Lexus LFA Will Lease, not Sell

Lexus decided to stop all speculators who thought of making some extra money by trying to buy a limited edition LFA supercar and then reselling it at a higher price. The company decided to only offer two-year leases, as Lexus is keen on keeping the vehicle’s title, autonews.com reported.

"If someone buys it the first month and then decides to sell it, that could be damaging for the ownership experience," said Brian Smith, vice president of sales and dealer development for Lexus division. "If it is not controlled and hits the speculation market, all bets are off."

The Japanese company only intends to build 500 units of the LFA over a period of two years, therefore the two year lease. At the end of the lease, customers may opt to buy the cars. Lexus “wants people out driving the car and not just parking it in a museum or selling it at an inflated price," Smith said.

Each of the 500 LF-A will be built after it is ordered. "You can personalize it right down to the stitching in the car," Smith said. He added Lexus wants each customer to pay about the same price for the LFA.

The supercar is powered by a 4.8l V8 engine, developing a whopping 553 hp at 8,700 rpm and 480 Nm of torque at 6,800 rpm, 90 percent of which is available from 3,700 rpm. The engine is paired with a six-speed automated sequential gearbox, featuring four driving modes and a seven-stage shift-speed selector, allowing for 0.2 second upshift speeds.