Lexus LF-A: The Long and Winding Road

[Bram Turismo]

Really, honestly. Its amazing!

That's it! Who hacked into YSSMAN's account?

J/k

Agreed though...Damnit! How long untill the sales are beginning? I can't wait to see this thing on the roads

 

[McLaren]

That's it! Who hacked into YSSMAN's account?

J/k

Agreed though...Damnit! How long untill the sales are beginning? I can't wait to see this thing on the roads

I've heard a closer-to-production version could be unveiled from summer to fall of this year, which means I would expect them out by on the roads a year from now.

 

[Joey D]

SC went from one of the sexiest looking car(in my book), to a car when I encounter, I look the other way.

The roadster LF-A looks great btw. 👍

Edit: Actually, it looks better than the original coupe. And I'm a huge fan of the coupe!

Wow from the side it looks brilliant! I could just imagine rocking along some coastal road with the top off and the pedal down. I can't believe this came out of boring-old-cars Toyota.

 

[Jim Prower]

It does look damn good, which does give me some hope for something like, say, the Supra.

 

[Layla's Keeper]

Then you haven't read enough:



Chaparral is just the first to get away with it.

Incorrect!!!

Smokey Yunick and Jim Rathman got away with it at Indy in 1962 on their Watson Roadster, posting ridiculous cornering speeds that caused USAC to ban wings on the spot (a ban that persists to this day in USAC open wheel racing).

Oddly enough, Smokey didn't intend to run the wing in the 500 because, despite the cornering benefits, it created too much drag and therefore was a big hindrance on the big straightaways at Indy.

 

[a6m5]

It does look damn good, which does give me some hope for something like, say, the Supra.

I knew it! Sooner or later.....

 

[exigeracer]

It feels so 2003. Oh wait...

 

[Bram Turismo]

It feels so 2003. Oh wait...

I nearly forgot about that one!

Whatever happened to it? Was it just a concept? I think it looks gorgeous! 👍

 

[McLaren]

I nearly forgot about that one!

Whatever happened to it? Was it just a concept? I think it looks gorgeous! 👍

I thought it was supposed to be the successor to the SC.

 

[YSSMAN]

You'd think we would have received it by now... The interwebz are saying that we'll get a new SC for 2009, which likely means that it will debut in Chicago or Detroit this year. Its supposed to get the LS460's V8 as well. So, SC460 it is then... Maybe if we're lucky we'll get an "F" version too.

SC-F... Doesn't sound quite right...

 

[Joey D]

This car is just dead sexy in person, I literally stared at it for 5 minutes just admiring it.

 

[YSSMAN]

Yes, they're STILL working on it...

The 2011 Lexus LF-A — or maybe it's the 2010, or even 2012, depending on reports — supercar's been shot by the quick to the snap spy photographers at KGP. The speedy little spy shooters caught the supercar-to-be as it appeared to be getting ready to hit the Nürburgring. They're expecting hot laps won't be far behind, but we're wondering what's taking the super number one best awesome automaker from the land of the rising sun from gettin' 'er done with their first entry into the world of super car performance. It's been like, what, almost three years already since the Lexus LF-A first started hitting the auto show circuit? And in that time we've seen more versions of the LF-A concept than we're able to keep track of. We distinctly remember at least, you know, like three — one in 2005, a revised LF-A concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show and the roadster concept as well as definitive word we'll be seeing our dreams of a sexy luxe cousin to the son of Supra come true, plus a price point of around $170K. So, we're still talking about something like a six-year development cycle here, aren't we?

Jeez, and people get all pissy when an automaker takes a couple of years to develop a new muscle car. Anyway, despite the development time, we're still excited to see this new Lexus in showrooms in either a V10 or V8-plus-hybrid flavor. And no, it's not just because we want to play with the retractable wing until it breaks off. Though that does sound like fun.

The Lexus LF-A has hit the roads around the 'Ring, and some hot laps can't be far behind. The LF-A's retractable rear wing can be seen lowering in this sequence of shots.

This prototype is obviously still wearing some preproduction lighting, and some details are clearly lacking production-finished trim, but the styling looks basically unchanged form last year's prototype. It appears that Lexus may have finally locked-in the bulk of the LF-A's final design.

In a recent interview, Lexus' Australian chief executive confirmed that the LF-A is still being readied for production, although it may not reach showrooms until 2011. Even if that claim refers to the 2010 calendar year as a 2011 model, that still means a lengthy development course ahead. At that point, the LF-A's gestation will be approaching six years. Such a long development process is almost unheard of in today's automotive industry, although the Hyundai's recent entry into the luxury market with its new Genesis is another recent example. The Genesis showcased many design changes right up to its auto show debut, and the Lexus LF-A has been similarly tweaked over the course of its development.

One can't help but sense a whiff of uncertainty in Lexus' entry into the rarefied supercar realm, but they're certainly going to great lengths to see that its right when it finally reaches the market.

Noted:

- Retractable rear spoiler
- Driver's position on left side of the vehicle
- SIX YEAR development cycle?

It better be damn-good when it shows up. Hell, I hope Toyota plans on making a "cheap" version of the car for Toyota to make back some of those development dollars.

 

[Tornado]

The Duke Nukem Forever of cars.

 

[Robin]

So is this the new Supra or is that also coming?

And will there be a LF-A F version?

 

[McLaren]

The Duke Nukem Forever of cars.

Not quite. The Veyron was introduced in 1999 under the Chiron body, with the production announced in 2000. It took 5 years later to finally develop it. And just because a 6-year development style is mentioned, doesn't mean anything. Lexus could have a possible surprise and release long before 6 years.

