One to Buy: 1 of 3 Pearl Brown 2012 Lexus LFA
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Although Toyota’s seven-year $2b F1 programme of 2002 to 2009 ultimately yielded just 13 podiums from 139 starts and a best finish of fourth in the 2004 Constructors’ championship, it led to the firm producing a spectacular top flight supercar in the hope of further enhancing its high performance credentials.
After myriad prototypes, the production-ready Lexus LFA was finally unveiled at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2009 following its official announcement two months prior.
It featured a CFRP monocoque construction with double wishbone suspension up front, a multi-link arrangement out back and vented carbon brakes all round. In the engine bay was a 552bhp normally aspirated V10 coupled to a six-speed F1-style automated manual transaxle gearbox.
LFA production ran for two years from December 2010 until December 2012. 500 were built but despite the car’s enormous price, Toyota lost a considerable sum of money on every car sold.
436 of the 500 units were completed to standard trim and the remaining 64 equipped with the Nurburgring Performance Package. Of these 436, 238 were left-hand drive, a fine example of which is currently residing at the Tom Hartley Jnr. showroom in Ashby-de-la-Zouch, Leicestershire.
One of just three LFAs finished in the unusual colour of Pearl Brown, chassis 482 has covered just 1208 miles from new, despite which it has accumulated the most remarkable maintenance history with a service carried out every year following delivery.
