CSB from my family holiday: Has the LFA changed the perception of Lexus.

[2.0T_Convert]

CSB: After coming back from Pinkberry with the family last night we all sat down to watch a movie about a girl with a dragon tattoo that seemed more about how swedes don't believe in central heating and adultery.

Before starting we finished up Fast Five which my younger siblings had been watching. My parents didn't mind as it was the end part with the dragging of the vault and bridge scene. After this we get to see what the fictional cast members spent money on. The Asian naturally bought a black LFA. So after that scene I toss a pop quiz out to the 6 other people surrounding me - what was that car just on screen.

My closest sister: Maserati? Ferrari? Lambo? Maserati oh I said that? Rolls Royce? Porsche? Corvette? I dunno!
My dad: Maserati?
My mother: It isn't sold in the USA I bet.

So I broke the news: Lexus. LFA. Yah really.

My dad: What???? No what is that.... looks up on his iPad. Oh wow is this new? Really been on sale awhile?.. hmmm Lexus has never had a sports car I don't know if I'd spend so much money on a company that has never built something like that....



So TCL - it has been some time since the LFA vs 1.8T and beyond died down.

- Has the LFA made an impact on the general public perception of Lexus?
- Has the LFA helped Lexus sales and or generated more interest from younger drivers?
- Has anyone you know shocked you by even knowing what an LFA is?

[czykvw]

To me the LFA is like the GT-R, almost everyone into cars knows about them.
So I think lexus got what it wanted from the LFA. 5yrs ago I never respected lexus, now I do.
why? cause of the LFA and IS-F mmm

[curvedinfinity]

That woman's legs match that leather pretty well. Maybe they're on to something.

[dieselraver]

To me the LFA is like the GT-R, almost everyone into cars knows about them.
So I think lexus got what it wanted from the LFA. 5yrs ago I never respected lexus, now I do.
why? cause of the LFA and IS-F mmm

truth.

i think we knew the parent companies are capable of it, they needed to make them so that people knew that if they wanted to.they could.

[GTE77]

Its a Toyota.

[DJMRDARK]

So TCL - it has been some time since the LFA vs 1.8T and beyond died down.

- Has the LFA made an impact on the general public perception of Lexus?
- Has the LFA helped Lexus sales and or generated more interest from younger drivers?
- Has anyone you know shocked you by even knowing what an LFA is?

No impact whatsoever. Only enthusiasts are aware of it. And most among them don't care either.

The fact is it is waaaay too pricey for most enthusiasts to care when that money puts into reach far more desirable fare.

The story would be different if it were far more within reach of Lexus' buyers and there were enough of them on the street to generate organic buzz.

[2.0T_Convert]

No impact whatsoever. Only enthusiasts are aware of it. And most among them don't care either.

The fact is it is waaaay too pricey for most enthusiasts to care when that money puts into reach far more desirable fare.

The story would be different if it were far more within reach of Lexus' buyers and there were enough of them on the street to generate organic buzz.

Theoretically how is that different than say Lambo or Ferrari aside from the fact those nameplates have more history?

[BENJMNS]

It's not about the LFA's sales numbers. It's about the halo effect now cast upon the ISF and the new GSF.

GSF is a serious contender to the M5 and E63 AMG for me now. Toyota/Lexus already makes the best SUVs in the market.

[Geechie_Suede]

No, because I've completely forgotten the IS-F existed until a friend brought it up yesterday.

[BENJMNS]

No, because I've completely forgotten the IS-F existed until a friend brought it up yesterday.

youd know it if u were jonesin to buy a $60k super sedan

[l88m22vette]

Love the LFA, who cares if people don't know about it? "Lexus" its a badge for fancy Toyotas, and the LFA is arguably the best Lexus ever made, which means its the best Toyota ever made (yea yea there are other great ones). I care about cars, not companies, the Corvette is awesome, but I've always had a hard time caring about other Chevys, at least from the last three decades or so. If anything my perception of Toyota has changed, at least it shows someone has so gasoline in their veins...

[Anon1210]

Car people definitely know about it but the general public?

It's crazy to many of us but a lot of people can't really tell the difference between 90% of cars, they're just "cars".

"Hey look, a GT3 RS!"

"Wha? Oh a porsche right?"

