LFA [Official] Lexus LF-A Supercar (Production Version)

[Guibo]

I was criticized cause those replies of mine
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"the same performance of F50, 15 years later.
Useless supercar, just for mid-east collectors "

""Zero to 60 mph: 3.7 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 7.8 sec
Zero to 130 mph: 12.9 sec
Zero to 150 mph: 18.3 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.8 sec @ 124 mph"

worst than an 997 TT PDK, Lambo LP560, 997 GT2 manual and Ferrari 430 Scuderia and (surely) 458 Italia
and I'm pretty sure it will be just good, but nothing special, on track.
overpriced... but fuel economomy is good... "

"Performance: LFA is nothing specials
Design: ugly
Price: twice than challangers and with the strangest contract ever.
Handling: I'm waiting, but I doubt it will be the new benchmark....

regards...
"

I have partially changed my mind about the design, but I've not changed idea, and the data say I am right.
compared with cars of similar power, the LFA is the slowest in a straight line and no so fast on track. the only good test was the Supertest @ 'Ring (Autobild), track where the LFA has been developed.....
Guibo you love the LFA as it is? well, I'm happy for you. about me, contrary, maybe I would driveiy, but I'd buy another car.

I would not say I love the LFA. I respect it for what it is. I would rather say I love talking about it to people who have no clue as to what it is about, yet claim to know. Posting up a set of numbers against an F50 clearly shows you have little understanding of both cars. Same numbers, yet is that all there is to a car? 0-150 is a nice stat, but how often does a buyer experience this? Look what most buyers do experience everytime they get into the car and tell me there is no difference between the LFA and F50:


As I asked, what is the LFA's "class"? Why do you not consider the 599 and 8C or DBS to be in the same class? You say the LFA is perfect for collectors, meaning it is not great to drive and only derives value from limited production. Yet the article you posted there says otherwise. They seemed to genuinely enjoy driving the car, even though you downplay that aspect of the article.

 

[330CIZHP]

This rare video was never posted before, but it was a personal DVD sent to each LFA owner through mail by Lexus. The poster is actually an LFA owner.

In this video, Lexus for the first time officially demonstrated the launch control of the Lexus LFA using a professional race. Near the end of the video at 2:30, Scott Pruett uses launch control of the LFA to launch from 4700 rpm with minimal wheelspin and hits 74 mph. The revs never drop below 4200 rpm at launch.

It clearly shows depending on the surface grip, with launch control without roll out, 0 - 60 mph is definitely quicker than the 3.6 seconds Lexus claim:

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[Guibo]

I'm not AGAINST the LFA, simply I cannot find in it any benchmark, except for "engine sound"...
please explane me about "marginalization"
or tell me if I MUST love this car, and why.
I've just posted a full road test, accept it or send an email here
Contattaci - Auto.it

But when did Lexus ever make any claim to be a benchmark? Nobody says you must love the car. The question is, can you understand why the car was built? If you contend that it was designed to compete against Ferrari, and steal away sales from Ferrari, then where is your evidence?
You post the test, yes. For that I appreciate. But the motive shows your bias: "no good result", no mention of engine/throttle/steering/brakes until "reminded," little embarassment emoticons, no mention of a good score against the LP670, "only good on NRing where it was developed," etc.
"Nothing special on track"...the time is not great, but for a front-engined, first-effort car w/o sticky R-compound tires, it does well in the noted zones against the likes of the LP670, a car wich has been in continuous development basically from the days of the earliest Countach. The 458 didn't come out of nowhere from the ground up. That is the result of decades-long worth of constant development and refinement. And yet the first-effort LFA does well with respect to steering (despite an electrical setup that must contend with making the front-engined V10 maneuverable at walking speed), braking, and stability.

It's not as sharp to drive as a 458 overall and posts no special track objective numbers (though the brakes look pretty good), but as an overall ownership experience, it's very, very special. And imparts a special feeling to the driver, which I'd claim is the point of such cars in the first place. The purchase/individualization service is like what you'd get for the Aston One-77, and in some details shows even more comittment to specialization.

 

[330CIZHP]

Lexus prep'ing newly developed LFA race car to enter Le Mans 24-hours endurance race in the GT2 class

The car was developed and tested at the former Toyota F1 program headquarters in Cologne, Germany.

