The 2011 Lexus LFA is so good, the performance of even the base model will leave you breathless.

Throughout its varied portfolio, Lexus effectively mixes exceptional craftsmanship and extravagant styling. It serves as the premium subsidiary of the well-known Japanese carmaker Toyota, but with substantially more personality and desirability.

Lexus based its reputation on full-size luxury automobiles like the smart LS sedan, but it grew thanks to successful SUVs like the original Lexus RX. Lexus has also created an outstanding supercar during its spectacular production years, the Lexus LFA.

The Lexus LFA is the company's first supercar, but it's not a half-hearted attempt. It is a superbly constructed machine with Toyota's whole technical force behind it. The $375,000 LFA was limited to 500 units, with another 50 receiving the $68,700 Nürburgring performance pack, transforming the already remarkable base model into a track-focused racer.

The style isn't for everyone, but the build quality is excellent, as you'd expect from a car with a high price tag. The performance of even the base model will leave you breathless. The LFA could be a trump card if one desires something more exclusive than a Ferrari 458 Italia or a Lamborghini Aventador.

Here’s everything we love about the 2011 Lexus LFA.

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In the supercar class, it's relatively lightweight, and its zingy 9,000-rpm V-10 engine is nearly in its own realm. With 552 horsepower and 354 pound-feet of torque, power output is impressive considering it's Lexus' first supercar.

The LFA can reach 60 mph in 3.7 seconds and reach a top speed of 202 mph, putting it on par with cars costing less than a third of its price.

Lexus uses carbon fiber, leather, Alcantara, and metallic surfaces throughout the inside of the LFA. It also has two bucket seats and Lexus' Remote Touch controller interface. The LFA uses custom materials and colors in the interior design as well.

A digital thin-film transistor (TFT) speedometer with color-changing background, size-changing digits, and side-appearing submenus serves as the instrument display.

The LFA contains three modes; normal, automatic, and sport. The TFT display displays small digits in automatic mode. In normal mode, it displays in larger and bolder numbers. Inverted colors, relocated redline, and stark numbers in sport mode. Sport mode has a programmed redline warning color change as well.

To provide a 3D illusion, the tachometer display additionally includes an electronic moving metal ring with a layer of acrylic plastic. The LFA also has new driver and passenger seat-belt airbag designs that are akin to the S-Class ESF safety concept car.

The steering wheel contains a right-hand start button and alloy paddle-shifters. The motorist must first insert the key beside the steering wheel before pressing the start button. Twin ducts connecting the firewall and the intake manifold transmit two octaves of engine sound into the cabin, with the sound tuned like an Ovation guitar.

The interior's acoustic system is built with a 12-speaker Mark Levinson sound system with tiny, lightweight components. Tumi luggage is custom-built for the LFA interior, with a two-piece set fashioned from carbon-fiber-like materials and imprinted with the VIN. A smaller 'concourse' case for track days and short journeys, and a bigger "coastal" case for longer trips.

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The appearance of the car is a visual expression of its powerful performance. The LFA's unified lines flow from roof to sill in a continuous convex to concave line, dictated by its front-mid engined layout, long wheelbase and small overhangs, clever aerodynamics, and tight, low-slung cabin.

Carbon fiber reinforced plastic provided the LFA's designers with significantly more creative freedom than metal, allowing them to build shapes, curves, and edges that would have been impossible to achieve with metal.

For example, if traditional metal had been used for the bodywork, the sharp trailing edges at the back of the LFA that ensure the airflow splits cleanly away from the body for superior aerodynamics would not have been conceivable. Its various air intakes and aerodynamic features provide a practical and aesthetic purpose.

The LFA has modern lighting systems, including piercing bi-Xenon high-intensity headlights with wiper-linked jet cleaners and a trio of high visibility LED brake lights. The wing mirrors carry cool air over the car's shoulders into the rear air intakes while also providing excellent visibility.

The door uppers hide the letter-box style door handles to avoid interfering with the clean lines of the LFA's flanks. The LFA also has a double-blade, single-sweep wiper with a consistently broad wipe area.

One can find a stunning exhaust baffle with a trio of stacked exhaust ports on the back of the LFA. The LFA finishes the stainless steel baffle in a heat-resistant black coating to contrast with the polished exhaust rims. It also has a small space between the exhaust pipe and the baffle to give it a more professional appearance.

Marcus is a car enthusiast who loves writing about them. He travels frequently and always seeks out the best driving roads to really test a car's limits. His favorite cars are anything with a manual transmission, and he's been known to spend hours just shifting through all the gears.