Lexus LFA to be leased, then sold

By Matt Brogan | November 25th, 2009

In a move aimed at preventing speculators from buying Lexus’ limited run of 500 LFA supercars, the manufacturer has announced that it will only be leasing the car to interested parties.

Automotive entrepreneurs have been known to vulture sales of such limited edition vehicles only to resell them at a much higher price, but that won’t be the case with the Lexus LFA.

“If someone buys it the first month and then decides to sell it, that could be damaging for the ownership experience,” said Mr Brian Smith, US Vice President of sales and dealer development for Lexus. “If it is not controlled and hits the speculation market, all bets are off.”

The six-figure coupe will initially be offered on a two-year lease, though Lexus will consider giving lessees the chance to buy the LFA once the lease is over.

Production of the LFA is expected to begin in December 2010.

Jamison

not a good solution…

If I was multi millionaire with millions to spare, I’d still buy 1 and even with the 2-year lease. Would put it in a garage and sell it twice fold 2 years time.

Just because you “lease it” doesnt mean you have to drive it.

I think U.S sales department person is just trying to create new policies to MAKE him look good. The world has become too systematic and complicated that it aint fun anymore….tsk tsk
speedy_G

yes you could put it in the garage and not drive it for the 2 years, but if you read the story it states..

“The six-figure coupe will initially be offered on a two-year lease, though Lexus will CONSIDER giving lessees the chance to buy the LFA once the lease is over”

so its not a guarantee that you will be able to purchase it after the lease is up, and if they are going to go to this much trouble to stop the car being onsold for a profit, then they will go to the trouble of checking how much the vehicle has been used, for what purposes, and will most likely not offer a sale to such clients after the lease has ended
Jamison

Which is BS.

If someone paid for it cleanly… he/she/they should be able to do anything with it, as long as it is within legal conditions and not harming anyone or the environment etc.

What I am hearing is…. “Lease this car for XXXX dollars a month, we know you wont drive it much, so you basically paying for it to have it in your garage, but after 2 years we will see if you are eligible to buy it”

Chances are, a collector buys it and it is kept and garaged period.
Collectors are usually billionaires so they dont have to sell it to make profit off it… they usually have other vested businesses that make them money.

Baddass

Not harming the evironment? A 4.9L V10 won’t harm the environment?

riceboy

sounds a bit BS, but if one doesn’t like it, don’t buy it!
Andrew Juma

This is arguably the dumbest marketing technique that I have come across. If the Ferrari Enzo, which was even rarer, was sold outright to the select few, how will Lexus justify all this lease nonsense. Hmmm…

Reality Check

Have to agree, its a complete load of B.S. marketing.

A fake attempt to generate sales hype that these new cars are really in the ultra rare supercar catagory, YEAH RIGHT.

Just buy a Jaguar XFR, save half a million dollars and you’ve probably “own” just as good a car without all the B.S. marketing crap.

Dude

Who would want to buy one of these things in the first place?

http://www.checkwebhosting.com Neutral

Why not?

Mr.29cm

Because it’s a LEXUS!?!
Who would buy a half a mil Lexus???
With that kind of money I rather get a Lambo or a Ferrari!

My Cars Called T-Rex

I don’t get this car,its not a track focused car(too much creature comfort weight) but it has a track engine(power and torque figures high in the rev range),its not a daily driver because of its engine but has all the comforts.On top of that there this silly idea.This car should be badged a Toyota Supra and be running a cheaper 3.5L turbo,Lexus should build somthing like a DB9 dump the 4.9 and put in somthing with more bottom end power,how about a twin turbo 5.0 v8 from the IS-F.On the 4.9 v10 its a nice motor,in a le mans car maybe,I think the guys a Lexus where too busy trying to show what they can do(Vs GTR),and missed the point of the engine for a luxury sport coupe.
Carl

I can see where they are coming from. Whether this strategy suceeds or not is a different story. Of the 21 + 20 Lamborghini Reventons that were made and sold, 15 of them are for sale on one European website right now. Why? because people don’t actually want to own them and drive them like you and I, they are just speculators.