 

[Mafalda]

But when did Lexus ever make any claim to be a benchmark? Nobody says you must love the car. The question is, can you understand why the car was built? If you contend that it was designed to compete against Ferrari, and steal away sales from Ferrari, then where is your evidence?
You post the test, yes. For that I appreciate. But the motive shows your bias: "no good result", no mention of engine/throttle/steering/brakes until "reminded," little embarassment emoticons, no mention of a good score against the LP670, "only good on NRing where it was developed," etc.
"Nothing special on track"...the time is not great, but for a front-engined, first-effort car w/o sticky R-compound tires, it does well in the noted zones against the likes of the LP670, a car wich has been in continuous development basically from the days of the earliest Countach. The 458 didn't come out of nowhere from the ground up. That is the result of decades-long worth of constant development and refinement. And yet the first-effort LFA does well with respect to steering (despite an electrical setup that must contend with making the front-engined V10 maneuverable at walking speed), braking, and stability.

It's not as sharp to drive as a 458 overall and posts no special track objective numbers (though the brakes look pretty good), but as an overall ownership experience, it's very, very special. And imparts a special feeling to the driver, which I'd claim is the point of such cars in the first place. The purchase/individualization service is like what you'd get for the Aston One-77, and in some details shows even more comittment to specialization.

Aboout what' good, I've already wrote "sorry, I forgot it", after that I've edited the post quickly.
...but I've not post (I dislike any argument) when the say about LFA Vs 458, but if you like to know the truth...


I've no posted the ful results against the LP670 SV (170 vs 163) ok but wah t aboout LFA Vs 458...? 170 vs 177....
teh LFA class? there's a supercar as like as the LFA (CF chassis, V10 atmo and 375K €), for me the nearest for are Gallardo, Mc, 458 etc etc... and the most part of magazines are agree wiyh me... I cannot remeber a "LFA Vs 8C"

 

[Monster]

The LS in the background of the first photo has some interesting looking rear wing attached to the boot. Back to the LFA, are they converting road cars to race cars from the production of 500 or these are specially made?

 

[Guibo]

Aboout what' good, I've already wrote "sorry, I forgot it", after that I've edited the post quickly.
...but I've not post (I dislike any argument) when the say about LFA Vs 458, but if you like to know the truth...

I've no posted the ful results against the LP670 SV (170 vs 163) ok but wah t aboout LFA Vs 458...? 170 vs 177....
teh LFA class? there's a supercar as like as the LFA (CF chassis, V10 atmo and 375K €), for me the nearest for are Gallardo, Mc, 458 etc etc... and the most part of magazines are agree wiyh me... I cannot remeber a "LFA Vs 8C"

And I have seen plenty of LFA vs SLS comparos. Does that mean they are in the same class? I have seen: Lambo Murcie vs Focus RS, Lambo Gallardo vs WRX STi, GT-R vs Focus RS, GT-R vs LP670, GT-R vs R8 GT, GT-R vs Veyron, Ford GT vs Focus RS, Zonda F vs F430, 360M vs Corvette, SL55 vs Viper, ZR1 vs LP640, 599 GTB vs ZR1, M6 vs 599 GTB, etc. Do you believe all to be within the same class? Or do you believe, just possibly, mags like to sell copies? Do you believe Alfa Romeo were intent to steal sales from Ferrari with the 8C?
Can you remember 599 vs LFA test? Let me now if you want to be reminded. Can you recall some mags saying the 599 is closer to the LFA and not cars like the 458? I can remind you of that too.
For Gallardo vs Ferrari vs MP4, it's easy to see how they are competitors: all built in volume of 5000+ (planned for MP4), all are mid-engined, all similarly priced, all designed for sustained volume within the market for typical ~5-6 year cycle. In the case of McLaren, we know they specifically benchmarked against not just F430S, but also the 458 (a reason for the delay of release). I don't see how you can think 500-unit front-engined LFA at 3x's the price (and no stated competitor by Lexus) is the same.

 

[Mafalda]

?d liketo see a comparo LFA (also nurbur edition) Vs 599 GTO... similar production, almost similar price...

 

[330CIZHP]

Ofcourse, these racing cars are developed from the ground-up. Separate from the 500 cars for customers. However, they share all the same drivetrain and transmission components. The street LFA was derived from the racing car design (Gazoo racing team). However, it compete in the highly restricted near stock SP8 class with only 480 HP due to power and weight restictions, still placed 5th overall out of 600 something cars in the VLN5 racing series.

