By Edward Jones – August 09, 2021
RM Sotheby’s Presents The Fox Collection: 2012 Lexus LFA ...
Presented by RM Sotheby's - With its spectacular high-revving 4.8-liter V-10, bold styling, and exquisite engineering and build quality, the Lexus LFA immediately established a reputation as one of the world’s most capable—if wonderfully unexpected—supercars following its production debut in 2010. It was not merely an exclusive toy, however, achieving multiple class victories at the grueling Nürburgring 24 Hours in racing trim. That the LFA was so capable on the racetrack should come as no surprise; Toyota Motor Company president Akio Toyoda, who was instrumental in the creation of the LFA, is himself an avid driver. He occasionally competed in high-profile international racing events under the nom de guerre “Morizo Kinoshita” (in fact, he would eventually co-drive a Lexus LFA to an SP8 class win at the 2014 running of the Nürburgring 24). To honor the model’s victories, and to push the LFA’s already impressive performance envelope even further, Lexus developed the fittingly named Nürburgring Package. It was a resounding success: In August 2011, a road-legal example driven by Akira Iida conquered the Nürburgring Nordschleife in an astonishing 7 minutes, 14.64 seconds, setting record for a production car on spec tires in the process. Changes made for the LFA Nürburgring Package were numerous. At first glance, what stands out are the car’s numerous carbon fiber exterior components. Lexus fitted a revised front splitter, fixed rear wing, and winglets on the nose, all in carbon fiber. Although this added to the car’s overall downforce and thus reduced its overall top speed, Lexus engineers compensated for that by coaxing an additional 10 horsepower out of the engine. Total output for the Nürburgring Package was 562 brake horsepower, managed through a six-speed auto-clutch manual transmission; for the Nürburgring Package, shift times were decreased by 0.15 seconds. Additionally, the standard wheels were replaced with those of magnesium sourced from BBS, and they sported more aggressive Bridgestone tires. Finally, the ride height was reduced by 0.4 inches to improve handling and lower the car’s overall center of gravity. Ultimately, 64 Nürburgring Package cars were produced, making them a small subset of the 500 total LFAs built; only 25, this example among them, were delivered new to the United States. This LFA Nürburgring Package, serial number 303, left Japan’s Motomachi plant in March 2012. It was finished in Black over a black Alcantara interior with plenty of carbon fiber trim. It is one of just three Nürburgring LFAs finished in Black delivered new to the United States. As most Nürburgring Package cars were finished in bright orange or white, this is a seldom-seen and dramatic color combination. While the LFA’s inspired performance, not to mention its intoxicating V-10 exhaust note, must surely make joyrides difficult to resist, this stunning example has been driven fewer than 930 miles. Contributing to its “as-new” presentation, it is offered from the Fox Collection accompanied by a window sticker and binder containing its delivery documentation, including records of its purchase by its first owner via Motor City Lexus of Bakersfield, California; an invoice on file from the same dealership indicates scheduled maintenance performed in September 2014. Further accompanying accessories include a set of LFA-branded luggage, a crystal block LFA display piece, spare keys, pen, flashlight, tire inflator kit, and charger. Completing all this is a set of Sparco gloves from accomplished Lexus Racing driver Scott Pruett—further deepening this special LFA Nürburgring Package example’s connection to the racing victories that inspired its creation. With minimal production runs and maximized performance, the Fox Collection is filled with supercar selections that truly stand out from their contemporaries, with a combination of uncommon specifications, low mileages, and outstanding color combinations. The Fox Collection will be offered entirely without reserve at RM Sotheby’s Monterey sale, taking place 12-14 August 2021. View Listing
