Sorry, no video...didn't take one while driving.

 

awesome pics as usual JT, looking forward to more

 

And of course my impressions of the LF-A

When I first got in the car, Paul Williamson, the rep from Lexus was right there with me. He took a few minutes to explain all of the features of the LF-A first explaining that there's an airbag built into the seatbelt. The end attachment has a small opening that connects to the opening on the other end of the buckle. Very slick. It feels like those woven straps in a typical hiking backpack. Very snug and comfortable. The paddle shifters are laid out in a similar manner to the Scuderia. The only difference however was that we had to first put the transmission into neutral before engaging reverse which is done by pulling on a button to the left of the dashboard. Parking brakes are engaged electronically via switch under the dashboard. What's cool is that there are different driving modes selectable via rotary knob on the side of the dashboard. The digital LCD tach changes in accordance to the different driving modes. White for "Sport" mode which is what I used. Essentially this would quicken the shift points, throttle response and firm up the suspension. Finally, a control pad on the steering wheel allowed you to change to the different modes displayed on the dashboard. The tach actually moves either to the left or right depending on the info displayed. I felt like I was playing a video game!

Now it was time to take off, insert and turn the key and hit the starter button. There's a nice throaty rasp as all ten cylinders come to life. I was ready now. I shifted into first and slowly made my way out of the parking lot. I was told to watch out for the sheriff waiting for us at the bottom of the hill but Paul elected instead to have me turn off earlier. I didn't waste any time before pouring on the throttle. What struck me was how immediate the throttle responses were. With every stab of the throttle whether light or heavy, the responses were simply there. I wasn't prepared for just how explosive the responses were but yet at the same time the steering inputs were light and responsive too. The car felt much smaller than its size let on. I made my way through the back roads with a turn here and there. Nary a body roll was felt around the corners. There were times when the rear would come out but I always managed to stay under control making minute corrections. Before I knew it, my 5 mile run around the loop was coming to an end and yet I found myself wanting more.

As I made my way back to the starting point, all I could think about was how Lexus has once again managed to create an impressive piece of machinery that simply reeked of perfection. The suspension was very compliant, the sound emanating from its triple exhaust pipes perfect to the tune of F1-isque. I was in love with this car...but yet, there was one thing that I simply could not get over and that was its looks. I'm not entirely sold on that yet. It almost looks like an evolutionary step forward from the last generation Supra Turbo which I once owned. More like a ginzu knife I'd imagine. Perhaps that was Lexus' goal, perhaps not.

Bottom line is, I think Lexus has managed to create a home run with their latest creation.

 

I also loved driving the IS-F down the corkscrew at Laguna Seca. I would say that the LF-A is like the IS-F's bigger brother.

 

Great write up Jason. Glad you liked it. The LF-A is one of my favorite cars out right now. I knew that guy looked so familiar.... It was Paul!

 

But is it worth the price? Anthony thought it should cost under 200k

 

Paul is the man for sure! Did you meet him?

I think it should cost $250-275k but no way should it cost #375k. That's simply overpriced especially out the gate.

 

I did! It was at the 2010 L.A. Auto Show. He, my dad, and I talked for a couple of minutes about the LF-A. Great guy!

Jason, have you read about the supposed LFA-II?