You are right. I did look at one, but with the exchange rates and option prices, it gets stupid in a hurry. I forgot who bought one recently that I saw online, but the car ended up being about $450,000 when the starting price was in the low $200's. I drove one before on a track and it was amazing, but the price just brings me back to the LFA. It is a bad day when one has to decide these things. Do I go practical, or do I go exotic. Common sense says go with the GT500. But then again... there is that sound of the LFA. I will have to decide very soon.

BTW, getting back into my TL, I felt like my car was a total dog. What a piece of shit in comparison. I still like it though.

 

The sound the LFA produces is just incredible. I've watched those videos several times now and it is a perfect sound if you ask me.

 

Budget is NOT the issue. Yes I am looking at a brand new one they will build for me in the fall production schedule. The issue is practicality, seat comfort and my worrying about it when ever it is not in my garage. Like I said funds are not the issue here. I have had a very good year.

 

What was interesting was when I was just tootling around in traffic, I was in the 3,000-4,000 rpm range most of the time. At 80 mph in 6th gear, it was loping along at about 2,000 rpm I think. It revs so fast to 9,300 that you just can't appreciate it no matter what I say. On the highway I saw an opening in the traffic for about a mile, dropped 2 gears, gunned it and did not stop until the middle of 5th. I don't know how fast I was going, because I stopped looking as I passed 135 mph. Braking back down to 80 mph was as if I pulled a parachute or was close-lined. I appreciated the airbag on the seat belt as it made it more comfortable across my chest. Simply one of the coolest experiences.

 

Damn that thing is ridiculous! "However, the SAE has certified the engine at 662 horsepower and 631 lb-ft of torque, officially making it the world's most powerful production V8." Are you set on the Shelby or would you also consider the ZL1 Camaro or even a ZR1 Corvette? I have ridden in a ZR1 and I must say, it is truly a beast of a car.

http://www.leftlanenews.com/new-car-...shelby-gt500/#

Also at your last post. That is amazing.

 

I have thought about it. Not the ZL1 but the ZR1.

 

I don't think the ZL1 really competes with the Shelby, it's running almost 100 crank hp less than the Shelby. The ZR1 however, would be quite the rival for the Shelby if you ask me. I can't wait to see what you end up getting.

 

If money is (virtually) no object, the LF-A is a fantastic choice, IMO. That being said, I see a fair number of comments about "practicality" in this decision process. My observation is that "practicality" is rarely associated with super-cars. There's always going to be a drawback in the practicality front in order to get the performance these cars put out. I recently sat in a Gallardo; almost no way to see behind you and it sits so low as to make it somewhat uncomfortable to be within 20ft. of another vehicle. But, that car's not made for jaunts to the mall; it's made to set your hair on fire.

If you really want pretty blistering performance, with some practicality left, I'd suggest going a completely different route - F10 M5, pending S6, or E63 AMG. You'll be VERY comfortable riding around in those and still have a helluva fun time driving them.

Nevertheless, if I could, would I buy a LF-A (or something in its class)? Absolutely! It's a one-of-a-kind super-car that will leave you grinning from ear-to-ear every time you take it out of the garage. Just don't kid yourself into thinking that you bought that car for comfy grocery store runs.


BTW, speaking from personal experience, there's nothing quite like a high-revving V10 at WOT. Man, I miss my M5.

 

Well put btw.

 

I'm leaving now to take another look at it. I will report back later this evening. Take care guys.

 

He's going to come back with the LFA.

 

Good luck!

I just hope there's more videos! Love the sound.

 

Supercars, 1/4 the excitement of a motorcycle, all the costs of a middle class subdivision.

I just don't get them.

 

How often do you see an LFA and how often do you see any kind of motorcycle?

 

It's called non-homogenous preferences. It's what allows for variety in our lives. I, for one, see no good reason to jump out of a perfectly good airplane. Other people love skydiving. I don't get it, but I don't go out of my way to criticize it either.

 

the right for preferences to exist doesn't negate the right to question and/or deride them.

where did I question his right to his preference exactly?

get off my lawn.

 

Perhaps you'll do me the courtesy of pointing out where I said you questioned such a right? I offered a response to your shallow criticism; nothing more.

Let's see, you come into someone else's thread, criticize the discussion and then complain that your proverbial "lawn" (which implies ownership) has been trampled upon. That's just weird.

 

 

LFA's got 2 seats, which means it's bad at everything cars are supposed to be good at.

I love cars but 2 seaters, supercars especially, are a special breed of silly.

For timid people that want motoring excitement, I suppose.

the physically infirm get a pass.

 

It's a supercar, it's not supposed to take the kids to soccer or get groceries. How many practical supercars are there? 0. That's why they are supercars.

 

 

Well put.

 

Then I guess you won't be bidding against me for a left-over Cayman or used Ford GT. Or a used Aventador or Ferrari 512BB if I get some $$ someday.


BTW, would you like to buy my slightly-used minivan?

 

 

All right. Here is where I stand at the moment. I am still on the fence about getting the LFA for two reasons. The cost is not one of those reasons. The seat really is an issue as it is just about 2 inches too narrow to be comfortable for any longer drive than 45 minutes. The second issue (lesser of the two) which I did not consider before is the entrance to my driveway is too steep to get the car into it without making modifications to it to change the slope. Even entering on an angle, it is too steep. Now for $10k I'm sure I can get that fixed and honestly that would be no big deal if I choose the LFA. It is just another issue. The bigger issue is the seat. So what is being considered is customizing the seat after delivery. It might cost $10-20k to do it, but it might be worth it.