Then again, nothing quite wrong with taking your time. Bugatti took 5 years with the Veyron, and look how big an icon it is now.

So is this the new Supra or is that also coming?

And will there be a LF-A F version?

Toyota already said there won't be a Supra. They want to leave the Supra on the same note it left on.

And no, we probably won't see a LF-A F since the LF-A is already quite a bit of car.

 

[Joey D]

Didn't the Blue Devil go through a similar design cycle before coming to be the ZR-1?

Anyways I still love this car and I can't wait till it finally comes out, it's going to be awesome and sexy.

 

[Jim Prower]

Didn't the Blue Devil go through a similar design cycle before coming to be the ZR-1?

At least we had the Z06 to play with. The R35 GT-R, on the other hand, took about...3-4 years, I think?

 

[Philly]

They're still planning on actually making one? This thing seems to have been on the show circuit and drawing boards so long it's getting rather forgettable. I'll have to say that along with the GT-R and Camaro, this has to be one of the most underwhelming concept-to-production runs.

And because it's taking so long, I would hope this car will be something amazing and perfect like the GT-R is supposed to be. I also wouldn't be too surprised if the styling and most of the rest of the car was outdated by the time they got around to selling one.

Then again, nothing quite wrong with taking your time. Bugatti took 5 years with the Veyron, and look how big an icon it is now.

But the Veyron is the most expensive, fastest and most powerful production car available. And it's also one of the best in many other categories. The LF-A is, well, a Toyota.

At least we had the Z06 to play with. The R35 GT-R, on the other hand, took about...3-4 years, I think?

Didn't it come out in concept form in '01 and hit the dealers in '07?

 

[Jim Prower]

Didn't it come out in concept form in '01 and hit the dealers in '07?

Eh, you might be right. I can't remember.

 

[Joey D]

But the Veyron is the most expensive, fastest and most powerful production car available. And it's also one of the best in many other categories. The LF-A is, well, a Toyota.

Wasn't it beat out by the SCC thing?

 

[Philly]

A few years after the Veyron was introduced...

 

[McLaren]

But the Veyron is the most expensive, fastest and most powerful production car available. And it's also one of the best in many other categories. The LF-A is, well, a Toyota.

So? Toyota might be working on something ground-breaking, something that will help the LF-A accomplish what the GT-R has, which would be making everyone ask, "Wth is the secret that makes the GT-R so damn fast".

 

[Philly]

That's why I now have a lot of respect for the GT-R as more than a perpetual concept car like what the LF-A is right now. At this point, for all I'm concerned, the LF-A is just Toyota's stab at making an Aston Martin competitor. Maybe they will have something up their sleeve, but we probably won't find that out until it hits the dealers.

 

[SlipZtrEm]

Didn't the Blue Devil go through a similar design cycle before coming to be the ZR-1?

Anyways I still love this car and I can't wait till it finally comes out, it's going to be awesome and sexy.

I distinctly remember reading an article about a Vette placed above the Z06 way back when the first C5 Z06 was introduced, and GM people were talking about it themselves in the article.

And as someone said; yes, the first GT-R concept was 2001.

I'm thinking Toyota will pull something off similar to the GT-R. The Supra shocked a lot of people when it was new, and Lexus itself started off very strong, immediately. I don't expect them to half-ass it with their first supercar, so I don't mind the wait.

 

[Vonie]

Not quite. The Veyron was introduced in 1999 under the Chiron body, with the production announced in 2000. It took 5 years later to finally develop it. And just because a 6-year development style is mentioned, doesn't mean anything. Lexus could have a possible surprise and release long before 6 years.

Then again, nothing quite wrong with taking your time. Bugatti took 5 years with the Veyron, and look how big an icon it is now.

But the Veyron did come out...eventually.

 

[YSSMAN]

Didn't the Blue Devil go through a similar design cycle before coming to be the ZR-1?

There was a lot of lip service given to the idea around the middle of the development cycle of the C6, just before the first cars were shown to the public. It really came to fruition, at least as I understood it, when the first of the Z06s hit the ground. I believe the question posed by Wagoner was "if this is what you can do for $70K, what can you do for $100K?"

So, if anything, its been at least a four or five year cycle for the ZR1.

They're still planning on actually making one? This thing seems to have been on the show circuit and drawing boards so long it's getting rather forgettable. I'll have to say that along with the GT-R and Camaro, this has to be one of the most underwhelming concept-to-production runs.

The GT-R took what, seven years? The Camaro will end up taking about four... The difference with those two is that for the most part, the development of the vehicles has been highly publicized, which some say is that the center of the problems.

====

I'm thankful that Toyota is even doing it, but even then, if it is going to be sitting at the $170K mark (as it has been stated several times now), its hard to say exactly where the impact will be. Particularly when you've got the ZR1, the SL65 Black Series, Porsche GT2 and the like already available as well...

We'll see. I just want a damn roadster version in my driveway.

 

[Philly]

The difference with those two is that for the most part, the development of the vehicles has been highly publicized, which some say is that the center of the problems.

That is exactly why I couldn't care less about either of the three right now. And I don't plan on getting excited over any of them until I see one on the road next to real cars.

Sorry Camaro. As much as I liked you and as much of a GM fan as I am, I've just seen so much of you that I just don't care anymore.

 

[Bram Turismo]

I just want a damn roadster version in my driveway.

On that,I did see a picure of it, but I never heard anything about it, is a roadster version of it coming?

 

[Hugo Boss]

That LF-A looks like it's ready to go into production. Normally Toyota can make a model production ready pretty fast, so maybe it's slower than the GTR and Toyota is improving the car even further, or they wait for their first succes in F1 before releasing it...

 

[Leonidae]

in that case the car will never be published!