News

There is now a 2nd Lexus LFA unit in the country

Lexus LFA #216

Lexus Manila's solitary white LFA now has a sibling unit in the Philippines. A red LFA was brought in by a gray-market vendor in Quezon City, and was promptly sold to a loaded buyer. The photo you see above is that of the actual unit.

The new LFA can already be seen roaming the streets of the metropolis as the owner takes it for a spin along with his friends' equally high-end supercars. It will be very hard to miss once you spot it on the road--it's a red LFA after all.

Let's see if a third LFA will make it to our shores before the car's limited production run of just 500 units comes to an end.

UPDATE: This story has been edited to protect the identities of the LFA owner and our first source. We've changed the photo and deleted parts of the original text. We're using a different image sent to our Facebook inbox by another source.

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  • Kyoichi Sudo 11 months ago
     
    That's what he gets for buying one from a grey market importer. Dapat nag-order na lang sya sa Lexus Manila, puwede naman yata un basta handa kang magbayad ng malaking halaga...
       
    • mindkinetic 11 months ago
       
      how can he buy from lexus when lexus said the LFA is not for sale. te customer is still a lexus patron . the fee is just too much half a million aside from the 50k per service requirement.
         
      • Kyoichi Sudo 11 months ago
         
        haaaaaaaaayyyyyyyy....... I really wonder why Lexus doesn't accept special orders for the LFA....
           
        • RS500 11 months ago
           
          Limited supply saka cost. Mas mahal pa to sa Ferrari 458 with taxes na un.
             
        • Giovchan 11 months ago
           
          SOLD OUT.
             
      • Feeter Silverster 11 months ago
         
        Maybe Lexus underestimated Pilipino's LFA buying capability. Bad Lexus.
           
    • markdejesus76 11 months ago
       
      Uhmm, di ka makakabili ng LFA kahit umorder ka sa Lexus ang alam ko eh.
         
  • JFLising 11 months ago
     
    Hindi ba monopoly ang ginagawa ng Lexus Manila for asking such high costs for their services? Though mahal naman talaga ang pag-aalaga ng supercar.
       
    • Kyoichi Sudo 11 months ago
       
      If its for a normal Lexus then Yes, but for a Jet-like Supercar, No
         
  • roadrage 11 months ago
     
    I believe cost of maintenance will not be any problem to anybody who can afford to buy a LFA.
       
  • msport 11 months ago
     
    Lexus Manila is unfair to penalize the owner of the red LFA with those exorbitant fees. In TopGear's October 12, 2011 article, Lexus Manila's marketing officer Carlo Chungunco actually says the LFA is "...not for sale. We've received a lot of offers… but it's not for sale." Now that we are lucky to land a second LFA in the country, Lexus Manila is forgetting that the owner of the red LFA is undeniably a Lexus customer.
       
    • mindkinetic 11 months ago
       
      correct
         
    • pao_lo 11 months ago
       
      Actually, the car that the Marketing officer was referring to is the LFA that is on display at Lexus Manila. it's not for sale because it's merely a display unit. Lexus limited the production of the LFA to maintain it's exclusivity and of course it's rareness.
         
  • abhie:) 11 months ago
     
    Paying is part of owning one, purchasing in grey market is part of owning one. Lexus manila's monopolizing its service is part of producing great and premium cars. That's basically how it works
       
  • rollakid690 11 months ago
     
    I think, the additional 50k per service and one time 500k fee wouldn't be much of an issue for people who buy grey market Lexus models (that cost millions), especially for someone who buys cars of this caliber. Obviously, the owner's loaded, which is why I don't think these "fees" would be much of an issue, especially since it pertains to maintaining his purchase. :)

    Kung nakabili ba naman ng LFA, eh. 50k and 500k pa naman. :))

       
  • one.edchelle 11 months ago
     
    uhmm.. ahehe, red LFA: hey can i ask you for a date? White LFA: sorry strict ang parents ko ahehehe... uhmm good to know. there are two LFA's here in the Philippines...
       
