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Lexus Working On Stripped-Down Track-Day LFA?

 
6 2,129 views Oct 23, 2009
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2011 Lexus LFA

HI-RES GALLERY: 2011 Lexus LFA

There's no doubt that Lexus was completely serious about building a supercar when it went about designing the LFA. With 552 horsepower, a singing 9,000 rpm V-10 engine and a $375,000 price tag, the car is every inch the Ferrari or Lamborghini competitor. But already talk of an even more focused, unrestrained version is making the rounds.

Paul Williamsen, National Manager of Lexus College, revealed to Autoblog's Damon Lavrinc that the company is considering a stripped-down focused track version of the LFA, not unlike the Scuderia version of the Ferrari F430 or the Super Veloce/Superleggera Lamborghinis.

If Lexus does move forward with the track-day LFA, it will deduct them from the 500-unit cap on production--it will simply be an optional configuration when ordering. Considering the ultimate purpose of many, if not most, LFAs will be hot lapping on open track days--these will almost certainly be third, fourth, and even 20th cars for most buyers--it makes a lot of sense to offer a factory-prepped special.

It could also help bridge the gap between Lexus's earlier plans to build a limited number of the cars for a spec series and the current plans to limit production strictly. Private race teams could buy the track-spec LFAs to use as they wish, with most of the prep already subsumed in the price.

Considering the car has adjustable suspension in standard form, a curb weight just over 3,200 pounds and its massive power output, it's not far from being race-worthy as it sits. Subtracting some unnecessary interior and electronic equipment, and adding some safety features is about all it would take.

The decision isn't yet final, according to the report, but it almost makes too much sense not to do.

[Autoblog]





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Comments (6)

  1. By  My Wheels On Walls Posted: 10/23/2009 3:10pm PDT

    So they will launch the standard car any day and roughly nine years from now we'll see the track day version......
     
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  2. fb_1518955678 avatar Chen Lee Posted: 10/23/2009 4:36pm PDT

    Might be a Lexus, but as soon as they decided their unproven supercar price to reach into the hypercar 370k range and think it will be able to compete against Lamborghini and Ferrari. I think they have another thing coming.
     
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  3. By toyota f1 fan Posted: 10/23/2009 4:45pm PDT

    unproven? maybe right now but it will be proven once the test are done with the official car. A track ready version is probably going to cost the same since the car is 350K. They will just minus the interior, shed some weight and electronic doo-dads give it some racing tires and it will be almost the same thing as the 24 hour Nurburgring car. The one that did lap times 10 seconds off the best pace of race cars equal to FIA GT standards.
     
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  4. By Josh Posted: 10/24/2009 10:53am PDT

    They might as well build them all as track cars. Anyone that can afford one is going to only drive it at the track, take the Bentley around town and the Jet anywhere else. What is the minimum production for them to enter into JGTC? My guess is 500...
     
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  5. By  discount supplements Posted: 11/26/2009 1:27am PST

    ts marketed to the people who want things that are different. Eccentric rich people. We all know there are a ton of those around. I would buy one of these if I was a car collector.
     
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  6. By  r4 Posted: 1/10/2010 9:22pm PST

    Hi,
    I hope you are kidding - Lexus has better retain their focus on M3. Their first shot is usually off target by quite some margin (see original IS300) so I'll wait to drive this EVO. Very original nomenclature - Japanese creativity at its best. They continue to be innovaters, not inventors.
     
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