"It's not the most powerful car in the world. It's not the fastest, not the best looking, and it is certainly not the cheapest but... It might very well be the best car I have ever driven." - Jeremy Clarkson
@@i.d.6492Which one is best is a personal choice. My father in law considers the VW Bus the best vehicles which could ever be conceived. What is your point?
@@i.d.6492 He has driven any and every car imaginable. The pagani is an art piece. Not a car made for your soul. It's great to look at. Not as great to drive as a LFA
Think of it this way. The LFA _skipped_ financial success and landed straight into legendary status- a 200+ mph grand touring cruiser that revs to 9500 RPM, producing the most sonorous and seductive intake growl and exhaust note known to mankind? How could that not be in the stuff of legend?
Well it was actually a failure as a supercar when it was launched. But as a Halo car, it was a tremendous success. Toyota was able to sell many cars just putting an LFA on the showroom display.. today obviously LFA stands as a legend. Arguably the best piece of machine Toyota ever made..
@@rrageneral1499 A halo car has more to it than a financial success. It was a tremendous marketing success and elevated lexus’s brand image to a high prestige. Not bad at all for a brand ‘s first supercar.
The engine gained legendary status. Not the car itself. If we break it down, all things considered, the LFA is almost underwhelming for a supercar of its time. Not the performance per se, but the interior and materials that look like it was made in 2005. Also, praising the exhaust note? Really? Anyone who has ever been exposed for long enough to a high rev line COMBINED with the high pitched noise of a V10 will tell you how irritating the sound will be at high speeds. Almost to the point where you can't hear anything else anymore. It's not capable of making you suffer from hearing loss like the Zonda R, but it's close enough. A V8 is much more pleasing to the ears, especially an Italian one.
I live about 5 minutes from the yellow LFA and can confirm it’s been in the Lexus Of Brighton ( Melbourne,Australia) dealership showroom since new. It has never been sold to a customer. It is a stunning piece of art.
@@markk3453 it's already doing it. I live in the other side of Melbourne that is the only place I remember from my travels. I use it as a landmark when talking to other people.
We have one up her in Brisbane (2 infact), sci-fleet Lexus at Indooroopilly have a black on display in the show room. I believe they have a white one as well.
Yamaha is Japan's greatest engineering secret, hidden in plain sight. It tends to do a ton of R&D for the JDM industry, at the beset of the Japanese Government. Toyota, and Nissan tend to have them on speed dial and the rest of the industry will take their advice at some value.
@@KyChristell actually a lot, there is a specially designed airbox above the engine and special channels funnel the sound into the cabin, the car actually sounds better inside cabin than outside. I saw a video somewhere where they showed a graphic how that works with the acustic expert from Yamaha.
I wrote an essay about the LFA my senior year of high school. I remember being obsessed with it and consuming every single piece of content about it I could find. It truly is a one of a kind car that I hope I get to own or at least drive someday. Also I got an A+ on that essay
In a way the LFA is the Japanese Veyron. Overly Expensive, Overly Complicated and only made because the dude running the company wanted to prove how good they can be.
I love that every video ends with a pure, unedited driving section. Through headphones, it is a beautiful sounding car. I can only imagine what it sounds like in real life.
@@sirtomalot1584 You can't count the 787, that's a race car. The V10 Formula 1 cars sound as good as that beautiful rotary orchestra. But for road cars, the LFA beats the F355 by just a few points.
They gave the engineers of the Lexus LFA nearly 10 years and a billion dollars to spend on creating a masterpiece car. Which other manufacturer would throw money at a car like that? If you ask me, the LFA was never supposed to make money, why would they be bothered? They are sitting on billions of dollars anyways. It was more of a statement to show the world they could compete with the rest of the industry and even outdo them at the time. It raised the brands image to prestige status and the car even managed to set the world record at the Nürburgring. There's a book out there called "The Roar of an Angel" written by the designer of the car himself. Seriously, go get it because a lot of people do not know what they are talking about.
Yep, a lot of people don't understand what the project was about at all. A lot of it was also to feed and nurse the sense of pride the guys at Toyota have with what they do, and bring some of the passion, experience and vision from the LFA experience over to the more mundane cars, which is quite clearly visible in some of the cars they have made since then. And - I would argue it DID make money, just not directly. But money was not the objective, something else that is harder to measure was, and I'd say it succeeded in what it set out to do.
Even for the halo car it is still a failure. Now how many common people know lfa? Compared to a lamborghini or ferrari or even relatively a new manufacturer such as mclaren? There you have the answer
@@ramadhanisme7 did you even watch the video? Lexus's current products and technologies directly resulted from the LFA's development. Brand recognition is only one part of a halo car's role. Regardless of your (wrong) opinion, the LFA has cemented itself to legendary status.