  • isaac3654 11 months ago
     
    Maintenance shouldn't be a problem. It's a Lexus. Built to last. I don't know any other company who even has standards for buttons in the interior, they test the buttons, so that after 10 years, they still sound and feel the same. If that attention to detail is paid to such a small component, how else to the other parts of the car? :)
       
  • someonespecialisme 11 months ago
     
    thats really the rule of lexus..get a lexus not from lexus manila..you have to pay that high to get your car serviced...
       
  • sugeina 11 months ago
     
    Whoa. I just saw this along slex this morning, from bicutan to edsa ayala, driving with his buddies in two porsche 911s, a gtr, a 458 italia, and another ferrari.
       
    • markdejesus76 11 months ago
       
      Scuderia F430, Porsche 911 GT3, Lamborghini Diablo & Gallardo -> Skyway. haha
         
      • sugeina 11 months ago
         
        sweet. kailan 'to? on the same day?
           
        • markdejesus76 11 months ago
           
          Yes. The same day. Gulat nga ko may Diablo sa Pilipinas eh. haha
             
    • Leopaul 11 months ago
       
      more like "smuggled" cars
         
  • car_mac 11 months ago
     
    My uncle who lives in San Francisco has a Lexus Hybrid SUV, I am not sure what suv though but he said that any lexus dealer you go you can have free car wash if you are a Lexus owner. Not sure if they implement it here.
       
    • car_mac 11 months ago
       
      well is it still worth 50,000 for maintenance of a supercar?
         
      • markdejesus76 11 months ago
         
        Are you comparing a Hybrid SUV from a Super car?
           
        • car_mac 11 months ago
           
          nope.. napagisip-isip ko lang kung para saan pa ba yung 50k tpos naidagdag ko yung free car wash
             
    • Feeter Silverster 11 months ago
       
      50k acceptance fee lang un, then yung parts and labor is of different story altogether. Shipping of the special parts. Tapos the training of the mechanic who can attend to the supercar. Parang hindi nga sulit sa Lexus na sumugal para dito kung kunwari eh wala pang 5 ang bibili ng LFA dito na twice a year lang magpapa service.
         
    • pao_lo 11 months ago
       
      actually bro yung 50k, acceptance fee lang yun. Kasi if you didn't get your unit via Lexus Manila you'll have to pay the acceptance fee for them to service your car.
         
  • svlec 11 months ago
     
    Now there's a chance in seeing and hearing this beast roar in metro roads :)
       
  • Stephen Garcia 11 months ago
     
    Another Toyota/Lexus fail in the Philippines... Guess they were wrong in thinking no Filipino can buy an LFA but i'd rather buy an Aventador or an MP4-12C has the same carbon fiber body only better.
        2
  • markdejesus76 11 months ago
     
    Woaah. Shocking. Shocking that most people thought you service an exotic supercar like your ordinary sports car. Super car = Super cost. Php 50000 service, expensive? Well, you don't just let an ordinary car mechanic service a Super car. They import their own engineer just to service a Super car. MP4-12C? Only Mclaren can tinker your car. Even you are forbidden to tinker the car unless you sign a waiver. Lamborghini? It s recommended that only their mechanic would service your car. BUT importing mechanic is not as cheap as importing a person. We judge this Company by misinterpreting their moves. They do not sell LFAs here because they CAN'T sell LFA's here. You can't even order one from Lexus unless you are willing to lease the car for a couple of years. Even if they charge you half a million for bringing an LFA to them, they still don't make money with that because manufacturing and servicing those 500 LFAs cost more than they sell it.
       
    • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
       
      Dude everyone knows how costly it is to maintain a super car. What the people are saying is that they should not have prevented people from buying it if they are willing to pay for all the costs even the aftermarket. Do you know how much it costs to maintain a Ferrari?? You're underestimating Filipinos if you think they can't pay for maintenance... IF Lamborghini Manila can maintain and service an Aventador why can't they if the customer is willing to pay for the expenses of the engineer. Plus, the expense for paying for an engineer is nothing to the cost of maintaning a single brake caliper of a Ferrari. So money is not a problem... What the problem is they should not have restricted the customer if he/she is willing to pay.
         