Regarding the GT2 class LFA, it is a different race car with a modified version of the stock 4.8 Liter V10 from LFA. It has been stroked to 5.0 Liters from 10 cylinders in order to meet the FIA GT2 class requirements and the power output will be in the neighborhood of 650 HP (estimated).

The LS in the background of the first photo has some interesting looking rear wing attached to the boot. Back to the LFA, are they converting road cars to race cars from the production of 500 or these are specially made?

 

[Guibo]

?d liketo see a comparo LFA (also nurbur edition) Vs 599 GTO... similar production, almost similar price...

Standard LFA should be compared to standard 599. Nurburgring vs GTO. GTO is undoubtedly faster in a straight line (probably like 0-300 in ~25-26s based on AMuS test of the standard car). Its tires are surely better than the LFA Nurburgring (same as old-gen GT-R's slower tires).
One reason for similar list price is because Ferrari underpriced it to market. There have been some on ebay, used, starting at $500k, with one over $600k and reserve not met. For brand new GTO @ list, you're out of luck. You would probably need to include the price of the F430/Scuderia you'd need to buy from your dealer to assure MSRP alotment; first dibs always go to "preferred" Ferrari customers. I always find it funny when people say they can buy the GTO for the same price. "Oh really? Can you? Good luck."
Other reasons: V12 already based on Enzo, no unique transmission to GTO, no unique body, interior, etc. Not as bespoke a car.
As for production, aren't there over 1000 599s by now? Surely with 599 GTOs sold out in 1 week, +80 more of the Aperta.

458 is often compared to SLS too. Do you consider the SLS to be the same class and competitor to the LFA, mafalda?

 

[330CIZHP]

Paris Hilton in her LFA:

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[Merc1]

For once I like what she has. I actually love this car. It is stunning.


M

 

[330CIZHP]

I doubt that LFA will ever see the track or get anywhere near the 9500 rpm rev limit. Such a shame.

For once I like what she has. I actually love this car. It is stunning.


M

 

[Merc1]

Thats true, but man what a car. If Lexus made an affordable sports car or luxury/GT with this kind of pop I'd buy it quickly.


M

 

[330CIZHP]

There is some hope here.

Rumor has it, Toyota is heavily re-working the FT-86 engine with help from Yamaha and once again Yamaha is also using its acoustic engineering to tune all the acoustics of the car. There is heavy focus on the engine/exhaust sound of the car. The engine will become very different from the base flat-4 Subaru engine.

Toyota says the philosophy is going to be similar to the LFA of making the rawest and most driver oriented dynamics possible in the FT-86. The engine will produce over 100 HP/Liter and also be high-revving with a redline north of 8000 rpm.

That does sound very promising.

Thats true, but man what a car. If Lexus made an affordable sports car or luxury/GT with this kind of pop I'd buy it quickly.


M

 

[Guibo]

Paris Hilton...this is one case where I think Lexus should have been a little more selective in who got these cars, LOL. But no, seriously, it's good to see it out and being used, rather than being squirreled away in some collection.

Short drift vid:


Pretty tame first half on this video, but the guy really lets loose in the last half:
(Circuit Taxi on Okayama Circuit)

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Same car revving:


Looks like they're all the same car, white w/orange interior. Based on the protective film on the interior and blurred plate, this is quite possibly someone's private car.


Here is some German coverage of the first customer-delivered LFA there, taken to the Nordschleife soon after delivery:
"Nürburgring: Manfred Sattler has the first Lexus LFA in Germany
15 - Mai - 2011

Manfred Sattler, the first German owner of a Lexus LFA took over, now his car at the Nurburgring. The 412 kW/560 hp LFA is one of the most strictly limited edition cars in the world.

In all phases of the two-seater with the V10 engine have been tested over and over prototypes and preproduction models on the Nordschleife of the Nürburgring. The super sports car with the body made of carbon fiber reinforced plastics had not only closed to the public as a camouflaged Erlkönig by the Green Hell, but also before the eyes of hundreds of thousands of spectators and cameras at the legendary 24-hour race.

A class win and a thousand lessons learned paved the way to launching the LFA, but also nurtured the desire of the super sports clientele for the fastest and most exclusive model of the Lexus brand. So it's not surprising that the first delivered in Germany now Lexus LFA entrance in the garage of a passionate racing driver and renowned Nürburgring connoisseur.