@@jmll1412 even the video itself admitted that lfa is a very successful as a supercar but miserably failed in marketing and sales aspect (and in terms of sales I'm not talking about profit because as a halo car profit is not always the objective). Legendary it may be, subjectively, my statement still true and the video just backed up with more detailed, now the question is have you watched the video diligently?
@@ramadhanisme7 Lmao you really don't understand the bigger picture. People blamed them for making "boring cars". They've changed that last part thanks to the LFA and their long term strategy has made them leave their rivals in the dust. When the LFA came out, Toyota was head to head with GM for the crown as the larger auto manufacturer in the world. Now GM is barely even a rival. Volkswagen came next trying to, and momentarily surpassing Toyota, and guess what. Today Toyota is worth over 5x more than VW group. Not only that, Toyota is no longer synonimous with reliable but ugly and boring cars. It is reliability, with fairly good looks and some really exciting GR cars (thanks to the LFA). If you want to see Toyota failures, see their years at F1. LFA is the wrong place to look at.
If you, like me, watched the National Geographic documentary of the Lexus LFA, you know how much effort Hagerty and Jason have done here to get this amazing infotainement video to us for freeeee! I cannot believe this is free, at all. Great Job Jason, Great job Hagerty! Keep it coming The LFA V10 is arguably the most under-appreciated engine of all time, hell the whole car might be, since they were losing money on each LFA sold
was never meant to make money.. it was meant to make a statement to the world : here look this is what we can make. henc lexus lc500 and lexus is500 toyota corlolla GR etc. the people who know, they know 😉
Actually saw an LFA on the road the other day, could hardly believe it. Thankfully i got to pull up beside it and have a quick chat before he took off and my god it really is the greatest sounding car ever made.
One flew by me at full beans on I-40 in Albuquerque a few years ago. I have never wanted to replay a moment of my life like I did then. Just this blast of absolutely screaming V-10 chorus of angels out of nowhere, and then just as fast as it appeared, I recognized the rear of the car as an LFA and it was gone to give more people eargasms.
I have no idea who this Camissa bloke is nor what a Hagerty is. But I've watched every single revelations episode of this Adam Sandler lookalike and it's some of the best content on this platform, that otherwise aims to completely destroy my attention span. Thank you, amazing funny car guy
The LFA is way more interesting than the Ferrari 599 or the Lamborghini Aventador. The engine sound is absolutely glorious. I also loved Jeremy Clarkson's review of the LFA. Thank you.
I'm right there with you, and I'll make a deal with you; whoever wins an insane amount of money in lottery buys 2... one for himself and one for the other 😅
*notices a lfa video notification* "Oh cool another LFA video!" *sees its a Hagerty video* "Wait....." *sees its a revelations video* *heavenly and subtle weeping noises ensue*
Akio was right in the end, when the enthusiasts think of Lexus, everyone thinks of the LFA and the insane levels of engineering poured into this legendary car.
The creation of the 1LR-GUE V10 was led by Lexus' chief engine designer, Okamoto Takamitsu. The engine starts life at Toyota's Myochi plant, where the engine block is made from molten aluminum. The block is then sent to Toyota's Honsha factory, the same facility that used to house Toyota's F1 engine operations. Here, the block gets milled, drilled, and polished, emerging as a precise engine block. In a sealed room, Takumis hone every sharp edge using precision polishing tools. After this, a highly skilled Takumi pre-assembles the finished engine blocks to check for precise fitment. Disassembled, they travel as a unit to Yamaha's Iwata city plant. It is at this plant that four highly skilled Yamaha Takumis fully assemble the V10. This process takes 2.5 days for one engine. Before the engine gets installed in an LFA, it undergoes a half day of exhaustive testing.
@@lexburen5932 no, cammisa was true about it. Its all yamaha design. But yamaha doesnt have all facility to build from block. So it use some toyota facility. Also to give "toyota stamp" onto it. Documentary says it all. This engine behave like superbike rather than car engine. Very fast throtle response, and accoustic tuned in mind.
Further, here is Yamaha Motor JP's technical paper on 1LR-GUE development (you will need to translate to EN): global.yamaha-motor.com/jp/design_technology/technical/publish/pdf/browse/47gr05.pdf
"Time will tell" is the best slogan for this one off lexus and it did successfully as a modern legend. Price is the only thing wrong at first but now it raised up above our expectation
Jason and the Revelations series is literally the only reason I subscribed to this channel. Not to knock the other content you put out, I just love cars and a good story and Revelations gives me both every time. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼
LFA is like the kid nobody cared to get to know in grade school … sold his share in a startup company now he’s a billionaire…hollering 🗣Back then they didn’t want me Now I’m hot they all up on me -Mike Jones 😂😂😂
Back in 2010 I was at ToyotaFest in California. They brought out that white one the magazines were testing at the time. I got to sit in it, start it up, and rev it. Since that moment, I've never wanted another vehicle more than the LFA. It's been 14 years and that hasn't changed one bit. I've always been a Toyota guy and the Celicas I've owned/currently own fill that void. Ya know, because they're actually obtainable. If I ever won the lottery, it's the only dream car I'd ever run out to buy.