      • markdejesus76 11 months ago
         
        It's because they don't want their customers to make more money from the LFA. What they are pursuing is the "Single Ownership". I'm not underestimating the capacity of Filipinos to pay this super cars and the maintenance of those (misunderstood again). What I'm saying is, it's too costly for the company to provide you what you need from a product that doesn't make profit. And at the point of restriction, in the release of the LFA in market. Lexus said that they do not want others make profit out of the LFA so they limit the ownership of the car. Money is not the problem but principles. Lexus doesn't make money out of it so Lexus also wants the Future owner of the LFA to own it not more than the just cost of making the car. It's not about how willing a customer can pay.


           
        • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
           
          Taga Lexus ka ba pare?? Ohh so parang ung Enzo lng gusto nila pili ung bebentahan nila?? "What I'm saying is, it's too costly for the company to provide you what you need from a product that doesn't make profit." So wala din silang capacity mag service ng LFA OR tamad sila magparating ng mga technician even if willing magbayad. I've always wondered why ayaw nila magbenta eh, kasi willing nmn gumastos eh para sa lahat ng aftersales and if what you're saying about restriction is true, wala silang tiwala sa Pinoy kaya ayaw bentahan? My "friend" kasi is willing to buy whatever the price pero un nga ayaw nila bentahan. Well thanks for the info, it's just annoying kasi naka Lambo and Ferrari k na nga ayaw ka pa bentahan.
              1
          • markdejesus76 11 months ago
             
            Parang Enzo approach pero hindi sila namili ng bebentahan. Kelangan mo lang talagang mag-lease for 2 years then tsaka mo pwedeng bilhin.May capacity sila to service. Pero sa buong munda, nasa 500 at most na yung available na technician. Pinakamarami na yung 500 kasi mahal talaga i-operate yung LFA.May tiwala naman sila sa Pinoy. Pero to be fair, sa buong mundo ganito Lexus. Hindi ka pwede bumili unless you lease for two years. Even Lexus manila yata naka-loan lang yung LFA eh.
               
            • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
               
              How sure are you sa sinasabi mo? Sa ibang bansa bat ung iba hndi nmn nag lease ng 2 years meron agad? and that Red LFA that was bought from a distributor wasn't leased for 2 years? Where do you get your facts? dude hndi 500 ung technicians.. ung car ung 500. Don't give a reason na mahal i-operate kasi it's not that extravagant really... McLaren and Lamborghini made a better car than it. I guess that just shows na mahina talaga Lexus/Toyota, pang MASA kasi. Walang sinabi sa Nissan
                 
              • markdejesus76 11 months ago
                 
                hahaha. 500 technician is for 1:1 ratio for the LFA. Read in Wikipedia, Top gear Uk, Etc. Kahit dito sa Top Gear ph nabasa ko din after Lexus Manila brought 1 LFA here. Lexus? Pang-masa? haha. LFA, more expensive than Porsches, Mclaren, Lamborghini, Ferrari, but Lexus doesn't even make single profit for each car they leased and sold. That red LFA s not from a Lexus distributor. Lexus Manila would know you have LFA if the owner bought from a Lexus distributor, which means, the owner bought it from another owner. "Pre-owned" na tong LFA na nabili niya. Tsaka, hindi ako yung nagbigay ng reason para sabihing mahal i-operate ito. Lexus mismo kasama yung mga automotive journalist ang nagsabi na mahal nga gawin tong LFA.
                   
                • markdejesus76 11 months ago
                   
                  To update, Sa America lang pala tong sinasabi kong lease. Pero hindi ka pa din makakabili ng LFA kung gusto mo.
                     
              • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
                 
                Dude you don't need to specifically have 1 technician per car that you're making!! That is st*p*d! No car manufacturing company does that. I'm Talking about TOYOTA in general, they are into mass production kaya pang MASA. 1 super car you can't even maintain won't make you a big time car company, just shows na hndi talaga nila kaya mkpagsabayan hahaha! Back to what i said, they made something na hndi nila kaya panindigan. I pity them. but you're wrong in saying they don't make profit in selling LFA's, wala nmn nagbebenta ng palugi and hndi t*ng* ung Lexus para gawin un. Yes they make profit when they sell an LFA they just don't want the trouble of servicing and maintain it due to lack of resources
                   
              • markdejesus76 11 months ago
                 
                Haha. Then you just don't know the story of LFA. Well, if you are to distribute 500 super cars in the world, then might as well get ready of 500 technicians at most that could attend you immediately. i didn't said there was 500 but I just estimated that there may be 500. Napanindigan nila LFA. May nurburgring package pa nga eh. Pero yung cost of developing a supercar not what Lexus can. You're talking about long term preservation of an engineering masterpiece. Yun lang. We can't even compare Mclaren to LFA because simply, Mclaren has all the ability to create a super car while Lexus LFA is the first of Lexus. They are actually not making a profit with selling/ leasing the LFA as confirmed internationally.
                   
              • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
                 
                No you don't, you just prepare a number but it doesn't mean you need almost 500. Dude a racecar for Nurburgring doesn't mean napanindigan nila it's the production vehicles that count. Kung di nila kaya i-service ung mga LFA overseas then they are not a capable car manufacturer. kaw n nga nagsabi eh McLaren is one example of a capable car company. 500 cars is not that exclusive, Lamborghini made 200 Balboni edition and some made it here in the Philippines. Heck an Aston Martin One-77 are only 77 all over the world and yet they can still service and cater to their customers WHEREVER THEY ARE AROUND THE WORLD even if there are no local distributors. They are willing to send a technician with the corresponding parts to fix your car. So it all boils down to CUSTOMER SERVICE and how TOYOTA is not a CAPABLE car company
                    1
    • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
       
      Point lang kasi dito. Ung Ferrari mas mahal i-maintain sa LFA pero bkt willing nman sila mag maintain and mag service? Ung LFA di nmn sirain eh so hndi ganun kadalas mag paayos so hndi ganun ka costly. You'd be surprise kung gaano kadalas and gaano kamahal mag maintain ng 599 much more ung bagong F12, a million pesos won't be enough para sa maintenance nun tpos more than 4 times a year un ah, eh ung LFA matibay nmn eh parang Lambo lang. So kung ung Aventador binebenta nga dito which costs 40 million(LFA=45m) and almost same engineering lng and mas mahal pa kasi galing Italy ung engineer unlike LFA na galing Japan, why can't they kung willing nmn gumastos
          1
  • Giovchan 11 months ago
     
    Guys guys, we should not blame Lexus Manila for this, this guy (owner) bought it from a gray market and Lexus is not associated with that and doesn't control it. Blaming Lexus for not selling the LFA is not nice, they bought it and imported it, they have the right whether they want to sell it or not, in this case they aren't because it's their most valued possesion, it's the heartbeat of their showroom. And about the 5ooK and 50K service, it is really the rule of Lexus Manila, buy a Lexus not from them (after opening) you pay the price. Buti nga may dalawang LFA na tayo e, isa makikita pa talaga natin sa daan, praise the owner.
       
    • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
       
      i feel sorry lng for them kasi kumita sana sila. pero un nga buti nlng may nakabili na. meron na akong makikitang LFA sa pinas pag nag fun run ulit hahaha
         
  • sugeina 11 months ago
     
    what's up with the 500k / 50k fees? it wasn't mentioned in the article... was it edited out?

    anyway, this is just bad PR for lexus. all they had to do was to give an explanation on how difficult it would be for lexus manila to support/maintain/service the lfa, which is why they'd need to charge that high amount. OR, just give a warning to the owner that the logistics/cost of flying in a qualified lfa technician would be difficult for them, which is why they're discouraging the purchase. BUT they shouldn't be making it difficult for anyone to do so. anyone who can afford the lfa (or readers of this mag) would understand, i'm sure.
       
  • Leopaul 11 months ago
     
    Who would a smuggler pull that out? A smuggled Lexus LFA! Who;s that smuggler behind this?
       
    • sugeina 11 months ago
       
      gray market doesn't necessarily mean smuggled. it just means it was acquired through non-official distribution channels.
         
    • charger_srt8 11 months ago
       
      smuggled means the taxes were not paid for and the vehicle was entered into the country illegally
         
  • GTi 11 months ago
     
    Haha!~ And just some time ago Lexus Manila was confident that theirs would be the ONLY LFA in the country. ^0^ Tameme na siguro sila ngayon.
       
