About.com Exotic Cars

Lexus LFA Lease-Only. Lordy!

Mon, 23 Nov 2009 16:19:31 +0000

Lexus is heading speculators off at the pass by only offering the 2011 Lexus LFA for lease, not for sale. Anyone who wants a one of the 500 built-to-order Japanese supercars will have to lease it for two years before being able to buy it outright.

The idea, says a Lexus VP in the latest issue of Automotive News, is to get people to drive and enjoy all 552 hp under the hood. The company doesn't want people "just parking it in museum or selling it at an inflated price."

A phalanx of 15 LFA-trained specialists deployed across the U.S. to sell (or, I guess, lease) the car, at $375,000.

Lexus LFA Lease-Only. Lordy! originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Monday, November 23rd, 2009 at 16:19:31.

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Bentley, Ferrari, and Lamborghini Skipping L.A. Auto Show

Sat, 21 Nov 2009 11:44:43 +0000

Dammit! It's all over the internet this weekend that Bentley, Ferrari (along with its sister company Maserati), and Lamborghini aren't going to be at the Los Angeles Auto Show in early December. Did they not hear that I'll be there? That About.com readers are waiting to see real, live images of the Ferrari 458 Italia? or the new Maserati GranTurismo convertible?

That leaves, according to Autoblog, Aston Martin, Audi, BMW, Fisker, Mercedes-Benz, Rolls-Royce, and Spyker. That's still a pretty good lineup, but seriously -- no Bentley Continental Supersports?

Bentley, Ferrari, and Lamborghini Skipping L.A. Auto Show originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Saturday, November 21st, 2009 at 11:44:43.

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Jaguar R Performance Academy Not Just for Pirates

Thu, 19 Nov 2009 16:09:24 +0000

Aaarrrr, mateys. Or, actually, just the one R. As in Jaguar XKR or XFR. Anyone who purchased a 2010 Jaguar XKR or XFR, pirate or no, will be able to participate in the R Performance Academy at tracks across the country for free.

If you've got one of the R edition Jags, each of which has 510 hp, there are few places to really run the horses. So beginning with the December 1 at Homestead Miami Speedway, Jaguar will invite owners to gather for dedicated track time. Activities include track-day classics like maximum acceleration, autocross, and hot laps with racing drivers. There's also real-world practice, like complete ABS stopping and emergency lane changes.

The R-types had to be purchased by September, so if there's not one in your driveway, you're out of luck, matey. But you can live vicariously through my review of the 2010 Jaguar XKR convertible, which, sadly, I had during a week of rain. There are even pictures of the very wet R-type.

Jaguar R Performance Academy Not Just for Pirates originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Thursday, November 19th, 2009 at 16:09:24.

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Viper Gets Defanged: Production to Cease

Wed, 18 Nov 2009 18:29:31 +0000

Remember that happy July day when the sun was shining, the Dodge Viper was given a reprieve, and all was right with the world? Well, the short winter days are getting to the guys in Detroit. Production of the Dodge Viper will end by July 2010.

Autoweek reported that the final 500 vehicles of the run will be special editions, but no details were given on just how special they might be. A new sports car is set to debut in 2012. Can we expect to see cooperation from fellow Fiat partner Ferrari? Fingers crossed ...

Viper Gets Defanged: Production to Cease originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Wednesday, November 18th, 2009 at 18:29:31.

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Thinking Ahead: Concorso Italiano and Exotic Rally SoCal

Mon, 16 Nov 2009 18:20:13 +0000

About.com readers are nothing if not informed. They also love to be in the loop far in advance and plan their summer schedules far in advance. And that is why I'm telling you now, in November 2009, about two cool events in the second half of 2010.

Concorso Italiano will host the Ferrari F40 owners convention on Friday, August 13, 2010, in addition to its already staggering array of Italian autos. How many F40s might show up? Probably about 40. Maybe a few more. It's not like there were thousands of these things made, you know.
Exotic Rally SoCal is three days of driving and fine dining on the famously twisty roads of Southern California, September 23-25, 2010. The catch? It's BYOE -- bring your own exotic. But if you've got a Gallardo sitting around with nothing to do, this could be the event for you. Or you could let me borrow that lonely Gallardo, and it could be the event for me. Just saying.

Thinking Ahead: Concorso Italiano and Exotic Rally SoCal originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Monday, November 16th, 2009 at 18:20:13.

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Ferrari and Porsche Themes for Windows 7

Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:10:52 +0000

If you've taken the Windows 7 plunge and left Vista in the dust, you're in luck: Ferrari and Porsche have whole themes you can download for W7. The themes include clean, crisp studio shots of cars from the Italian and German automakers, plus color schemes to match.

(And for any stragglers from the About.com Motorcycles site, Ducati has put together a theme for Windows 7, too.)

Ferrari and Porsche Themes for Windows 7 originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Friday, November 13th, 2009 at 18:10:52.

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Bugatti Veyrons Make Crappy Boats

Thu, 12 Nov 2009 13:22:30 +0000

And here's the video proof. It's about three and a half minutes long, this clip, and it's of the recovery, not the crash. But I think it's safe to assume that the level of the lake the car ended up in was raised significantly by the owner's tears.

Bugatti Veyrons Make Crappy Boats originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Thursday, November 12th, 2009 at 13:22:30.

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SEMA 2009: New Skins for Old Faves

Thu, 05 Nov 2009 15:16:11 +0000

New cars like the Devon GTX and Plethore LC-750 got a lot of press at SEMA 2009, but everybody's favorite exotics were on hand with new wheels, paint, and more. Check out the new pics of the Ferrari California, Ferrari F430 Scuderia, Mercedes-Benz SLR McLaren, and Rolls-Royce Phantom in the image galleries.

SEMA 2009: New Skins for Old Faves originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Thursday, November 5th, 2009 at 15:16:11.

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SEMA 2009: The Lexus LFA

Tue, 03 Nov 2009 15:45:16 +0000

SEMA 2009 is humming along, and I've got pictures to prove it. Check out the super spendy supercar from Japan, the Lexus LFA. Images are up right now; details will come as soon as I've had some lunch.

What do you think of Lexus's entree into the exotic car market? Let us know in the comments.

SEMA 2009: The Lexus LFA originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Tuesday, November 3rd, 2009 at 15:45:16.

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$400k for a Lexus? Meet the Lexus LFA Supercar

Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:15:22 +0000

Luxury car maker Lexus has officially entered the exotic car realm with the Lexus LFA, a V10 supercar with a carbon-fiber reinforced polymer body. Production begins in December 2010, with finished cars limited to 500.

The engine is a 4.8-liter V10 with 552 hp and 354 lb-ft of torque, pushing the LFA to a top speed of 202 mph. All those Lexus hybrids are going to have to sell like hotcakes to make up for this kind of power, which just screams, "Come and get me, greenie!" It's really hard to hug trees at 200 mph.

There's a special web site set up for the Lexus LFA, should you want to configure one on your coffee break today.

$400k for a Lexus? Meet the Lexus LFA Supercar originally appeared on About.com Exotic Cars on Wednesday, October 28th, 2009 at 14:15:22.

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