The Lexus LFA arrived back in 2010 with specs that made it one of the strongest cars in the segment. The company built only 500 examples of the same and that would’ve made it a collector’s item in the future. You would expect it to sell like hotcakes, but surprisingly, 11 years later there are still a few copies that remain unsold.
This shouldn’t be a testament to the fact that the LFA is a hot sports car and deserves to be remembered as one of the best cars to have come from the Japanese automaker, and this video by Supercar Driver shows us exactly that.
Why Makes The Lexus LFA Special?
Let’s lay out the specs before we move on. The Lexus LFA comes with an engine that probably wouldn’t have made it in today’s time – A V-10 engine that displaces at 4.8 liters. The engine dishes out 563 ponies and 354 pound-feet of twist. Power is sent to the wheels via a six-speed automated manual gearbox sourced from Aisin.
What makes the LFA a driver’s car is its free-revving engine. At a time when the world is filled with turbocharged engines, there aren’t a whole lot of naturally-aspirated mills that can give you linear power delivery. Yes, the turbos give you the push-in-the-seat feeling, but how smoothly can they rev to the redline? Also, where do they limit themselves? 7,000 or 8,000 rpm? Well, this beast free flows and holds court all the way up to 9,400 rpm!
The Lexus LFA shown here in this video is #411 and has a plaque suggesting the same.
The car is a Japanese through-and-through and it shows. It’s evident from the looks of it, courtesy of those angles and cuts all around.
That Is A Stonker Of An Engine
You can hear the free-spirited engine without the spooling, whining, or swooshing of the turbos. It’s just pure, mesmerizing grunts on 10 cylinders working in tandem to create the most wonderful acoustic experience. The car pulls flawlessly from 2,000 rpm even in the fifth gear without any jerks, delays, or rough spots hampering the drive experience.
The host in the video further mentions that the stiff chassis, body shell, and suspension setup make sure there isn’t much of a body roll. The LFA comes with ceramic brakes and they work well once warmed up. As for the transmission, the car comes with a single-clutch manual automated gearbox with adjustable gearshift speeds. While the downshifts are brilliant, the upshifts aren’t that very impressive.
He ends by saying that the car may not be as engaging or focused as the Porsche Carrera GT, but the LFA is special and would make for a great car for long journeys wherein you can play with the engine and gearbox. Watch the video to see and hear the car, and let us know your thoughts in the comments section below.