Yeah, I don't think under apprechiated works for the LFA anymore, not when they're now multi million dollar cars. I still don't think they're worth anywhere near that, the sound doesn't justify that price when everything else is meh at best in my opinion
I remember almost Crying when I first heard the this car. I was inside the office of a dealership in Brisbane, Australia in November 2011. I hear this wail from what sounded like a love child of high powered superbike and a Formula One car.
When one of these came to the servo i was working at (Caltex Toowong), the entire staff dropped tools to admire it and wait for it start and drive away. What a glorious sound !
@@mitchell-wallisforce7859 I remember the Blonde friend saying "Sassuga V10 Engine da!" upon hearing its godly sound when Mabuchi speeds off in the LFA
This was definitely an episode where I found myself saying "No! Keep going" when the driving sequence came to a close. The combination of intake and exhaust noise, plus the response, it's heavenly.
@@thegirthquake8574 THE PEOPLE _DEMAND_ SAM SMITH (and by the people, I mean me). Anyone who hasn't checked out that guy's work should do so. *Right now.*
My buddy put's it this way: Cammisa never fucking misses. And this is just another example of that being a worthy descriptor to add to Jason's legacy. Exceptional video as always.
The LFA's exhaust is so finely tuned by Yamaha that Boden Autohaus straight piped their LFA and now it sounds like absolute garbage. And anyone who's heard it, agrees.
Think of it this way. There are several ways to tell a story but, engaging like Mr. Cammisa's portraits, only a few can accomplish. Quality content, so good that one's eager to see the next chapter.
Not nerdy enough, Jason. This should’ve been twice or thrice as long. This will probably get lost in a sea of comments, but another cool fact: the paddles were pressure sensitive, meaning if you pressed the paddle slowly with low effort, it would change the gear gently. If you pulled the paddle hard, it would shift hard.
There are plenty of other cars, street or racing cars aswell, all the way to 4bangers that sound amazing, but cannot disagree - these are the icons and the huge part is the way they sound.
LFA was a big bulky supercar in an exotic market at the time. Filled with comfort options, a futuristic screen and i remember that it was more expensive than the other options. I guess it failed because it got released at the wrong time. In the current boom market a usable limited production supercar would probably sell out.
Still One of the Greatest sounding and driver focused car of all time. I always loved the LFA instead of flashy it was always about the experience and sound of the drive. It's is without a doubt A engineering masterpiece
The LFA is a true Japanese automotive legend in its own right. From the engineering that went into the chasis, to the technology behind the car, to the absolute beast of a v10!
2:13 * Except for the BMW M engineers, in 2009, when they told their new boss - Dr Kay Segler - the car they *wanted* to make was the 1M (just after asking him if he was there to shut down the M division)
Hey Jason and Production team. Years ago I asked precisely about if you were ever going to make an episode on the LFA. And today here I come and got myself a nice surprice when openend my laptop. Thank you so much for this special gift.🎁
true legend. the story, the engine, the chassis, the teamwork, the people behind it, the financial, the time taken, the journey, the collaboration, the meticulous engineering marvel, the exhaust, the execution, the passion and thought that went through it…….can put word to describe this. even though it doesn’t have lots of HP (compared to others)…..tbh it doesn’t need cuz it special on it way. my dream car. sorry for broken english. LFA (LEGEND FOR ALL)
Micro-bubble-injected panels sliced 13% weight? One: that's significant if the strength remains! Two: Saying, "Micro-bubble-injected panels" is fun and makes me feel smart.
Im watching this twice back to back. My first time ever with one o...okay...2nd time. The other one was the Audi S1. Hagerty, from me to you, keep Jason paid well, keep making videos, and keep the editing expensive! You ALL, have done respectable justice to the Legendary LFA. The noises, video, culture, history and video editing, are all just brilliant and very well done. Thank you 🙏
I could use a lot of words to describe it but 'beautiful' wouldn't be one of them lol. It looks like some other car squashed by a heavy object. Not the way Veyron looks like a squashed beetle... But quite literally. It has a flattened, pug-like face of some Lexus could-have-been. I resort from being judgemental about someone else's tastes but man, if that's beautiful then what would you call an E-type? Because they aren't even in the same league, objectively speaking.
