The Lexus LFA is probably one of the most rare cars of this decade, 500 units dispersed around the world hardly gives the rich a chance to own one, and if you’re in the USA, you can’t own one no matter how rich you are, you will have to lease it first. Such is the appeal of the LFA. We hear about GTR fans moaning about how many GTR’s you can buy with the price of one LFA, but really, who cares about a Nissan that you see everyday, a LFA that you see once a year will still make you go wow, even if its faster or not. That’s the real appeal of exclusivity.
So we already know that the LFA is one rare piece of machinery, but its about to get even more rare with the introduction of the Nurburgring Package. Built to commemorate the LFA’s participation in the 24 Hours of Nurburgring, the special edition car will be limited to only 50 units. So what’s so different?
To start with, the special edition gets a new front splitter, dive plans and a fixed rear wing, just like the original race car. But it doesn’t just stop there, unlike some special editions we know, the Nurburgring Package includes mechanical upgrades in various forms. Firstly, the suspension has now been “sports tuned”, a fancy word for stiffer and more compliant around the corners. Secondly and perhaps more importantly, the lightweight 4.8-liter V10 now gets 10 extra horses bringing the total to 562hp. Thirdly and in my opinion more impressively, gear shifts are now faster by 50 milliseconds, bringing the shift time to just 150 ms. That’s ‘almost’ Formula One fast.
The Nurburgring Package LFA also gets a handful of colour options that includes a very Mclaren like Orange, Whitest White, and Gloss Black. But the one colour that is hard to fathom is the matte black option, not because it’s matte black but because it costs US$20,000 !!! That’s on top of the US$70,000 asking price for the Package and US$375,000 for the LFA. But like they say, if you have to ask, you probably couldn’t even afford the hub cap. Complete details in the press release below:
Lexus Introduces 2012 LFA Nürburgring Package
2012 Lexus LFA Nurburgring Edition 003
* 50 Units Available
* Nürburgring Race Car Influenced Styling and Performance
* 562 Horsepower and Quicker Gear Changes
TORRANCE, Calif. (May 10, 2010) – Lexus announced today it will offer a limited edition Nürburgring Package to LFA customers.
“This Nürburgring Package builds on the track-ready Lexus supercar with styling cues from the 24 Hours of Nürburgring prototype LFA racecar,” said Mark Templin, Lexus Division group vice president and general manager. “Driving enthusiasts will also appreciate the Nürburgring Package’s performance enhancements that were proven on the legendary German track.”
The 4.8L V10 engine for Nürburgring Package equipped LFA’s will produce 562 horsepower, 10 more horsepower than the standard high-performance LFA. The gear-shift time has been reduced by 0.05 seconds to only 0.15 seconds for even faster gear changes.
The Nürburgring Package is limited to only 50 units out of the 500 LFA hand-assembled for global distribution. It will also have the following features:
# A sport-tuned suspension, exclusive black mesh-type wheels and dedicated high-grip tires for better handling;
# And a larger front spoiler and fixed rear wing for improved high speed down force.
This limited edition LFA will be available in four exterior colors – whitest white, orange, black and matte black complemented by a choice of three interior colors – black, red, and violet. All come with a carbon fiber center console and door trim. The Nürburgring Package will carry a Manufacturer’s Suggested Retail Price (MSRP) of $70,000. Matte black will carry an additional cost of $20,000. The standard LFA carries a MSRP of $375,000.
In addition to the Nürburgring vehicle specifications, a package of special privileges is included in association with the Nürburgring course itself. The perks comprise, but are not limited to, private parking, co-pilot ride, one night at the Lindner Congress and Motorsport Hotel Nürburgring, private training with Nürburgring chief driving instructor, a Nürburgring branded jacket, as well as a one-year annual pass valid for driving on the Nordschleife and admission to ring°werk leisure park.
Source: AutoBlog