"Yeah man, it's a very nice version, it's like a stripped down, ligh--"

"They're all pretty much the same aren't they?"

[Jan PL S6]

Just caught fast five on tv and watched the ending actually

I'm pretty sure the LFA wasn't meant to be a venture for large profits and such. It was made with very limited quantities and the cost to make them was really high. Unless I'm remembering something else, topgear was saying how Lexus is just about breaking even from the cost of making it. Shame really because its a fantastic car but they didn't really make a huge effort putting it out there. Only one commercial comes to mind where they hung up three lexus's end to end on a crane and parked a yellow LFA under them.

[50fridge]

I think the LFA and IS-F have helped Lexus/Toyota as a company. After the Supra was killed Toyota did not have a high performance car until the IS-F came out. Then when the LFA came out it showed how Toyota still cares about making sporty cars. This is why I see Toyota better as a company then Honda because besides basic transportation they offer world class cars like the IS-F and LFA.

[Peloton25]

I'd say they've failed to make any significant impact with it. I believe they also had trouble finding buyers for them even though they were fairly limited at ~500 units.

Not a flop because technically it did show what they were capable of, however, a commercial of a cracking champagne glass from the exhaust at high RPMs is about all that most people are going to recall.

>8^)
ER

[DJMRDARK]

Theoretically how is that different than say Lambo or Ferrari aside from the fact those nameplates have more history?

Those brands are world famous for making supercars. So much so that the very word "supercar" automatically conjures up either a Ferrari or Lambo in the of the general public.

[MrRoboto]

I think the LF-A is meant to shape the enthusiast's enthusiasm, not necessarily the general public. If you think of it in these terms, it isn't necessarily outrageous that such a car exists in the first place.

Lexus on it's own has quite a large loyal following for it's products, and they don't have to do much with that. However, they have been making a push to get more buyers of BMW's and Audi's into their cars, by making more serious performance versions of their cars like the IS-F and the upcoming GS-F.

But without a motorsport heritage to fall back on (as they try to distance themselves from Toyota itself), they needed a halo car, and so on. The details, like how the carbon fiber chassis was woven, the lap times on the Ring, to how the glorious V10 sounds, aren't something the general public was ever interested in. But as an engineering exercise and showcasing the car's competency, it has certainly perked up the enthusiast community (read: younger people).

And as more and more enthusiasts glow about the car and perhaps Lexus as a whole, hopefully the message will filter down to the masses. I think this was part of Akio's vision of skewing the entire Toyota group into making products which are more sport orientated.

[PsyberVW]

I'd say they've failed to make any significant impact with it. I believe they also had trouble finding buyers for them even though they were fairly limited at ~500 units.

Not a flop because technically it did show what they were capable of, however, a commercial of a cracking champagne glass from the exhaust at high RPMs is about all that most people are going to recall.

>8^)
ER

Agreed. I still think it was stupid to put a Lexus badge on it and I wish the IS-F never existed. To some degree, I wish the first gen IS never existed either. It was nowhere near Lexus quality when it was ported over and really felt like a step-child. The second gen gave the refinement -by being its own car and finally being a Lexus.

Though Lexus has some racing pedigree, Toyota owns the roots and soil, and the LF-A positioned as a Toyota Supercar makes a lot more sense.

[A.Wilder]

I still haven't seen an IS-F in person. Are they extremely limited?

[evosky]

I still haven't seen an IS-F in person. Are they extremely limited?

not really. they're not common but they're not rare. i'm guessing being in NC, you're more likely to see SRTs and Z06s than IS-Fs

[FlashRedGLS1.8T]

I'd say they've failed to make any significant impact with it. I believe they also had trouble finding buyers for them even though they were fairly limited at ~500 units.

Not a flop because technically it did show what they were capable of, however, a commercial of a cracking champagne glass from the exhaust at high RPMs is about all that most people are going to recall.

[Obin Robinson]

No manual transmission option / no change in Lexus perception / no care about car.

obin

[feels_road]

CSB from my family holiday: Has the LFA changed the perception of Lexus.

absolutely not.

[josh_did_what]

Still dont care. It may be fast but its still a "Lexus" to me. Sure its numerically superior car, but it just doesnt excite me at all. For lack of a better word (and I really hate this word), it has no soul. The GT3 RS is a return-to-basics car, and the 458 is just beautiful, but the Lexus is *still* just a machine for me. Think Clarkson's review on the MP4-12C.

