Price to Performance Ratio: LFA vs GT-R Drag Race

By Todd DeMeza

Todd DeMeza

Contributing Writer BIO

Todd DeMeza has a long time interest in and passion for cars. During high school, he decided he wanted to use his enthusiasm to become an automotive... More

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1,908 views May 10, 2010

2010 Nissan GT-R

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When Top Gear reviewed the Lexus LFA on the show, Jeremy Clarkson pointed out that the Lexus LFA was “six times” more expensive than Nissan’s all-wheel-drive GT-R. Yet for all that money, the LFA was slightly faster than the GT-R.

Motor Trend decided to take their long-term test 2010 Nissan and put it up against the Lexus LFA, which they only had for a few hours of non-road testing.  Like most Americans, instead of what should have been a road-race comparison, decided to do a quarter mile drag race instead.

The Lexus LFA is a wonderful supercar, with a lightweight V10, vast amounts of carbon fiber in its construction and a body design that emphasizes function over form. The performance for the $400,000 coupe equals a 0-60 time of 3.8 seconds and a top speed of 202 miles an hour (not to mention a sweet exhaust note.)

The Nissan GT-R on the other hand, has an amazing AWD system, a twin turbo V-6, and a body design that also follows a function over form philosophy. The much cheaper, $85,000 car will do 0-60 in 3.5 seconds and has a top speed of 193mph.

The results are unsurprising, the superior traction of the GT-R allows it to walk the LFA at the start and up to mid track, when the high-breathing Lexus pulls the GT-R and wins the race at 11.8 seconds at 123.7 mph. The GT-R finished at 11.9 seconds at 120.1 mph.

The Lexus LFA is a nice car, but does that exhaust note count for the extra $315,000 over the GT-R?

[Source: Motor Trend Via Youtube]