It’s fun to go back through the archives. And with The new sports car from Toyota and Lexus As we get closer to reality, we’ll take a look at its predecessor, the mighty Lexus LFA. Back in 2009, when this site was still called WorldCarFanswe’ve uploaded a video of the near-production-ready LFA being tested on the Nürburgring. Now, it’s a fun window into the past.
You can imagine the anticipation the automotive world was feeling at this point. Lexus began the LF-A project in 2000, and has been testing prototypes at the Ring and elsewhere since 2003. But the car was long overdue, as Lexus re-engineered the car, notably moving from aluminum to carbon fiber construction.
By 2009, the LFA was on the verge of expiration, but this was a dark moment for the auto industry, as the global recession wreaked havoc on the automotive world. However, Toyota somehow ended up getting the LFA into production, with the car debuting in October 2009. It was a slow seller in its day, with Lexus having trouble moving the planned 500 units, but it’s now a bona fide modern classic.
When you watch this video, it’s easy to see why. Nothing looks or sounds like the LFA, with its naturally aspirated 4.6-liter V-10. And thanks to everything developed at the Nürburgring, nothing drives quite like the LFA, either.
It’s also a bittersweet video to watch. This was filmed just over a year before Hiromu Naruse, the “father” of the LFA and close confidant of Akio Toyoda, died in a car accident on the roads near the Nürburgring in a prototype. Naruse has logged countless laps on the track in the LFA, Help define the Lexus supercarand paved the way for many Toyota/Lexus enthusiasts to follow.
Without the work of Narussi and his team, captured in this humble video, Toyota and Lexus would not be making the great enthusiast cars they are today.