[Shomegrown]

Nope. It's kinda a halo car failure. That's partly their fault for not marketing it better.

[NightTrain EX]

I think it's funny that Han buys a Lexus LF-A with the money they stole....this was supposed to be a prequel to Tokyo Drift right? The movie set in 2006... Maybe he got one of the concept cars they had on the auto show circuit for the last 10 years

[Fritz27]

Still dont care. It may be fast but its still a "Lexus" to me. Sure its numerically superior car, but it just doesnt excite me at all. For lack of a better word (and I really hate this word), it has no soul. The GT3 RS is a return-to-basics car, and the 458 is just beautiful, but the Lexus is *still* just a machine for me. Think Clarkson's review on the MP4-12C.

Have you read the reviews of the LFA? They were all pretty goddamned glowing in how much soul the car had. I guess just being Japanese makes it soulless though.

Regardless, I don't know why Lexus decided to build the LFA, but I don't care. I can't afford one, but I think it's cool. It's a supercar and the world needs more awesome frivolities, not less. In a world where the best selling cars are VW Golfs, Ford F-150s, and Toyota Corollas, I will not begrudge a company for building a naturally aspirated V10-powered supercar.

[josh_did_what]

Have you read the reviews of the LFA? They were all pretty goddamned glowing in how much soul the car had. I guess just being Japanese makes it soulless though.

I have a Japanese car, and I love it, so lets not jump to conclusions . It has nothing to do with being Japanese.

IIRC, a big part of this car was to fix people's "boring" perception of Lexus. But most people are never going to drive this car. How I feel when I look at the car obviously isnt as valid as someone whose drive its opinion, but at the same time I do feel the way I feel, so Lexus still hasnt succeeded.

Also, disregarding the price tag, I have absolutely no desire to go buy one over any other of its competitors.

I think the LFA is cool. Anything that can go and turn fast is cool in my books. And I appreciate all of tech in it. Im not fundamentally against it. Im just saying doesnt do anything for ME in the way that the GT3 RS and 458 do. If someone else can appreciate it and wants to drive the hell out of it, then more power to them.

[Chileno]

Yeah...saw a new 991 on a lot and my friend was with me and I was like oh thats the first new 991 i've seen and I knew the second I said it he was going to say something about it being a 911.. Sure enough, "You mean 911? I thought you were in to cars."

[Benkennedy11]

No, because I've completely forgotten the IS-F existed until a friend brought it up yesterday.

See, I completely forget it exists until people start threads about it in TCL. This place is literally the only place I've seen or heard anything about them.

[DIAF]

No manual transmission option / no change in Lexus perception / no care about car.

obin

I've been fortunate enough to drive the IS-F on track - that gearbox is brilliant - it gives up nothing to a manual.

[SSLByron]

I've been fortunate enough to drive the IS-F on track - that gearbox is brilliant - it gives up nothing to a manual.

And while it's true that the LF-A may not be raising awareness outside of enthusiast circles, that's really neither here nor there. The average real estate rookie who leases a 328i doesn't care that BMW hasn't built a supercar in three decades, either.

The LF-A was built to prove they could. The mainstream awareness will come from the F-Sport brand and affordable cars that are more driver-oriented than they have been in the past.

[koko12]

I think the LFA definitely did what it set out to do which was to prove what Lexus is capable of. While it may not have elevated sales it certainly elevated the brand's prestige. The car is an instant classic and collectors item, more so that anything currently produced by Ferrari and Lambo, Porsche, etc...

Now if Lexus really wanted to make an impact with it's costumers they should take that LFA knowhow and put it into a car 1/4th the price, something that would make a good alternative to a 911 or a BMW M6.

[Cousin Eddie]

I just think it's funny that Hahn bought a brand new Lexus LFA then goes to Tokyo to drift and all of the sudden nobody owns a car beyond 2005/2006 model year. Then he dies. Poor bastard.

[Obin Robinson]

I've been fortunate enough to drive the IS-F on track - that gearbox is brilliant - it gives up nothing to a manual.

I'm sure it's a pretty good Nintendo transmission but it still doesn't interest me like a 6 or 7 speed option would have. The feature that makes a transmission good should be the quality and innovation put into mechanical linkages; not software.

obin