This Lexus LFA is looking for a new owner and its mileage will catch your eye.

This is probably the auction of the month at Bring a Trailer (which, like Car and Driver, is part of Hearst Autos). Lexus LFA 2012 with very low mileage, immaculate in white. It’s chassis number 468 of just 500 produced, and the 4.8-liter V10 engine is one of the best-sounding engines ever built. This car plus the long tunnel is essentially Pavarotti reaching the crescendo in Nessun Dorma and it is an otherworldly experience.

More on this V10 in a bit, but first a quick overview of what makes the rest of the LFA so special. Lexus took the design of its supercar so seriously that its engineers had to come up with an all-new setup for weaving the carbon fiber that makes up much of the LFA’s chassis.. Think of the same level of combined effort that went into the groundbreaking LS400 in 1989, then translate it into a limited-production sports car that was at the cutting edge of technology at the time.

In this environment of composite materials, Lexus has placed a gem – the 1LR-GUE V10. With a working volume of 4.8 liters. The 10-cylinder engine produces 560 horsepower at 8,700 rpm., with a redline of 9000 rpm and ignition cutoff at 9500 rpm. At the time, Lexus said its engine was revving so fast that the analog gauge couldn’t keep up (idling to 9,000 rpm in 0.6 seconds), so the company installed a digital tachometer.

Pure Melody V10

Except, The 1LR-GUE is not only a Toyota/Lexus product, it was made in collaboration with Yamaha.. The partnership between Toyota and Yamaha dates back to the million-euro collectible Toyota 2000GT, each hand-built by Yamaha. As a manufacturer of pianos and wind instruments, Yamaha has the metallurgical expertise often used to build Toyota’s finest engines, paying special attention to airflow through the cylinder head.

With the LFA V10, Yamaha’s challenge was to make it sing. The company’s engineers achieved this by carefully adjusting the expansion tank that feeds the 10 individual throttle valves so that the sound reaches the cabin as the revs rise. One click of the column-mounted gearshift lever and the driver is literally immersed in the symphony of the 10-cylinder engine..

This example has only 2,300 miles (3,700 kilometers) on the odometer.. Beginning last March, items affected by time were replaced, such as new tires and brake flushes. Nice touches include a set of suitcases and a Mark Levinson audio system with 12 speakers. Next to that V10, this stereo should evoke the same feeling that Antonio Salieri had for Mozart.

The bad news is that while the LFA sold slowly when new, it is now a highly desirable car and commands a higher price, with current bidding hovering around $800,000. The good news is that the lucky person who manages to secure their services will have one of the best driving experiences on the planet. As a collector’s car, it’s certainly a wonderful thing. But LFA was created to scream at your heartstrings, and hiding it is like stopping a world-class tenor from singing. The auction ends on May 9..

Brendan McAleer is a freelance writer and photographer based in North Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. He grew up driving British cars, came of age in the golden era of Japanese sports compacts, and began writing about cars and people in 2008. His particular interest is the intersection of humanity and technology, be it racing. the career of Walter Cronkite or the half-century-long obsession of Japanese animator Hayao Miyazaki with the Citroën 2CV. He taught both of his young daughters how to shift a manual transmission and is grateful for their excuse to buy Hot Wheels all the time.

Specialist in engine engineering and technology. Passionate about mechanics and four wheels since childhood, I now try to convey my impressions to everyone who enjoys the smell of gasoline, the speed, the pleasure of driving, the design and sound of those engines that drive us crazy. tip