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EXCLUSIVE: The first three production LFAs arrive in the USA. (PART 1)


IMG_1656.JPGIt’s been 10 years in the making, but January 18, 2011 was a momentous day for Lexus. This was the day that the first three (of 500) production LFAs arrived on United States soil. It was just a few weeks ago in Japan that Lexus celebrated a milestone with the first production LFA to roll off the assembly line. It was only a matter of time, but now the USA has its first LFA units ready to be delivered to their anxious owners.

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The De-vanning of the LFA

Because the LFA is a special car, it requires special delivery. Instead of loading this special Lexus on a regular vehicle ship, all LFAs bound for the USA will arrive in its own shipping container. Once the container arrives at the port and goes through U.S. Customs, Lexus delivers the container to their special facility for the LFA to be de-vanned (unboxed). Once at their facility, special trained technicians will pull the the LFA out of the container. The LFA is transported on a specially-built pallet inside the container. Once the container is backed into the dock, the car is pulled out. This is how they do it:

The technicians unbolt the pallet from the container floor and remove the wooden chocks that secure it.IMG_1653.JPG

Once the pallet is unsecured, a forklift is used to pull the unit out.
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The LFA is fully removed from container.IMG_1664.JPG

The wheel guides are unbolted and the wheel straps are removed.
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Once the car is free, the technician takes a soft white cloth and drapes it over the quarter panel and driver’s side entry to protect the LFA’s lustrous paint finish.
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The hatch is opened and the battery is connected.
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The technicians do a final inspection check and they start the car up for the first time.IMG_1730.JPG

The LFA is carefully backed off the special built pallet.
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Now the LFA is carefully driven to the awaiting transporter. IMG_1783.JPG

The LFA is loaded up into the truck.
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The LFA is driven in.IMG_1797.JPG

And now its secured.
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The LFA is ready to be delivered.
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Once the LFA arrives at its final destination, the selected Lexus dealership will perform the final pre-delivery inspection and deliver the LFA to its new owner.

Because the LFA is a global car, each LFA will be delivered in the order it was sold. Surpisingly, the first three LFAs that have arrived are destined for outside of California!

What we know:

  • #001 – Red (3P0) Exterior, Black (?) Interior  – Japan
  • #003 – Metallic Silver (1F2) Exterior, Red Interior – USA
  • #006 – Whitest White (079), Red Interior – USA
  • #026  – Black (212), Black Interior – USA

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LFA in the USA Fun Facts:

  • Each LFAs are tested and driven by a Motomatchi Quality Control Engineer to ensure the highest quality compliance. A certificate is placed in each car with the engineer’s signature.
  • Each LFA ships in its own clean container with a pink painted metal pallet designed specifically to secure the car during transport.
  • Each LFA pallet is sent back to Japan after use to transport the next shipment of cars. 5 can be stacked at one time.
  • The LFA is not covered in exterior plastic during transport. This is to ensure proper paint curing from the time it leaves the Motomachi Plant to its final destination.
  • It takes about 7-10 days (weather permitting) for an LFA to ship from the port in Japan to the Port of Long Beach.
  • All US bound LFAs will only go through Toyota’s facilities at the Port of Long Beach for de-vanning of the shipping container.
  • Each LFA will be delivered by a special Lexus transporter to the new owner’s preferred Lexus dealer.
  • This is the only Lexus or Toyota product that is delivered in this manner.
  • LFA10 is the chassis code for the Lexus LFA. LFA10L is the designation for left hand drive models.
  • Mobil 1 5w50 is the official oil for the Lexus LFA.

I was fortunate to take plenty of photos and video of the Silver, Whitest White and Black LFAs that have recently arrived. More photos and video to come in the next few days. Stay tuned. 🙂

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Club Lexus: LFA Discussion

Special thanks to Lexus USA and Toyota Logistics Services for inviting us to this remarkable and historic event!

Published inFLexusLFA

20 Comments

  1. […] destined for the United States. The first part of his account appears on the Kaizen Factor blog: EXCLUSIVE: The first three production LFAs arrive in the USA. (PART 1) | Kaizen Factor __________________ Industry Editor, Moderator, All-around Car Nut and the official my.IS […]

  2. Very cool. Contrary to what many auto enthusiasts like myself have to say about this car, I personally think the LFA is a fantastic car. Thanks for sharing!

  3. GT500 GT500

    LFA is one amazing machine. It has taken the European supercars by storm earning rave reviews by people who ACTUALLY DROVE it. Stunning engine with 0 – 9500 rpm in only half a second, 9500 rpm rev limit, F1 V10 engine soundtrack, 1.10g at the skidpad and 75 mph slalom speed, carbon fiber, a V10 that is smaller and lighter than a V6 and the list goes on.

    It has also won numerous comparison against other supercars (‘Evo UK best engine of the year’, ‘Evo UK best car of the year’, ‘CarAndDriver LFA vs 599 GTB with HGTE package’ etc.) This car will re-define what the meaning of supercar is.

  4. This is undoubetly the most interesting automotive article i have read in a long time – thanks heaps for the article and more-so for the fantastic pictures. And … what an amazing car – well done Lexus !! This website is now reserved in ‘My Favourites’

    • Thanks for reading, we’re glad you enjoyed it. There are more pictures coming soon!

      • I will be eagerly waiting … this is a good website, got yourself a new regular reader. Don’t know what it is about the silver LFA but is it beautiful !!

  5. Dear Flipside 909,

    Thank you for these pictures. I hope there are more to come as this is a good opportunity to make the choice for outside color and interiour combination. In my opinion it shouldn’t be red ( ferrari ), yellow ( lambo ), white ( we are not in the middle east ) and not dark colors as it is not a sedan ( personally ). So I chose orange metallic and all black interiour. 7 month’s before production Lexus has to know what you want so plenty of time to look at your pictures and think about it.

    Best Regards, Maarten Verschure

    • You’re welcome. I am going to be posting more photos including the links to my galleries. It’s almost impossible to post up 500+ photos on one article, so I will have those links available soon as well as three more new LFAs to feature.

      Regards.

  6. Marpermx Marpermx

    Simply AWESOME!!!

  7. […] Info… EXCLUSIVE: The first three production LFAs arrive in the USA. (PART 1) | Kaizen Factor __________________ Have you ever noticed…Anybody going slower than you is an idiot, and […]

  8. […] one sits in it’s own container, bolted down to a cradle that prevents any movement or damage. Take a look at his blog for a full sequence of LFA’s being ‘de-vanned’. There are loads of videos out there of people getting all excited about opening the box when the […]

  9. Chris Chris

    The white one arrived at Eskridge Lexus in Oklahoma City—I’ve got the pictures!

  10. […] dealer. ■ This is the only Lexus or Toyota product that is delivered in this manner." EXCLUSIVE: The first three production LFAs arrive in the USA. (PART 1) | Kaizen Factor Some videos have already been posted in this thread of the #003 silver car out "in the […]

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