For all that marketing happy-talk, the 2012 LFA is a serious outlier in the Lexus lineup and has had a convoluted gestation. The program started in 2000, and Lexus showed the first concept car at the Detroit auto show in 2005. Next, a convertible version appeared at Detroit in 2008, though it has since been canceled. In the interim, LFA prototypes were spotted testing at the Nordschleife, and further, two race-prepared cars entered the 24-hour race at the Nürburgring in 2008 and 2009.

The engine is a 4.8-liter V-10 codeveloped with Yamaha. It’s a compact unit that makes 553 horsepower at 8700 rpm and revs to a giddy 9000 rpm. Maximum torque of 354 pound-feet peaks at 6800 rpm, with 90 percent available between 3700 and 9000 revs.

The interior is restrained but tasteful. The car we drove had a mixture of supple leather, carbon fiber, Alcantara, and “satin metal” adorning the cockpit. Lexus will offer seat coverings in 12 shades of leather or 10 alternate hues of Alcantara, with three color choices for the Alcantara headliner. “Roomy” describes the cabin, although luggage space is minimal. The supportive bucket seats have eight-way power adjustments, and the driving position is superb. The minor controls are as easy to find and use as in a standard Lexus sedan, and the LFA even has the same mouse-style operation for its multi­function center-console screen as in an RX350 sport-ute.

VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, rear-wheel-drive, 2-passenger, 2-door coupe

ESTIMATED BASE PRICE: $350,000

ENGINE TYPE: DOHC 40-valve V-10, aluminum block and heads, port fuel injection

Displacement: 293 cu in, 4805cc
Power (SAE net): 553 bhp @ 8700 rpm
Torque (SAE net): 354 lb-ft @ 6800 rpm

TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automated manual

DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 102.6 in Length: 177.4 in
Width: 74.6 in Height: 48.0 in
Curb weight (C/D est): 3500 lb

PERFORMANCE (C/D EST):
Zero to 60 mph: 3.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 11.8 sec
Top speed (drag limited, mfr’s claim): 202 mph

FUEL ECONOMY (C/D EST):
EPA city/highway driving:14/20 mpg