Manfred Sattler, owner of the VLN Endurance Championship starting volcano Racing team showed determination joy. 'When I saw the first prototype at the Nurburgring, I was so impressed that I wanted to buy the car immediately.' And he showed patience, should be extradited because his LFA only in those days. Now the proud owner of his car took over at the Nurburgring. After the first few laps Nordschleife Sattler summed up: 'The wait was definitely worth it. The car is sensational.'"
Nürburgring: Manfred Sattler hat den ersten Lexus LFA in Deutschland - PRESTIGE CARS Magazin - Automobile, Luxus, Menschen

I think that sums up why some people would want to buy it. He doesn't say something like, "I looked up its stats on Track XYZ against Car ABC, crunched the figures, and its laptime at my hands confirmed a solid purchasing decision." He saw it (and no doubt heard it). He liked it. That was that. The sensation the car imparts to the owner is what makes it worth it to him.
Here he is exiting the 'Ring gas station:

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Same car spotted at the Sachsenring. Notice the front bumper. That's no collector's garage queen.

TobSpeed@Flickr

Another LFA that gets out at least now and then:

Some other cars apparently owned by the same guy (Oracle CEO Larry Ellison), parked in/near the same spot:

Software Insider POV @ Flickr

Just because a car is collectible doesn't mean it's not also a driver's car. If anything, this will be better for driving than collecting in the short term, as Japanese cars (even as rare as the 2000GT) tend to tank in value after release. Even some Ferrari GTs that are now valued as multi-million-dollar collectibles were advertised for less than $20k in the 70s.


Speaking of the FT-86, here is R&T coverage of its Scion variant, talking about why such cars are being developed in the first place:
"The concept of the FR-S was borne from the passion of Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda, a car enthusiast of the first order. He stressed when he took the top job in 2009 that 'excitement' and 'passion' were missing from the company’s products and needed to be restored quickly. One item on his short-term to-do list was to bring back an affordable sports car, one that embraced the spirit of a car called the AE86."
Scion FR-S Design and Engineering Evolution ? FT-86 Scion FR-S Concept Evolution ? RoadandTrack.com

This falls very much in line with one of Lexus's officially stated reasons for creating the LFA: to create a driver-oriented car centered on the experience of the journey, not the elapsed time in reaching the destination. And Toyoda made clear his comittment to this passion when he raced the LFA in some of the Nurburgring events, including the 24 Hours.

Outside of Aston's CEO Ulrich Bez, you will rarely find this level of passion (and instilling that passion among employees involved in these projects) from such a high level of management. This also helps the customer to feel he is part of a special experience, not just getting a special product.

 

[Levi68]

I am really considering the FT-86.

 

[Soup]

2012 Lexus LFA Quick Test - Motor Trend

Quick Test: 2012 Lexus LFA (with video)

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Editor's Note: This is the second time we have tested an LFA. The first test we recorded a 3.8 second 0-to-60 time. It's important to note that numerous factors can lead to faster or slower times on any given test day.

Toyota's first attempt at building a supercar began all the way back in 2000, a year after it announced its intentions to return to Formula 1. Toyota's TF101 racecar began competing in 2002, and big things were expected in the next few years. Rumor has it the LFA's big reveal was being saved for Toyota's inevitable first big victory. Sadly, even with silly amounts of money thrown at the team, a win never materialized, and Toyota withdrew from F1 in 2009.

Even while struggling in F1, development of the supercar (first named LF-A) continued and the initial concept was shown at the 2005 Detroit auto Show. Two years later, camouflaged prototypes started showing up at race tracks around the world. The 4.8-liter Yamaha-designed V-10 was chosen for the tie-in to the 3.0-liter normally aspirated V-10s then being used in F1. A single clutch automated transaxle -- state of the art at the time -- was mounted in the rear for better weight distribution.

When looking at the LFA's performance, you have to remember it exists in an awkward time bubble. On one hand it was largely developed in the early 2000s, but when compared to cars like the Porsche Carrera GT, Ferrari Enzo, and Ford GT, it has several more years of development, plus another half-decade in tire technology. In 2005, the Carrera GT provided similar performance to the LFA at a similar price of around $400,000. But the LFA is behind the current crop of supercars in certain areas, one of them being performance per dollar. Several of them match or beat the LFA's performance at half or less the price.

