McLaren. What's their next car??

The performance of the car is remarkable. I know that. You know that. Put 15 Supercars in a mall parking lot, one next to the other. Spend all day asking people, "If you could walk away with any one of these cars right now...fully paid for, which would you like?" How many people do you think are going to point to the Lexus and say "THAT ONE!!" when there is a 488 on one side and a Porsche 918 on the other. The Porsche 911 R was selling out so fast, you'd need to spend double the sticker price to get one of the last few. If it is still possible to purchase a "brand new" LFA, 6 years after appearing in dealerships...I don't call that very successful.

Would I like to have an LFA? You bet your rosy red arse I would! I think they're sexy. I love the way that they sound. The performance of the LFA scares the crap out of me. But, I don't call the Lexus LFA project a very successful one. That's my opinion and I'm far from the only person who feels this way.

 

[McLaren]

Setting a price of $400,000 was ridiculous.

They lost money on every single one at that price, for starters. And two, they're starting to appreciate in value quick enough where anyone who bought one 5 years ago will get their money back in probably, easily 3-5 years. Third, most reviewers who have driven the car found nothing wrong with the price tag afterwards because it drives like a supercar.

I consider the LFA a flop because it did absolutely nothing for the Lexus brand. Someone mentioned the McLaren MP4-12C in comparison, but the MP4-12C started off a wave of street car models - people are anxious for news from McLaren. What's their next car??

It did absolutely everything for a brand that was making direct rebadged models off Toyota's line up. The LFA is still continuously used to market the brand. It appeared in this ad from April.


And was the center point of this quick ad in 2015.

At the launch of the new LC500h, the company's European boss Alain Uyttenhoven said that while there's a chance the firm will eventually produce a successor to the LFA, it is neither needed nor a priority at the moment.

Uyttenhoven said that, thanks to the LFA, Lexus has learned about the importance of adding emotion to its cars and with this, can channel elements of the LFA into its future products.

“The LFA is an icon now and possibly always - we don't need to replace it to keep that status. It is a car we can reference for another 25 years if we choose. Its status is assured. But what's clear is that we can create similar emotion in more attainable cars, and that is our focus now. For the future, who knows? I'm not saying we won't do another LFA. I just don't know. But I am certain that we will surprise you in the future with the cars we have planned.”

The performance of the car is remarkable. I know that. You know that. Put 15 Supercars in a mall parking lot, one next to the other. Spend all day asking people, "If you could walk away with any one of these cars right now...fully paid for, which would you like?" How many people do you think are going to point to the Lexus and say "THAT ONE!!" when there is a 488 on one side and a Porsche 918 on the other.

So, by that argument for every car that was picked, the other 14 then aren't as special, either. The fact you want increase such a broad range of 488 to LFA to 918 shows you're going to highly skewed results that lean towards anything with a million dollar price tag.

This is an assumption you can't prove b/c it's based on your opinion.

The Porsche 911 R was selling out so fast, you'd need to spend double the sticker price to get one of the last few.

This argument has absolutely nothing to do with the LFA. The 911R market sky rocketed because Porsche built a manual-GT3 after declaring the model would be PDK-only, and as result, the car was flipped extensively for huge profits. For someone wanting to use the car as a success, it's a tad ironic it's the one car Porsche is not happy with at all due to the flipping that occurred and has made Porsche re-write how their VIP program will work now.

If it is still possible to purchase a "brand new" LFA, 6 years after appearing in dealerships...I don't call that very successful.

In comparison being less than 6 LFAs available on the used market on any time now? Seems very successful; most owners have no reason to let them go.

But since that's your argument, I guess the Carrera GT is unsuccessful? 1,500 original run, Porsche only moved 1,270 cars.

Bugatti wanted 450 Veyrons and it took 10 years to move them all; they were producing special one-offs left & right towards the end just to move them. They were reportedly stuck with 50 unsold cars out of the 150 convertibles they added to the original 300 back in 2014 after the convertible had 6 years on the market.
https://www.autoblog.com/2014/02/13/bugatti-stockpile-unsold-veyron/

Would I like to have an LFA? You bet your rosy red arse I would! I think they're sexy. I love the way that they sound. The performance of the LFA scares the crap out of me. But, I don't call the Lexus LFA project a very successful one. That's my opinion and I'm far from the only person who feels this way.

That can be your opinion all you wish. It's still based on, "Nobody talks about the LFA, therefore, it's a flop" which isn't a strong argument.

For something that flopped for a supercar, there's rarely ever any more than a tiny handful for sale these days & their values are approaching sticker levels after 5 years due so. McLaren's wave of street cars aren't doing that.

Edit* Did a quick search for the market on the Nurburgring Editions alone; $445,000 MSRP in 2012, 2 years later, Joe Macari moved one for $700,000 with 6,000 miles on it. Information like this is why @Joey D & I have guessed that none of the 12 cars are truly for sale. They're being retained by the dealerships/Toyota as private cars or waiting to move them as the market goes up.

You will not actually find more than 1-2 LFAs listed as brand new, meaning 99.6% of all 500 LFAs are sold and in use. And even if there were 12 truly brand new LFAs for sale, that still means they sold 97.6% of the production run. That's not a flop.

 

[ALB123]

You've changed my mind. The LFA was a blazing success!

 

[Beeblebrox237]

That's my opinion and I'm far from the only person who feels this way.

Your opinion is not the only one that exists.