Added on February 16, 2015  The News Wheel   , ,
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Lexus Shuts Down Rumors of LFA Successor

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With only 500 examples produced over two years, the Lexus LFA was a rare bird. The first Lexus supercar had a deafening, high-revving 4.8-liter V10 and a lightning fast sequential six-speed automatic transmission that could get it up to 202 mph. The V10 engine revved so fast that a digital tachometer was required, since an analog needle couldn’t keep up.

Its Achilles heel, however, was its gargantuan price tag of $375,000 (more than three times the price of a Lamborghini Gallardo at the time), and that’s exactly why Lexus executive VP Mark Templin told Automotive News at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show that there won’t be a new LFA any time soon.

“I think you will see us do some incredible things in the future, but probably not a $375,000 supercar anytime soon,” he added. “When we started the LFA project, it wasn’t as expensive a car as it turned out to be.”

One of the main reasons the vehicle’s development was so expensive was the switch from what the car was made from not once, but twice. Initially, the LFA was going to be a steel car, then they switched to aluminum, then carbon fiber, which required significant re-engineering each time.

So it seems that the Lexus LFA was simply an expensive experiment and marketing investment for the Lexus brand, establishing the “F” performance line that continues to produce incredible machines like the new RC-F and GS-F. Perhaps when the incredible engineering developed for the LFA has become obsolete, we’ll get another peek inside the minds of unhindered Lexus engineers.

Lexus LFA Gallery

News Source: Automotive News (subscription required)