But there is no denying the LFA occupies a special place in automotive history, especially in the world of Toyota. Everything about the car feels unique. The only piece recognizable as a Toyota-sourced part is the mouse-like controller for the infotainment system -- nothing else seems to relate to anything in the Toyota/Lexus/Scion family. This may be one of the downfalls of the LFA as a halo car. It is really tough for a Lexus IS 250 owner to tell his buddies he is basically driving the detuned version of the LFA when they have nothing in common -- not even HVAC controls or seat buttons.

The driving experience in the LFA is also nothing short of exotic. The first thing you notice is how amazingly loud it is. Modern supercars have loads of sound insulation and acoustically engineered glass to keep things at reasonable levels. Even Ferraris and Lamborghinis seem like Bentleys inside compared to the LFA.

Several our testers, myself included, expressed disappointment that the F1-like wail of the V-10 is turned into a somewhat annoying bellow once inside the car. The ride is rough and the transmission slow and jerky, but the overall experience doesn't mimic or pretend to be anything else. The seating position is low and stretched out. It doesn't feel like a race car and you will never mistake it for being German or Italian. Some have said the fact that it is Lexus' first supercar is obvious, but in some ways it almost feels like it's their first car, period. Clearly designers came at this car with no preconceived ideas. From the seat controls to the animated dashboard, everything has a unique look and feel. The steering is direct, but the communication is down a notch from something like a Ferrari or a Porsche.

The highlight of pounding around in the LFA is definitely the throttle response. While turbo cars can produce absolutely brutal mid-range torque, they will never match the instantaneous and near-telepathic connection to the right foot you get from a naturally aspirated engine. This is amplified by the Toyota V-10's willingness to rev and chase after 9000 rpm on the tach. The high-revving engine makes the whole car frenetic and buzzy. You have to anticipate shifts as the fake needle swings around the computer monitor behind the steering wheel. Grab the paddle fast and the car snatches the next gear. The real joy comes from feeding in power just after the apex. Throttles on turbo cars are so often on/off switches because it's more about lighting the fuse on the boost-bomb than controlling intake flow. With the naturally aspirated V-10 you can feather the throttle -- give it just that little bit more breath and it responds in kind. No matter how much more power you get from a forced induction car, it will never have that feeling.

To compare with the LFA, we chose two contemporary supercars and two supercars from the mid-2000s we already tested.. The Carrera GT and Ferrari Enzo are the naturally aspirated rear-wheel drive supercars. The Nissan GT-R and Porsche 911 twin turbo were chosen as examples of truly modern all-wheel drive. They're turbocharged supercars that can be driven everyday in normal car comfort. The performance is best represented graphically, so here it is.

The bell curve represents the plot of every vehicle we have tested in the past five years, from supercars to minivans. In all the charts, the further left the entry, the higher the performance. Even the slowest of this group is shockingly fast when compared to the average car on the road.

 

[330CIZHP]

Highly prejudicial review. Slower than 430 HP 911 GT3 acceleration numbers. Clearly by someone who wanted to keep repeating between the lines that it was inferior to the European counterparts and outdated in every way.

It is the rare occassions where a Lexus is being criticized for its daily driving traits. Calling an engine that does not even have the slighteest shudder when revved to 9000 rpm in the engine bay "buzzy" like a 4-banger is abysmal. Was the LFA engine and cabin sound not tuned by Yamaha acoustic engineers to musical octaves?

LexusEnthusiast had posted a response to that:

Bizarre Motor Trend Review of the Lexus LFA | The Lexus Enthusiast

Bizarre Motor Trend Review of the Lexus LFA


For whatever reason, Motor Trend has published a half-baked editorial slamming the Lexus LFA, which they’ve disguised as an impartial review — just to highlight some reasons you shouldn’t even bother reading it, here are just a few of my “favorite” quotes:

Everything about the car feels unique. The only piece recognizable as a Toyota-sourced part is the mouse-like controller for the infotainment system — nothing else seems to relate to anything in the Toyota/Lexus/Scion family. This may be one of the downfalls of the LFA as a halo car. It is really tough for a Lexus IS 250 owner to tell his buddies he is basically driving the detuned version of the LFA when they have nothing in common — not even HVAC controls or seat buttons.

Let’s reverse this — can you imagine how Motor Trend would have ridiculed the LFA if it had shared interior parts with an IS 250? Not only that, can they not see the LFA styling cues in the CT 200h, the 2011 IS F interior and the LF-Gh concept?

The driving experience in the LFA is also nothing short of exotic. The first thing you notice is how amazingly loud it is. Modern supercars have loads of sound insulation and acoustically engineered glass to keep things at reasonable levels. Even Ferraris and Lamborghinis seem like Bentleys inside compared to the LFA.

