Lexus confirms LFA record 'Ring lap time of 7:14.64 with video

Last Friday we brought you the breaking news that the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition had once again taken to the track from which it derives its name with record-setting results and we now have positive confirmation from the luxury automaker that their LFA supercar indeed set the production car record with an incredible time of just 7:14.64.

The initial reports last week of the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition setting the record for the fastest production vehicles to tear around the famous German race track but at that time, we only knew that the LFA ran a 7:14. We know now that the full time for the LFA Nürburgring Edition was a 7:14.64 – putting it in a tie for the Donkervoort D8RS for the 4th fastest street legal car of all time to tour the Nürburgring. The 3 vehicles ranking above the LFA Nürburgring Edition are a pair of Radical SR8s (which are essentially street legal race cars - not something that you will see on the road very often) and the Gumpert Apollo Speed which is another street legal race car carrying a price tag around a half million dollars. Overall, the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition is the fastest full production vehicle from a mainstream automaker with the next closest real competitor being the Porsche 911 GT2 RS, which is some 4 seconds slower than the LFA.

The Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition takes the standard 2012 LFA and adds some aerodynamic tweaks, track-tuned suspension, lightweight wheels wrapped in Bridgestone Potenza RE070 tires and a bump in power that raises the output to 563 horsepower. This latest trip to the ‘Ring for the special edition Lexus LFA allowed it to easily trump the 7:22.85 turned in by the same car and driver earlier this year as well as standing well above the 7:38 run by the non-Nürburgring edition LFA. Just 50 of the 500 LFA supercars slated for production will wear the Nürburgring Edition improvements but with such an incredible time, Lexus has set the bar very high for the rest of the motoring world at the most famous race course in the world. Best of all, Lexus has offered up video of the record-setting run, showing test driver Akira Iida blasting around the Nordschleife, with speeds reaching 298kmh (185mph) at the end of the long straightaway – a couple miles per hour faster than the top speed of the Corvette ZR1 during its best Ring run which resulted in a time of 7:19.63.

Check out the video below of the Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition and stay tuned to TorqueNews for all of your latest supercar news including new attempts at the Nürburgring. With winter approaching, it could be a while before the LFA sees its record beaten but with the next generation Dodge Viper expected early next spring – the new Viper could be the best chance for an American sports car to beat the Japanese supercar’s best time.

Other Nürburgring News:
Lexus LFA Nürburgring Edition shatters production car ‘Ring record
The 2012 ZR1 smashes the Viper ACR’s ‘Ring record – with video
The Chevrolet Corvette Z06 sets a new best at the ‘Ring