  • ako_si_bigotilyo 11 months ago
     
    ganyan talaga ang LEXUS dito, pag di mo binili dito handa ka na magbayad ng 500k na "membership fee" at 50k for every repair and that excludes the actual parts and labor charges.

    Topgear.. nung una, fair ang stand niyo, walang pinapanigan, bakit binago ang laman ng topic? bad publicity ba kasi ?

    Kasi naman LEXUS Manila, ayaw niyo magbenta ng LFA, ano ba kala niyo , kaya lang puwdeng bilhan ng LFA? There's a will, there's a way. Bakit di kayo magreklamo sa Lexus Main office na merong dealer elsewhere na nageexport.

    Kawawa naman ang owner ng LFA ,maaring gustong gusto niya yung LFA, kaya napilitan magangkat (kasi LEXUS Manila, ayaw niyo magbenta), gagatasan pa ng LEXUS Manila.

    Kaysa magbayad ng 500k 50k , mas may katuturan siguro kung igastos na lang niya ang 500k 50k niya sa pagbilii ng Diagnostic tools, lifter at service manual sa USA.
       
    • pao_lo 11 months ago
       
      Bro hindi nila sa ayaw magbenta ng LFA. Di nila kayang kumuha ng unit ng LFA kasi matagal ng pre-allocated ang 500 units ng LFA. And, Lexus ang namili ng buyers. With only 500 units, one year lang ang run nya.
         
      • ako_si_bigotilyo 11 months ago
         
        Diskarte na nila kung paano makakakuha ng allocation, di naman natin alam ang internal arrangements nila with Lexus Headquarters. Pero ang nakakalungkot lang kasi , right from the start, they announced na not for sale and they won't be selling any. So kung LFA fanatic ka talaga at can afford mo naman bumili, gagawa at gagawa ka ng paraan talaga.

        Sabi ng ng ibang members, last time nagpunta sila sa Lexus, for sale na, so last minute change yun, not all will know that change regarding LFA.
           
        • pao_lo 11 months ago
           
          Tama ka bro. For a consumer's side, I totally agree with you. Pero syempre from a business pov, baka nakikita ng Lexus na hindi magiging profitable sa kanila yun. Diba? Keeping ng inventory. Training ng technicians etc. Same reason kung bakit di napasok ng Nissan yung GTR. Madaming kayang bumili, pero ang requirement ng Nissan Global lahat ng dealership ay may technician na trained to handle and maintain the GTR at mahal yung training. For sure kung Lexus Manila lang ang masusunod, business aside, for sure they will bring the LFA in.
             
  • charger_srt8 11 months ago
     
    I wondered how much he paid for the car...any guess?
       
  • GBfive 11 months ago
     
    its more fun in Lexus Manila.....
       
  • Feeter Silverster 11 months ago
     
    Yun naman pala eh for sale na yung LFA ng Lexus.
       
  • Radenbach 11 months ago
     
    lexus LF-ail
       
    • Kyoichi Sudo 11 months ago
       
      hahahahaha.....
         
    • Stephmeister101 11 months ago
       
      so true... If i had the money i'd go for the Aventador, 5 million cheaper but better in everything also no problems with the aftersales so long as you have the money
         
  • georgenormaninnis 11 months ago
     
    Why the sudden change? Pati yata yung ibang post ay tinanggal, dahil ba ang 500k na membership fee at 50k na maintenance fee excluding labor and parts ay bad publicity para sa lexus manila? Kala ko po media kayo? Wala inuurungan, walang kinikilingan, serbisyung totoo lng. Para tuloy kayong may kinikilingan nyan eh. Ang mga sinambit nyo dati ay di na dapat binabawi.
       
    • pao_lo 11 months ago
       
      bro relax:)
      The 500k membership and 50k service was a "Service Memo" published by Lexus Manila to the public when they began their operations here. So hindi kailangan itago ng TopGear yung secret na yun. Check the Manila Standard article last January 27, 2009. Motoring column. It's published there.
         
    • pao_lo 11 months ago
       
      bro relax:)rnThe 500k membership and 50k service was a "Service Memo" published by Lexus Manila to the public when they began their operations here. So hindi kailangan itago ng TopGear yung secret na yun. Check the Manila Standard article last January 27, 2009. Motoring column. It's published there.
         
