The last Lexus LFA to be delivered to a European customer has now arrived with its owner in Switzerland bringing to an end the Lexus supercar adventure.
It was back in 2009 that the first Lexus LFA arrived at the Tokyo Motor Show with its 4.8 litre V10 and a price tag very much the wrong side of £300k.
It took another year for Lexus to start building the LFA at the Motomachi Plant, Aichi Prefecture and a further two years for the plant to finish building the 500 LFAs planned, with the last LFA being built in December last year.
Despite the last LFA rolling out in December it’s taken until today for the last LFA bound for a European customer to be delivered, with its new owner taking delivery in Switzerland.
Over the last two years Europe has taken delivery of 40 LFAs, with German y leading the LFA ownership list with a total of fifteen cars, Switzerland with six (including the last LFA), the UK five, the Netherlands four and France three (although they’ve probably all left France to avoid its wealth taxes by now).
The owner of car #493 – the last European LFA – is Nicolas Schilling, a wine exporter who provides fine French and Italian wines to Japan. Nicolas Schilling said:
I was first impressed by the LFA’s design, but it was when I heard the sound of the engine of this breath-taking machine that I knew it was my dream car”, he said. “To me, the LFA stands for far-reaching innovative technology, absolute passion and determination, all dressed-up in pure elegance. It’s a world-class vehicle.
Mr Schilling mkay be the last LFA customer in Europe, but he’s not the biggest spending. Four LFAs with the Nurburgring performance package have found homes in Europe, one European buyer actually bought three LFAs and tow others bought two each.
The LFA has been so praised by those fortunate enough to drive it – including Top Gear’s Jeremy Clarkson who declared of the LFA: “Many things are wrong with it, but it’s still the best car I’ve ever driven…” – that it’s done wonders for not only the public’s perception of the Lexus brand, it’s encouraged Lexus to be more overtly sporting with their mainstream cars too.
Brian79 says
Lexus surprised with the LFA. Let’s hope they don’t turn their backs on supercars and do it again.