Toyota's Lexus division shuttered production of the LFA two years ago after building just 500 supercars--so why are brand-new models of the 552-horsepower ride still waiting patiently for owners?
The Lexus LFA and its plethora of customization options came after 10 years of planning and research, and the models were built mostly by hand. The $375,000 price tag is the first hurdle that has kept the LFA from selling out four years after it was launched by Toyota, according to Motoramic.
While it may have pricing somewhere between a Lamborghini and a Ferrari, the LFA hasn't managed to build the cachet of either nameplate.
"Those cars have devoted followers and fans who ogle them on the street; despite its rarity and performance, the LFA has never garnered such a cult," Motoramic's Justin Hyde wrote. "And since it was a single model, with no predecessor, successor or even real link to the rest of the Lexus lineup, there was no momentum to remind new buyers of its existence."
Two Lexus LFAs were sold last month, while 17 made it off the lot in 2014.
But even though glossy LFA models are still acting as artwork on dealer lots, Toyota hasn't given up on the idea of a Lexus supercar offering.
Lexus could build a successor to the LFA in the long term, Executive Vice President Mark Templin told reporters last August.
"Akio believes that every generation deserves to have a car like an LFA, so we're building an LFA for the generation we have today," Templin said in Kyushu, Japan, as quoted by Bloomberg. "At some point, there may be another special car for another generation."
The LFA stemmed from a $120,000 coupe project that expanded as more technology and features were added, according to Templin.
Lexus fans should hold off on the excitement though--spokesman Brian Lyons told Bloomberg that "another generation" could mean 30 years down the road.
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