Lexus LFA: Early Customer Interest Exceeds Production Numbers (You don't Say...)

To no one's surprise, in the three months that have passed since the official introduction of the LFA at the Tokyo Motor Show in October 2009, the number of formal expressions of interest in purchasing the $375,000 V10 supercar is already far greater than the limited production run of only 500 examples, Toyota's subsidiary announced today.

Lexus said that it will continue to accept "formal expressions of interest" up to mid-March. At that point though, the 500 LFAs will be allocated across the 56 countries where they are on sale, with confirmed orders with deposits to be invited from the end of May.

Devshi Varshani, the Personal Liaison Manager who looks after all LFA sales, said: "The level of interest we have witnessed reinforces just what an exceptional car the LFA is. Even though few people have even seen the car in the metal, let alone experienced its breathtaking performance, it has quickly achieved the status of a truly rare and highly sought-after machine."

The Japanese automaker's first-ever supercar is powered by a mid-front mounted 4.8-litre V10 engine that churns out 552bhp for a zero to 62mph (100km/h) sprint time of just 3.7 seconds and a maximum velocity of 325 km/h or 202 mph.

Honda HSV-010 GT: NSX's Racing Replacement Caught on Video During Testing

Earlier this week, Honda released the first official details and a photo of its new HSV-010 GT, which stands for Honda Sports Velocity, and has been developed to replace the racing variant of the NSX in the GT500 class of the 2010 Super GT Series. Now we have the first videos of the blacked out racer that's the closest we'll get to the next generation NSX supercar.

You see, the HSV-010 GT is based on the NSX's replacement that Honda canceled at the end of 2008 due to the economic recession. The Japanese company had previewed the supercar which featured a front-mounted V10 engine in concept form through the Acura Advance Sports Car Concept at the 2007 Detroit Auto Show.

According to company sources, the V10 supercar would have been the Japanese automaker's most powerful production model ever.

The HSV-010 GT carries the production-ready supercar's shape and underpinnings though Honda's engineers swapped the V10 engine for a 3.4-liter V8 churning out some 500HP and replaced the rear-biased all-wheel drive system for a simpler rear-wheel drive layout to conform to the 2010 GT500 Regulations.

Honda's new GT is slated to make its official racing debut at the Super GT season opener at the Suzuka Circuit, held on March 20–21, 2010.

VIDEO: Ferrari 458 Italia Stars in New Gran Turismo 5 Trailer

VIDEO: Ferrari 458 Italia Stars in New Gran Turismo 5 Trailer

The makers of the yet-to-be-released Sony Playstation Gran Turismo 5 video game have published a new dedicated trailer featuring the Ferrari 458 Italia that made its world debut at this month's Frankfurt motor show. The long-anticipated fifth installment of the Gran Turismo, which is expected to go on sale in mid-2010, will boast many new cars including the Mercedes-Benz SLS AMG Gullwing and the GTbyCitroen concept that was initially developed for the game but may very well go into a limited production. Hit the break to watch the video.

Ferrari's One-Off 599 GTB Fiorano China Limited Edition, Video and Full Gallery with High-Res Photos

Ferrari's One-Off 599 GTB Fiorano China Limited Edition
Video and Full Gallery with High-Res Photos

Usually, you'd expect to see something like this happening to a Fiat 500 and not to high-end supercar like the Ferrari 599 GTB Fiorano, but there are always exceptions to the rule. This one-off creation, which is based on a small series of specially-designed 599 GTB Fiorano China Limited Edition models, is signed by Chinese artist Lu Hao and it will be auctioned the 3rd of November at a special Gala Auction Event hosted by Ferrari in Beijing.

The special 599 GTB Fiorano incorporates a number of the features of the China Limited Edition cars that will be produced in a very limited series of less than a dozen examples finished in two-tone Rosso Fuoco with silver roof and distinguished by unique design elements such as the Chinese characters on the starter button and the tachometer, and the unique luggage set.

The one-off model is further distinguished by the special exterior finish that draws inspiration from the famous Ge Kiln porcelain of the Song Dynasty. The artist used a "cracked" glaze pattern with clearly defined cracks etched at different depths to achieve the porcelain look.

"The 599 China Limited Edition model is a true masterpiece, combining rich Chinese artistic heritage with Italian design in a most spectacular way," said Marco Mattiacci, CEO of Ferrari Asia Pacific.

We'd say that while it may look cool from an artistic perspective, we find it a little too gaudy for our automotive tastes.