I called a friend of mine on the way home and he thought I should look at the GTR and the ZR1. Both are much less expensive so that is a plus, but they are completely different animals. Also another friend of mine said that he has a lead on getting my childhood dream car rebuilt with a full frame off restoration to the original look. Of course we would put in the latest tech including a crate GM 572 tweaked up to about 650 hp and modern adjustable suspension. A job like this could be $150,000 with all of the labor and material costs.

I did hit the road for another spin in the LFA (sorry no video this time) for "checking out how my posterior would feel on another drive". This car is the cat's balls. You ever get a cat call driving a car? I never have. Now if I were some hot chick I could understand it. I stopped for a light and a dude in a yellow/orange Aventador accross the street opposing me just reved his engine to red line to egg me on. I did the same and he was silent after that. He turned around and caught up to us a couple of miles later. Although this kind of experience is cool, it could be a pain after a while.

You need to understand that these are all completely different types of cars so before any of you start commenting that I'm all over the place, remember that I am looking for an experience, not to show off or enter into any car shows.

 

lol what do you do as your job if you dont mind me asking!

As for your response. The ZR1 i've read is hard to drive fast or just hard to drive in general? So since you do want some comfort judging by your posts you may not get it with the zr1?

The GTR is probably the BEST bang for your buck you can get. The extraordinary speed you're getting in the lfa you wont miss in the gtr.
jump to the 4 min mark.
And the '12 GTR is quite a bit faster than the one you see there, new gtr hits 60 in 2.8 i believe.

Also if you want comfort, again from what i read obviously since i'm not lucky enough to be driving these cars. The most comfortable supercar is the Mclaren MP4-12C. It has a unique suspension system, doesnt even have roll bars, but its suppose to be super comfortable for a super car.

Other cars to consider. Audi R8?

 

Eargasm !!

and

i am

so

f$@#%^ing jealous !!

 

The Mclaren would be more comfortable but I have also heard about some reliability issues so I am shying away from that. Good thought. The R8 and Lambo offerings are not for me. The MB Black is an idea, but can't get my hands on one as they are even rarer than the LFA if you can believe that.

As far as what I do for a living? I have done well in commercial real estate and finance. Let's leave it at that. My plan is to test drive a GTR and a ZR1 in the coming week if my schedule will allow. This process is fun as you can imagine, but at the same time a tad stressful as I talking about spending a lot of money here. When I bought my TL I worked a deal for it simply because I could and I hate to pay MSRP. In this situation, there is no negotiation on price. You know what they say, if you can afford it, you don't worry about the gas mileage. One thing I have read about the GTR is that it has a lot of whiz-bang settings to deal with just to drive it. I don't know if that is true, but I'm sure it is very cool to drive. The ZR1 is a handful so I am told, and the fit/finish is not in the same ball park with even a Toyota Yaris, but it does have shit loads of power and is stupid fast. We will see.

 

There's always porsche as well, and aston but i think thats not reliable either?

 

Here is the deal. I'm going with the LFA! They treat you like royalty as this is not just buying an off the shelf IS-F that anyone can buy. The buying experience is almost as cool as driving the car!

Here is a snap shot of the build. It will go into production in the fall and I will be able to take delivery in February as it takes a very long time for them to build it. Every one of them are one off master pieces so there is no assembly line manufacturing process like other cars. I will update all of you over time up to and including delivery. I would venture a guess that none of you have before or ever will be able to experience something like this as there are only 4 left allotted for the US.

http://www.flickr.com/photos/66802449@N08/7521041184/

 

haha nice congrats!!! Looking forward for your updates!

I was just at cars and coffee this morning and there was an LFA there. Hennessey brought it. Talked to the guy and he said that lexus handed them one just a couple days ago so they are gonna start working and probably mod the crap out of it.

 

Congrats! Can't wait to see the progress.

What color exterior did you go with?

 

The dark blue. Click on the link on my last post and you will see how I set up the interior too. Thanks for the kudos.

 

I can't imagine what John would do with it. It is already ridiculous.

 

It just occurred to me that the last sentence in this post could be interpreted as arrogant and that was not my intent. It is just a special thing that few get to experience. Sorry guys. No harm intended.

 

haha no worries,

damn i like that interior, nice choice

How long does it take you to decide on the interior colors haha since i'm guessing there is so much customization that can go into it.

 

Not too long. I just played with the choices and picked what I thought would look cool. I tried a whole mess of combinations. It was fun! I thought the red calipers would look good against the wheel and overall outside color of the car.

 

Freaking awesome! I love that color.

Thanks for the clarification. Unfortunately, that was my first reaction to that sentence, then I realized it was probably not at all what you meant.

 

Wow, I expected to just see a review of the LFA and now OP is buying one! Insane!

Congrats to you sir and please keep us updated

 

Most of the world purchases cars for travel. You have purchased an automobile. Congratulations. The ZR1 is my favorite car I may be able to afford one day, the LF-A is the wet dream my wife cleans off her leg while bitching from the next room (ie I will never own one).