Lexus's 2011 LFA supercar: $400,000!

[SenecaBoy]

Lexus built the car as a step up in their evolution. They did not make the car to please the public. They do not make money producing these super cars. If you are waiting for Lexus to produce a Ferrari or a Porsche you will be waiting a long time. Lexus/Toyota is an entity in itself and their main client base is the middle class Mr. Average. The goal of producing these super cars is to test their engineering skills and demonstrate to the public that they are capable of producing high quality, desirable, vehicles. There will be a trickle down effect from these vehicles in future models in Lexus/Toyota models.

have to agree completely with this post.

Lexus made this car before the whole dibacle with the sticking accelerator pedal came out and they started loosing sales. This car is leased for about 12k a month or something for 24 months or some short term like that not a lot of people are going to be jumping on this since most of the rich people like to flaunt their collection and show it off not give it back to the company and at 12k a month i doubt people are going to be very persuaded to buy it and just return it, any sensible business person will probably not see this as a great deal. Although if you own your business a lease could technically be written off partially if you can prove you use the car for business purpose.

I really dont know who Lexus thought was the target market for this, but like hampster inspector said, i doubt lexus made this car to be a public pleaser its just a statement, we can do this if we wanted to. But in all honesty they did not really need this, they have made LMP1 Lemans cars before, its not like any one doubted Toyota's performance engineering prowess. This car was probably made for those select few who had the need to say they owned a one of a kind and definitely dont waste their time reviewing their bank account or trust fund level when they buy cars like these, and even those people will probably scratch their heads when lexus says 12k a month payments and then you give it back.

12,400 + taxes, levies, freight, pdi/month for 24months
298k due at signing
(Oh and Lexus will have to select you to Lease this car, not the other way around where a customer can go in and choose to lease it)

What is lexus smoking really?
http://www.autoblog.com/2010/03/17/lexus-lfa-lease-for-12-400-per-month-298-000-due-at-signi/

 

[nottyboi]

I am mystified as to why anyone would but this car over a Ferrari 458. It's nice, but it's just a Lexus and the F458 is approximately 1000x cooler....

 

[fuji]

Seriously, I can't believe anybody considers buying Toyota products these days, no matter what it looks like. The company just cannot be trusted.

 

[Cycleguy007]

Seriously, I can't believe anybody considers buying Toyota products these days, no matter what it looks like. The company just cannot be trusted.

Guess we should ALL stop buying cars then...

Is there any car manufacturer that doesn't have recalls? At least they came right out and told everyone about the problem when it was discovered...

 

[SenecaBoy]

you can buy the car at the end of the lease if you want to. Also the leasing thing is only for the NA market. I know in Europe you can buy the car outright.

So lexus is now discriminatory to the North American buyers and not so to the european buyer? Makes no sense to me, unless this is their way of saying FU North America for creating a big scene about the accelerator issue, lol.

 

[fuji]

Guess we should ALL stop buying cars then...

Is there any car manufacturer that doesn't have recalls? At least they came right out and told everyone about the problem when it was discovered...

No, they didn't. They knew about this problem as far back as 2002/2003 but they covered it up.

 

[SenecaBoy]

Guess we should ALL stop buying cars then...

Is there any car manufacturer that doesn't have recalls? At least they came right out and told everyone about the problem when it was discovered...

Well Toyota did cover up this recall in order to "save money" and made a 'Deal' with the NHTSA, which is a blow to the NHTSA as well for making a deal that could compromise user safety
http://uk.cars.yahoo.com/22022010/36/toyota-recall-cover-0.html

Ofcourse Toyota strongly denied this piece of proof attained saying that it is just one internal document and was not a basis for a conclusion. LOL! gee, its an internal document from the Chief of TOYOTA US stating that if need be make compromises and deals to negate costs that will be incurred by a full investigation! I really dont trust anything with a Toyota badge or lexus badge on it right now, who knows how many other corners were cut in order to maintain a good image.

Other companies come forth and say ok we have this many recalls on this many brands. But some of these imported brands have been very hush-hush about their recalls because they want to maintain their image of better build quality while cutting costs. In the end it is all the same, the cars are made with flaws no matter which manufacturer you go with, it is human to err, and they all have defects somewhere. I just dont like cover-ups

 

[tboy]

limited edition cars will always appreciate in value...e.g. the mclaren f1 cost a million when new...today it will cost you 4 million to get a used one. same thing with the veyron...




you can buy the car at the end of the lease if you want to. Also the leasing thing is only for the NA market. I know in Europe you can buy the car outright.

actually, the only time limited production run cars appreciate in value is if they are desired and that remainds to be seen on this one.

If you follow the barret jackson auctions it all depends on who is in the audience/watching at the time a vehicle comes up for sale: if the corvette enthusiasts aren't there, and the ONE off corvette mule comes up (which happened recently in az) even if it's a one of never to be seen again, it won't fetch the big dollars. I think the corvette mule went for something like $75K or something, nothing for a one of a kind vehicle.

I also seem to remember another street legal "mule" that had all kinds of goodies on it that aren't on a regular production vr=1. The year before numero uno went for over a million, this one of a kind (and it can be licenced too) went for $200K? It was truly a magnificent car too....(but the corvette collector in the yellow jacket wasn't there so there were only 2 bidders).

Take prowlers for eg. There were limited production and they haven't appreciated at all. In fact, I believe they have DEpreciated substantially.....

 

[Major Major]

Please... the market for $400,000 cars is a very small percentage of the "billions of people in the world".

How many Ferarris or Lamborghini's or Austin Martins are sold each year?

Its actually alot bigger than you think....

How many Ferraris, Lambos and Aston Martins are sold each year?... A shit load!! just in Toronto alone a week doesnt go by in the summer where you dont see at least one...

Ferrari...
Bently... I see these all year round - Continental GTs AND Flying Spurs (I'm actually seeing a lot of flying spurs lately)
Lambo... saw a Murcielago (NOT a Gallardo..a Murchielago) two weeks ago...Gallardos are everywhere even in the winter beleive it or not
Aston Martins... (those I'm actually getting sick of you see them so much)
Maserattis

I've even seen a good number of Carerra GTs around here and a couple of MAYBACHS

And as I said thats just in Toronto alone... only 2.5 million odd people here and we are apparently buying these rides like they are goin out of style

Theres more money and willing purchasers out there than you think

 

[nottyboi]

when I look at that car it says to me "I'm only worth about $80K"

 

[Major Major]

when I look at that car it says to me "I'm only worth about $80K"

That too....a man spends 400k on a car its also gotta at least LOOK like a 400k car..... the LFA looks very pedestrian