Lexus LFA
Why 3.8: The V10 is a perfect-10 powertrain — response, sound, 9,500 rpm — bolted to a single-clutch gearbox the road testers called outdated at launch, which caps the involvement number. Values tripled anyway; the singing intake mostly performs in climate control.
Layout
Natural habitat
Ride comfort
Sound
Yamaha tuned the acoustics as deliberately as the engine, and the V10 climbs so fast Lexus fitted a digital tacho because a needle could not keep up. Nothing else made for the road is engineered this hard around its own noise, which is why it sits at the top of this scale.
10-cylinder · naturally aspirated · 9,500 rpm redline · rated 10.0 / 10 for engine sound
Market value
Median asking price, good condition · €345k (2012) → €920k (2026), trending up · illustrative data
Child seats · ISOFIX
There aren't any — strict two-seater.
Lexus's own parts catalogue lists a child-restraint top-tether bracket for the LFA but no lower-anchor bracket at all, and the manual describes securing a seat with the adult belt only.
Strict two-seat cabin in every year of the ~500-car run, and never crash-tested by Euro NCAP or IIHS given the volume.
Lexus OEM parts catalogue (top-tether bracket 73719-77010); LFA owner's manual (owner-community sourced, not manufacturer documentation)
The long version
Toyota built exactly 500 of these and reportedly lost money on every one, which told the first buyers everything about future value before they'd even taken delivery — this was a collector car from the invoice forward, not something that drifted into garage-queen status later. The single-clutch automated gearbox that testers criticized at launch gave owners another reason to treat it gently rather than explore the redline, reinforcing a habit the rarity was already encouraging. Values have climbed nearly threefold since new, and the ownership pattern reflects a car bought to be owned as much as driven, maybe more.