@@pdcichosz You wrote a whole essay about nothing, if you think the LFA is ugly that’s your opinion. Until you become a car designer and make something better, your opinion means 💩! Matter of fact post a video of what you drive, and let us compare!
@@AUTOMOBILZ If you call 5 sentences 'an essay' I understand you may as well call this car 'beautiful'. Let me skip through the rest of your 3rd grade reasoning, you made it very clear there's no point talking to you. Have a good day.
@@AUTOMOBILZ I hope you're not wandering this earth for too long if you still think you can get away with bossing people around like that xD I don't need to meet your requirements to have an opinion. Acknowledge this fact of life and move on.
Amazing film, but I am surprised that you did not mention the Nissan GTR. It was similar performance overall at less than 80k at the time and had a true DCT. It was the real killer of the LFA
@@Willtellthetruth profit isn't bad in itself. But there's a difference between a CEO with a non-finacial background (an engineer for instance) who ALSO looks after maintaining a stable profit stream and a CEO with a financial background who ONLY looks after profit, so that quarter-after-quarter profits keep increasing in order to please shareholders. Profits can't increase infinitely, soon enough they start eating into the business - look at Boeing.
@@DanieleCapellini The problem is that a good traditional businessman will sacrifice short term profits to ensure the long term success of his business and a steady stream of profits in the future. A modern CEO will burn his company to the ground to show shareholders a 1% increase in profits this quarter.
As an owner of a 2018 LC 500 for six years, I honestly wouldn’t trade my car for the LFA unless it was strictly a matter of money. Living in the real world and driving cars mint for the racetrack just seems a little silly. The LC 500 is a wonderful car that you can drive daily and comfortably. I think the best thing about the LFA is it ultimately spawned the LC 500. Great video. Lots of good information. Toyota is the number one car company on the planet and I’m very glad they are able to do the research and development to produce such great cars.
The LFA was a symphony to the auto enthusiast and it was the capstone of the pursuit of perfection of Lexus. There will never be another car like it most likely. At the top of my bucket list before I go is the chance to drive or at least ride in one of these and experience it for myself. The passionate pursuit of perfection was met with the LFA, the Pinnacle of automotive History for Toyota.
Maybe it didn’t sell well because it was a contradiction. A GT car is not typically a race car 🏎️. It wanted to be to many things in one package and that causes some issues. And the design of the front end could have been better imo. But the quality is truly amazing !!
Every single time I hear a LFA I get tears in my eyes. Clarkson really was onto something when he said it sounds like an animal... it sounds organic... like every person that worked on it left a piece of their souls in it and it is now a sentient thing...
Toyota took so long to produce the LFA that it lost all the steam it had generated. Like most Toyota sports cars, they were under appreciated when new and then overly valued when they’re old. Typical Toyota smh
We had my parents over one night and after dinner I convinced them to watch a mega factory (I think that was the name of it) episode about the LFA. No one was really that excited about it but by the end, every was glad they watched it. After watching this, you should check that out. The care that all workers put into the engine alone is mind boggling
17:14 From the moment I saw what car Jason will be talking about, all I was waiting really was this final video segment, the legendary driving away, with nothing but a engine sound. Push the volume to 11!
The problem is that Lexus isn't a performance brand. They build their reputation and make their money selling comfortable cars to older, responsible buyers. Trying to slot performance cars into that just doesn't work from a branding perspective. You either alienate your core audience or you wind up with the cars being an afterthought. Lexus F tried to copy BMW M but didn't realize BMW pulls it off because every BMW driver wants an M car. Performance is the brand. Maybe they could have achieved something like Mercedes-AMG by separating F from the main Lexus lineup more, but it would have taken a ton more work then just some marketing.
@@ARCNA442 Exactly, it's Lexus playing totally against type and it makes potential customers scratch their heads. Joy rides with Scott Pruett in a Nomex suit notwithstanding.
17:24 This is partly why I love my GSF so much. I'll never own an LFA, but the 2UR-GSE shares some of the spirit and DNA of the 1LR-GUE. Also why CD Projekt Red made the Rayfield Caliburn, the fastest car in Cyberpunk 2077, sound like the LFA and not any Ferrari or Lamborghini. Thanks for making this video, several other channels have done similar topics but I always love watching them nonetheless.
@17:25 except for the two owners who's GRs blew the motor and burned and Toyota's response was that it's the tires fault and you shouldn't drive it over 85mph
I feel like the slow automated manual adds to the charm. Since it means that the engine goes through a lot more revs, so you get to experience the sound through a larger rpn band than you would with a dct
6:04 Weird to see a car that special with a number plate of Daun. A city of 8000 inhabitants in the middle of nowhere. But: not too far from the Nürburgring and also host of the annual Eifel Rallye Festival.
