The Lexus LFA Nurburgring Package
The factory standard traffic worthy, direct steering, carbon fibre supercar, the Lexus LFA, is one of the fastest road legal cars to come out of Japan. It was apparently never intended to be a very accessible car to begin with, as demonstrated by its price and limited number. With a base price of $375,000 and a production number of 500 units, the Lexus LFA for sale radiates exclusivity and luxury; two characteristics that the Lexus brand already manifested then and still does today.
Within the 500 unit production slated for this vehicle, 50 of those belonged to the Nurburgring Package. Throughout production, the LFA was tested on this very much revered ring. Lexus hoped to identify all the problems present for future preparation, identification and ultimate correction. This package was purposely made superior to the other 450 cars manufactured and boasts more exciting specifications than the regular LFA. In fact, the car equipped with the Nurburgring Package, set the record for the fifth fastest time ever, and the fastest time for a production vehicle not equipped with racing tires.
The Nurburgring Package, which comes in three colors only, whitest white, matte black and orange, has five features that set it apart from its parent model. The horsepower has been increased by ten, putting it at 562-hp. This extra horsepower when put to use, requires more down force to keep it on the track and so the speed activated rear wing in the LFA Nurburgring Package, was upgraded to a larger and fixed rear wing. Dive plates were also added to reduce the drag thereby improving the effectiveness of the rear wing. The transmission was also recalibrated for faster shifts, and a more adjustable track focused suspension was added.
This package was a worthy option to a limited production model and was specifically engineered for the supercar enthusiast with a track-focused heart. The rarity of the Lexus LFA and by extension the Nurburgring Package, have Lexus enthusiasts hankering for a successor, preferably one more accessible to the masses. But, while Lexus explicitly stated that there will be no successor, rumors continue to flit from ear to ear and until our curiosities are satisfied, we have only patience as our friend.