      • georgenormaninnis 11 months ago
         

        Sir paulo,
        for your premise and assuming that it was indeed published, why then to edit the article sincerely, this was the most edited article my eyes laid upon in just a wink of an eye. On a laymans term, this would seem deliberate and intentional. If they dont need to hide it why erase it? And i cant seem to find the service memo elsewhere. I would be heavily enlightened if you could be kind enough to share a link.
           
        • pao_lo 11 months ago
           
          I guess we just have to take Top Gear's word for it. They want to protect the source and whoever owns the LFA. I'm not being naive about how the media tends to cover-up in order to protect people/organizations. I think Top Gear just wants to avoid risking the owner's identity. And that's it.

          Below is the Manila Times article. (sorry, on my previous post it was Manila Standard)

          http://archives.manilatimes.net/national/2009/jan/27/yehey/motoring/20090127moto9.html

          Also, I think you can search the 2009 article of Top Gear about Lexus' guidelines.
             
    • georgenormaninnis 11 months ago
       
      Sir paulo for your premise and assuming that it was indeed published, why then to edit the article sincerely, this was the most edited article my eyes laid upon in just a wink of an eye. On a laymans term, this would seem deliberate and intentional. If they dont need to hide it why erase it? And i cant seem to find the service memo elsewhere. I would be heavily enlightened if you could be kind enough to share a link.
         
  • Stephen Garcia 11 months ago
     
    Just buy an Aventador cheaper than an LFA and Lamborghini manila has better service (syempre european car company) unless gusto mo tlga ng exclusivity
       
  • pao_lo 11 months ago
     
    This article was written by the Chief. I'll post the link as a reference for everyone asking Lexus' guidelines and why they charged the owner of the Red LFA Php500k as membership and Php50k for every service.


    http://archives.manilatimes.net/national/2009/jan/27/yehey/motoring/20090127moto9.html
       
  • the 8th 11 months ago
     
    kung yung ibang electronics companies nga eh, nagchacharge ng extra sa mga units na hindi under sa distribution nila, lexus pa kaya? mahirap mag-inventory ng parts, etc. at tsaka as mentioned countless times sa previous post, they'd have to bring in a special mechanic for this, hindi pwede yung mga ordinary mechanic ng lexus. This is why you won't find Pagani units here. They have Mercedes engines, but the regular MB technicians here (or from abroad) do not have the know-how in dealing with Pagani's versions of MB's engines. I think the same can be said for the McLaren F1 which has a BMW engine, and some other super cars.
       
  • RS500 11 months ago
     
    Grabe lakas niyo magcomplain at mang asta sa Lexus ah. Bakit bibili ba kayo ng LFA? Sakit ba sa kalooban na ayaw kayo bentahan sabay charge ng 50k pag nagpaservice? Laki ng problema ha.
       
  • Vernon B. Sarne
    Vernon B. Sarne 11 months ago
     
    Guys, let me explain why this article was edited. This story was passed on to me last Sunday. My source felt it was a harmless story that wouldn't be much of an issue to the LFA owner. So he gave us photos and also some information. When the story came out, the LFA owner--according to my source--got upset. My source was convinced he could be in hot water because of the story. So he politely asked me if I could take down the story. I told him we don't do that (take down stories that have already been posted). But as a compromise, I agreed to change the photo and edit the text to basically eliminate every element that came from him. It wasn't because Lexus Manila would have bad publicity over the exorbitant fee they charge gray-market Lexus owners. It was because--again, according to my source--the LFA owner was upset. The fee was never the issue. That's a transparent Lexus Manila policy. They announced it.
       
    • jaybeemoriyama 11 months ago
       
      well, that's just one of the drawbacks of owning a rare car, good or bad, you will definitely attract some attention, it comes with the territory, and now he's upset. and as for bringing the car to lexus because he can't figure out the odometer? poor guy, too much money on his hands and not enough time to study and read the manual. must be some spoiled kid! anyways, good for him, haha!
         
    • Kyoichi Sudo 11 months ago
       
      For me the owner shouldn't be upset because he owns a supercar and everyone appreciates it because not all people in the world can afford a LFA, he must be proud of himself! One lucky guy!
         
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