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The Lexus LFA is doubly rare. Not only was it built in low numbers, but it is also possibly the best sounding car of all time.
The Ultimate Aural Experience
2012 Lexus LFA – carsforsale.com | Shop Lexus LFA on Carsforsale.com
Judging a car by the sound it makes is a surprisingly sophisticated endeavor. Any vape-smoking 19-year-old can straight pipe their WRX, so sheer volume is not the sole criterion. Rather, pitch, tone, timbre, and resonance play their part, even occasional pops and crackles sneak in for added emphasis. Intake sounds and exhaust notes, the frantic whine of a supercharger and the whistling spin of a turbo all contribute to a car’s (ideally) unique soundscape. Cars that do this especially well include the Lamborghini Aventador, the Porsche Carrera GT, and the Lexus LFA.
Lexus’ one and only supercar, the LFA was not the fastest supercar on the block when it debuted in 2010. Instead, what sets the LFA apart and what remains singular about it today is its twin personalities of near unparalleled refinement twinned with a driving experience so raw and immediate it gives steak tartare a run for its money.
Today’s Cool Car Find is a 2012 Lexus LFA.
LFA Development
The Lexus LFA’s ten-year development began back in 2000 when the company’s chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi was asked by his boss what kind of car, ideally, he would like to create. Tanahashi’s answer was, naturally, a sports car.
Surprisingly, his wish was granted and Tanahashi was given the go ahead to build Lexus a proper halo car. The LFA would help not only highlight what the brand was capable of from a technical perspective but help redefine Lexus, nudging it away from the refined yet stodgy image of the LS 400. Tanahashi was also given nearly limitless resources for the project, along with his pick of the best engineers, builders, and designers from across Toyota/Lexus.
Over the next ten years, Lexus spent upwards of one billion dollars on the LFA project. A move to carbon fiber construction, something Lexus had no experience in, should have derailed the project for five years or more. Despite it being their first attempt at producing carbon fiber at any real scale, engineers perfected carbon fiber production for the LFA in a year’s time. This reduced the weight of the car by nearly 300 lbs. and accounts for around 65% of the total weight of the vehicle with most of the rest being aluminum. Lexus’ testing ground for the LFA was none other than Germany’s Nürburgring.
After almost a decade of meticulous, exhaustive engineering and design, the Lexus LFA debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show in October of 2009 and bespoke, hand-built production commencing in December of 2010.
What Makes the LFA Special
The Lexus LFA is a special car. Like many supercars, its light weight (thanks to all that carbon fiber and aluminum), its rear-wheel drive, its wildly expensive (starting at $375,000 in 2010). But the LFA’s calling card is its sound. The LFA’s naturally-aspirated 4.8L V10 (553 horsepower) might have been enough to wow most buyers all on its own. But Lexus was not taking chances or cutting corners with the LFA. Instead, they enlisted the help of Yamaha to design the car’s acoustics. The LFA’s “surge tank” intake manifold resonates at a pleasing 400 hertz which is then channeled into the cabin.
The LFA’s tempestuous soundtrack and 9,000 rpm redline offer a counterpoint to the precision and control the car affords drivers. The Lexus LFA takes the jagged spirit of cars like the Dodge Viper and hones it to a scalpel sharp GT-like experience.
Our Cool Car Find
2012 Lexus LFA – carsforsale.com | Shop Lexus LFA on Carsforsale.com
This Cool Car Find is a 2012 Lexus LFA in Sunset Orange (1 of 3) and numbered as car 354 of 500 built. The listed price is $1.2 million. Given the LFA’s rarity and appreciation over the years, this car is likely a good investment for those with the funds to do so. But really, the reason to buy the Lexus LFA is to access one of the most exhilarating drives in any car, ever. As few other cars are capable, the LFA delivers on its promise of a singular and profound experience for even the most jaded of car collectors. In the LFA, Lexus’ “Relentless Pursuit of Perfection” has never been more apt.
