The most expensive Toyota ever made, the $375,000, “totally customizable” Lexus LF-A will not be available for sale to anyone, reports Automotive News [sub]. Not because nobody wants to pay that much for a Toyota though, but because the company is somehow worried about price speculation. “If someone buys it the first month and then decides to sell it, that could be damaging for the ownership experience,” says Lexus VP sales Brian Smith. “If it is not controlled and hits the speculation market, all bets are off. We want people out driving the car and not just parking it in a museum or selling it at an inflated price.” Which is why only 500 models are being produced? At the end of the mandatory two-year lease, customers will have the option of buying their LF-A outright. So how does the world’s largest automaker build such an advanced, limited production machine and not expect speculation and/or hoarding to take place? Moreover, how will they guarantee that LF-As are actually driven during the two-year lease period? One of the greatest sins of the auto industry is the reluctance to admit that a brand belongs to customers. For Toyota, it seems, not even its brand-defining supercar will truly belong to its customers… for two years anyway.
How are they going to sell this way?
They’d be worthless to collectors,It’s not supposed to be fast enough for racers to want one over a Ferrari,Lambo,GTR, or ZR1, and who wants to risk destroying the car racing it.
The first thing I’d want Toyota to do for my $375,000.00 is to give the car a name. LF-A sounds too much like a text message abbreviation (laughing for awhile?). Or maybe that stands for ‘low flying aircraft.’
As opposed to “SLS” or “458”? Oh yeah, there’s some real distinction, there.
This is a nifty car. Did you see the promo clip demonstrating the machine they used to fabricate the A-pillar? Isn’t there something to be said for owning what will likely be the car that ushered in CF mass production?
They’d be worthless to collectors
Why would you say that?
They’d all be beat up some more than others
The whole major selling point of this car is it’s carbon fiber weaving and the 500 models limited production
They’d all be beat up some more than others
Um, how many miles does the buyer of a $375,000 car put on each year 5k tops? Popular models from Ferrari, Porsche, Lambo etc. often sell for more than new ones as you have to wait to buy new but you can buy used immediately.
Imagine your a software architect at Google and your $85 options just vested and you want a Ferrari California NOW! Well, says Ferrari of Silicon Valley “If you put a deposit down now, we may be able to get you one in three years.” Would you be willing to pay a premium to get a slightly used one now vs. a pristine one in 3 years.
You have to race this car in order to keep it once the lease is up. Racing a car is not the same as taking it out to get gas and showing off at the stoplights.
You have to race this car in order to keep it once the lease is up.
Where did you see that?
I think Toyota is just making sure that the profit stays with the manufacturer and not the exotic car broker
Why not make sure the buyer owns two other Ferrari’s? I mean Toyota’s… LOL! Give me a break! Ferrari doing this on an ‘F’ model, OK. Toyota on their first attempt at an exotic? FAIL…. Not to mention it looks horrific and underperforms compared to the competition. All at a higher price. I mean, get serious…..
Underperforms? You haven’t been paying attention.
I tried to order mine, but when I insisted I pay cash, Lexus said no.
Ok, so I race it, and I drive like pre-hoon version of David Holzmann … one slow lap and back into the pits … onto the trailer … and back into the garage … DNF, at least to my mind, constitutes racing.