Reviews

Lawrence Ulrich of the New York Times travelled down to Millville, NJ to take the Lexus LFA around the track, and he brought some very choice quotes back with him, including this info on LFA buyers:

So far American buyers are exclusively men, and on average are in their mid-50s. Many have owned a Lexus, and they tend to be entrepreneurial types, along with one sports star whose name Lexus would not divulge.

Nor would Lexus connect me to the Midwest man who, Lexus swears, is leaning toward an LFA painted Passionate Pink, one of 30 available colors. (Mr. Mary Kay, perhaps?)

Mr. Rohovsky did allow that one “fresh green” LFA — a petri-dish shade wild enough for any Lamborghini fan — is headed to — where else? — Miami.

“He told me, ‘I want people to see me coming and going,’” Mr. Rohovsky said.

The whole article’s great — and when it comes to what Mr. Ulrich thought of the LFA?

Judged purely as an adrenaline-inducing performance tool, the Lexus tops a number of supercars I’ve driven — not just the similiarly priced Lamborghini Murciélago, but also the $1.3 million Bugatti Veyron.

That’s some heavy praise, to be sure.

[Source: New York Times] (Thanks Josh & chotabacha!)

Lexus recently teamed up with What Car? to provide the magazine’s readers an advanced look at the CT 200h — here’s what they had to say:

Opinions seem to vary wildly, but the balance between like & dislikes seemed fairly even — one thing that stuck out to me was how comfortable the interior looks with someone sitting inside:

At the end of the video, the presenter mentions that “prices haven’t been officially announced, but we expect [the CT 200h] to cost between £22,000 & £26,000″ — let’s do a little bit of math to see what that might mean for the US price:

• A LS 600hL in the UK is £73,625 before tax, or $114,797USD converted directly. An equivalent LS 600hL in the USA comes in at $114,620USD — a very minor difference of $177, or 0.1%.
• A GS 450h in the UK is £35,757 before tax, or $55,752USD. An equivalent GS 450h in the USA comes in at $59,730USD — meaning that the US GS is $3,978 more expensive by 7.7%.

Assuming the price quoted by What Car? is before VAT, and that we take the average of the LSh/GSh price difference (which equals 3.9% more expensive in the US) — the CT 200h could start at $35,639 in the USA, with the fully loaded model coming in at $42,120.

(Hardly an exact science, but it’s always fun to speculate.)

Update: Just been informed that UK prices always include VAT — which throws my entire speculative price out the window. Let’s try again:

• A LS 600hL in the UK is £86,510, or $134,886USD converted directly. An equivalent LS 600hL in the USA comes in at $114,620USD — a difference of $20,266, or 17.6%.
• A GS 450h in the UK is £42,015, or $65,616. An equivalent GS 450h in the USA comes in at $59,730USD — a difference of $5,886, or 9.8%.

If we take the average of the LSh/GSh price difference (which translates to an average of 13.7% less expensive in the US), the CT 200h could start at $29,650 in the USA, with the fully loaded model coming in at $35,041.

Georg Kacher first wrote a comparison of the Lexus LFA & Mercedes SLS AMG for CAR Magazine, and now he’s expanded on his initial review for Automobile Magazine this month:

The Lexus LFA and the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG are about as different in approach and ability as a muscular sprinter is from a sinewy long-distance runner. It’s a clash of characters along the lines of a Suzuki Hayabusa sportbike taking on a BMW K1300S, a Moog synthesizer compared with a Steinway piano, or techno music as opposed to Beethoven.

The LFA is a limited-edition, high-tech item that is heart-stoppingly pretty and very nicely put together, a street racer for track days and early Sunday mornings. The SLS is a powerboat for the road, a mighty mauler that evokes fond memories of a brand’s glorious past, a surprisingly practical and highly visible tool for the dedicated driver. Both cars are honest and straightforward, classy and competent, intriguing in the way they present themselves and perform, dynamically focused, and deeply rewarding. The final choice could come down to personal preferences, such as the more modern Lexus exterior and interior or the more practical packaging of the Mercedes.

There’s certainly a clash of ideals at work between these two supercars, and it’s one that Mr. Kacher manages to capture perfectly. No matter the cutting-edge technology that powers the SLS, the supercar has a decidedly retro appearance and draws (perhaps too) much of its character from the 300SL Gullwing, whereas the LFA is unlike any other vehicle on the road, and it’s that difference in philosophy that stands out the most when they’re put side-by-side.

[Source: Automobile Magazine]

The folks over at Autoblog.nl had a chance to drive the red Lexus LFA at Goodwood and put together a fantastic review:

There’s a real enthusiasm to the review, and at the end of the video, the presenter shows off his observed fuel economy: 5.4MPG (43.4l/100km), which isn’t all that surprising given the type of driving.

Have to say to say it again, that’s an absolutely gorgeous shade of red. It suits the car so well — probably my favorite color so far.

(Thanks Roberto — savage!)

Fifth Gear host Tiff Needell spent some time in the Lexus LFA driver seat for this week’s show (watch it quick as it’s likely to disappear shortly):

Now that has to be one of the most earnest and enjoyable LFA reviews we’ve seen yet — “This is mental fun,” he says while powersliding all over — there’s simply no mistaking Needell’s excitement.

As a bonus, Fifth Gear posted up a full LFA lap at Rockingham:

“Mental fun” is right.

Autoblog was also in attendance at last week’s small media preview of the Lexus CT 200h, and had this to say about their time in the passenger seat:

Riding along suburban roads near the TME facility, the CT 200h – even in prototype guise – is suitably Lexus-like in its build quality and refinement, yet surprisingly aggressive in its handling. The ride feels well balanced in its damping between comfort and sportiness, and given the instant torque delivery inherent in the electric boost, it never seemed to lack for punch… from the passenger seat, at least.

There’s a limit to what can be experienced from the passenger seat, though it’s all sounding quite positive regardless.

But more than that, Autoblog has a bunch of photos of the Brown Spice Mica CT, including our first clear look at the Lexus Hybrid Drive 1.8L engine:

Definitely recommend checking out the full gallery.

[Source: Autoblog]