Lexus LFA: Only 150 Lease Cars Coming to U.S.
Published Nov 23, 2009
TORRANCE, California — Lexus confirmed Monday that it will only lease its new LFA supercar to customers in the U.S. and Canada, with a provision to buy the car at the end of the two-year lease.
On the official LFA Web site, Lexus said it was "targeting to offer the base LFA" at 37.5 million yen — around $420,000 at current exchange rates — with any customization charges added to the price.
Lexus began accepting "purchase applications" in October. LFA production begins in December 2010 at Toyota's Motomachi plant in Japan. Cars will be hand-built at the rate of 20 per month for 25 months, with total production limited to 500 cars.
A Lexus spokesman told Inside Line only 150 cars will be coming to the U.S. Previously, Lexus said only 10 LFAs will be available to Canadian customers. Lexus will only be offering the lease-only program in North America.
In an interview with Automotive News, Lexus executive Brian Smith said no LFA will be built until it is ordered.
A story on the Canadian site wheels.ca said the LFA lease deal could cost up to $10,000 a month, including interest, taxes and a hefty insurance premium. Lessees will have a purchase option at the end of the lease.
The wheels.ca story said the lease deal was intended to squelch speculators. It quoted Toyota Canada spokesperson Sandy Di Felice as saying, "What happens with hot new supercars like the LFA is that brokers will purchase them and flip them on Web sites like eBay. You don't want the brand devalued because people are playing silly buggers."
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