Several our testers, myself included, expressed disappointment that the F1-like wail of the V-10 is turned into a somewhat annoying bellow once inside the car.

This marks the first time, in all of the LFA reviews I’ve read, that I’ve seen a complaint about the LFA’s sound. And asking for more sound insulation? Seriously?

This is amplified by the Toyota V-10′s willingness to rev and chase after 9000 rpm on the tach. The high-revving engine makes the whole car frenetic and buzzy. You have to anticipate shifts as the fake needle swings around the computer monitor behind the steering wheel.

Does Motor Trend refer to the engine in the Audi R8 as the “Volkswagen V-10″? Was “fake” really the only adjective available to describe the LFA’s digital display? Pointing out little things like this might seem petty, but it perfectly illustrates the tone of their entire review.

Of course, all this goes without mentioning their abysmal performance testing — for all their expertise, the best 0-60 time Motor Trend testers were able to achieve with the LFA was 4.0s. This is 0.2s worse than their original road test, and 0.4s worse than InsideLine, just to name a couple examples. Laughably, this poor showing is used as ammunition against the LFA.

Really, the only thing worthwhile about this review is the video that accompanies it, and even then, we’re subjected to an elevator-muzak soundtrack rather than the LFA’s V10:

 

[Guibo]

All in all, there was some balance to the review. Perhaps in the name of stirring website traffic and ad revenue. Of all the mags, Motor Trend does seem to be the most bipolar. They post up an article and video of how the ZR1 "demolishes the world" on the basis of track numbers, then in another article they tear it down showing how as a driver's car, it's really not that good. Not anywhere near the level of a Cayman. And then in a blog, they say how performance numbers by themselves are meaningless, as they tell you virtually nothing about how the cars in question actually drive. In the end, who wins? Chevrolet wins one, Porsche wins one, Motor Trend scores revenue in viewership from both.

I get the feeling some on their staff were upset when their numbers hero the GT-R failed to trash the LFA in the previous review, which ended:
"Remove the collectors and speculators from the equation, and the LFA is merely another absurdly fast, glorious sounding supercar, right? Oh, if it were only that simple. Armchair experts, looking hard at our images and videos, will dissect and ultimately denounce the LFA for not being invincible. Sure, if a GT-R can catch it off guard, so can a Lamborghini Gallardo, Porsche 911 Turbo, Corvette ZR-1, and Dodge Viper -- all for a lot less money. But citing times, trap speeds, or dollar signs as enough reason to elevate any one of those over the LFA is missing the point entirely. The LFA belongs in the elite supercar club as much as any choice Porsche, Ferrari, or Corvette. It looks and sounds like nothing else on the road, and is as fiendishly fast as it is complicated and indulgent -- the very embodiment of the country and motoring culture from which it comes.
As for what its worth on the street? You need only hear the intoxicating bark of that V-10 touching 9000 rpm to know the answer.
Every penny."

And now, they bring back the old bang/buck argument. In a way, they've undermined this point in regards to the Porsche Turbo and GT-R in the previous paragraph (those turbocharged cars will never deliver the instant throttle response of the LFA). And while the LFA doesn't quite match the performance of the Enzo and the CGT, I think the fact that they're even comparing a Lexus to arguably the greatest hypercars of the past decade from such esteemed marques can only be good news for Lexus.
Yet, it doesn't quite compare with those cars. The Ferrari's interior looks more industrial, less luxurious, like an FIA GT car marginally adapted for street use. Its engine is less special, going on to power the MC12 and 599s. The Carrera GT cost about as much, but sold 1200+ units so it's not as if Lexus are asking too much. As the article states, the Lexus seems to occupy its own time in space. It doesn't compare all that well against anything on the market, and that further underscores its innate uniqueness.
As for the exhaust, I can imagine it might be tiring on a long highway trips. Lexus probably could have fit active exhaust baffles as you get on Ferraris, Astons and Corvettes to appeal to more people. They could have fit an adjustable suspension system as they've done on other models to improve the ride over more road surfaces. But the fact that they haven't probably shows their commitment in trying to make a purer driver's car, and is in line with the ethos of the supercar: every drive should be special and dramatic. We have seen in recent comparos that being more composed over bumps and more muted in sound makes for a better luxury sedan, but doesn't necessarily make for a better supercar.