As for the LF-A, isn’t any manufacturer’s high performance car someone’s ego trip? It may very well not stack against the competition if/when it is released for sale but at least Toyota is doing something in the fast car camp.

As with, it seems most Japanese automakers, TOYOTA elected to keep most of the best stuff at home. But the majority of Lexus Cars are in fact purpose developed for that division. Lexus is a not entirely a bunch of dressed up TOYOTA, the obvious exceptions, the SUVs not withstanding, being the ES series cars, being a redressed Camry and soon a Prius.

It is this fact that Lexus has clout. Much as CADILLAC does NOT share the SIGMA platform with any other division, so too does LEXUS share almost nothing with TOYOTA as a division.

Mind you I’m not defending TOYOTA or LEXUS. I’m not pleased that DETROIT basically keeps tossing away every possible advantage they have or could have out of administrative, financial, and/or political expedience. “Anything to stay in business though not necessarily make money.”

Cars like the GT-R35 and this LF-A are the direct result of sticking to a plan that makes these cars, otherwise pointless against the rest or their portfolios, possible.

Also, I’m betting the LF-A will school the GT-R35. It’s first unofficial times at Nurburgring were around 7min24sec. The car is much quicker than it lets on. I don’t think the GT-R35 SpecV can beat THE ZR-1 as is, but the LF-A may well. Hopefully CHEVROLET takes the hint and invests heavily in making the C7 more in line with the competition, much more brains not just more brawn. The C6 is pretty tough to untouchable as is, a some formula tech and the C7 will be the monster to beat.

As in the Truck wars, before gas prices scuttled that whole party, the last one to the field has the advantage because they now know just what they are going up against and can prepare for it. High-end sports cars are much more dramatic in showing this than trucks or family sedans.

@masteryoda2005: You left out Nissan, they still build performance models very worthy of attention. I would say you left out Honda as well but it looks as though they’re going the way of Toyota as well. The S2000 will be missed.

And I agree with everyone else in the fact that it should be a supra instead of a super car. IMO you don’t start at the top of the line, you work your way up. They should put out a supra or something comparable in power and price to say the mustang or z then make a Lexus version. Sort of like the G35/350Z and G37/370Z.

As for the rest of us without bottomless checkbooks, the Toyobaru coupe can’t arrive any sooner.

BurgerKing2009, I would eat your fist and you would lose a limb when you throw it my way.

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MasterYoda2005, They don’t laugh now when you roll up in LEXUS. But this is a weird sidestep for the company known for stubbornly building only basic transportation.

Raineman, I would fully agree Toyota needs a new sports car, A Supra, not just this a Super Sports car.

Then again FORD could due with building a proper sports car. The Mustang is great, a total refinement of the old muscle car architecture. But FORD needs a Permanent sports car on its roster. I would hope for a new THUNDERBIRD or that FORD Buys the VIPER off DODGE, though that seems unlikely as CHRYSLER only discontinued the car and sold the factory but never sold the rights to build the VIPER or use the name.