- Home
- TV Shows
-
TV Schedule
-
SPEED Showcase
-
- NASCAR
-
- Formula 1
- Auto Racing
- Moto Racing
- Cars
- Bikes
- Store
- Social
- Mobile
- Deals
- Videos
- Photos
Automotive Lifestyle
AUTOS: Kyle Busch Ticket Bait: Lexus LFA
Super-fast supercar is an extraordinary example of high-tech engineering by the Toyota luxury division at the top of its game.
The 552-horsepower Lexus LFA is a top supercar acheivement for the automaker, capable of speeds in excess of 200 mph. (Photo: Lexus)
So what was Kyle Busch driving when he was pulled over in North Carolina for allegedly doing a socially unacceptable 128 mph in a 45 mph zone?
The NASCAR driver had been loaned a very special supercar by Lexus, a 552-horsepower LFA coupe that began production in December with a very serious price tag of $375,000. Just 22 of them have been delivered so far to U.S. customers, with 500 examples planned worldwide.
Powered by a 4.8-liter V10 that delivers its maximum output at a shrieking 8,700 rpm, LFA has been acclaimed as a towering feat of engineering and technology. The dry-sump engine has been enhanced and strengthened with such exotic applications as titanium valves and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons and a titanium exhaust manifold.
The body is made extensively from carbon fiber with lightweight aluminum underpinnings, delivering a curb weight of 3,263 pounds. Zero-60 comes in just 3.7 seconds, according to Lexus, with a top speed measured at 202 mph.
The supercar began development during Lexus’ short-lived stay in Formula 1, and many of the lessons learned there were reportedly incorporated into the design and technology of the road car. By the time Lexus unveiled LFA at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2009, it already had run twice in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
It took nine years of development before LFA was shown in production form in Tokyo, with three different concept versions shown at various times. Critics have faulted Lexus for the inordinately long gestation time for LFA before it finally hit the assembly line, where it is built by hand in a dedicated factory in Japan.
Though aggressive-looking, LFA also has been criticized for its modest styling compared with spectacular competitors from Ferrari or Lamborghini.
Busch says that he showed a lack of judgment in flogging the LFA on a public highway, with his wife on board, no less. But really, you have to admire his restraint. He could have been going much, much faster.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
The NASCAR driver had been loaned a very special supercar by Lexus, a 552-horsepower LFA coupe that began production in December with a very serious price tag of $375,000. Just 22 of them have been delivered so far to U.S. customers, with 500 examples planned worldwide.
Powered by a 4.8-liter V10 that delivers its maximum output at a shrieking 8,700 rpm, LFA has been acclaimed as a towering feat of engineering and technology. The dry-sump engine has been enhanced and strengthened with such exotic applications as titanium valves and connecting rods, forged aluminum pistons and a titanium exhaust manifold.
The body is made extensively from carbon fiber with lightweight aluminum underpinnings, delivering a curb weight of 3,263 pounds. Zero-60 comes in just 3.7 seconds, according to Lexus, with a top speed measured at 202 mph.
The supercar began development during Lexus’ short-lived stay in Formula 1, and many of the lessons learned there were reportedly incorporated into the design and technology of the road car. By the time Lexus unveiled LFA at the Tokyo Motor Show in 2009, it already had run twice in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring.
It took nine years of development before LFA was shown in production form in Tokyo, with three different concept versions shown at various times. Critics have faulted Lexus for the inordinately long gestation time for LFA before it finally hit the assembly line, where it is built by hand in a dedicated factory in Japan.
Though aggressive-looking, LFA also has been criticized for its modest styling compared with spectacular competitors from Ferrari or Lamborghini.
Busch says that he showed a lack of judgment in flogging the LFA on a public highway, with his wife on board, no less. But really, you have to admire his restraint. He could have been going much, much faster.
Bob Golfen, Automotive Editor for SPEED.com, is a veteran auto writer based in Phoenix, Arizona, with a passion for collector cars, car culture and the automotive lifestyle. SPEED.com fans can email Bob Golfen at
LATEST HEADLINES: AUTOMOTIVE
-
AUTOS: Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta
The Ferrari 166 MM Touring Barchetta, which scored the first Le Mans… -
AUTOS: Score One For Cadillac
Cadillac has truly knocked it out of the ballpark with the stunning… -
AUTOS: Mustang Movie Site Logs Ponycars In Film
More than 3,000 films, TV shows catalogued... -
SPEED Joins GarageMonkey, The New Social Destination For Gearheads…
SPEED is now on GarageMonkey, a social network for auto, moto and… -
F1: Villeneuve's Ferrari 312 T3 Remembered
The Ferrari 312 T3 was used by Gilles Villeneuve to win the Canadian… -
AUTOS: 2014 Chevy SS Priced At $44,470
GM's full-size not just for police... -
AUTOS: Porsche Reveals 911 50th Anniversary Edition
Museum exhibit joins limited-edition model... - More News
