Regular viewers of Top Gear will no doubt recall Richard Hammond’s visually stunning review of the LFA, Lexus’ techno-maniacal super car. The LFA dazzled Hammond in all that right ways except for one, the price. In the U.K. the LFA sells for a whopping £350,000. “That’s one hundred and thirty thousand more than a Ferrari 599 for a car that goes no faster than a 599,” Hammond said. “…even at that price Lexus won’t make any money on each one they sell.”
It appears Lexus may be trying recoup some of their losses. Jalopnik reports today that Lexus has announced a special LFA “Nürburgring Package.” The price on this model? Four hundred and sixty-five thousand U.S. dollars. Only 50 of the 500 total LFAs Lexus intends to build will feature this $90k (!) sport package.
So, what’s the difference between this LFA and the standard model? A set of new wheels and tires, a larger, fixed carbon fiber rear wing, carbon fiber dive planes on the front fenders, a reconfigured transmission which shifts from gear to gear in 0.15 seconds, and a whole ten extra horsepower.
But that’s not where the yucks really come in. In fact, the additions to the LFA listed above only account for $70k of the $90k package. The other $20k comes from the car’s matte black paint job. Why anyone would pay $20k to make their super car blend in with the zit-faced neighbor kid’s EG Civic is well beyond our comprehension.
Lexus says the Nürburgring Package LFA is being released to commemorate the LFA’s entry into the Nürburgring 24 Hours race, a race which the car never actually finished. No further comment necessary.
