Lexus LFA vs Mercedes SLS. It's a clash of characters like Suzuki Hyabusa vs BMW K1300 S, Moog synthesiser vs Bösendorfer piano, techno
vs classical music. Each is a supercar from the opposite end of the spectrum. Emphatically modern vs tastefully retro, high blood pressure vs low blood sugar.
Which is a little surprising when one compares the almost identical DNAs of the two super coupés. Both are front-mid engined, powered by high-revving naturally-aspirated motors, feature a well balanced transaxle layout, rely on lightweight body structures, muster non-adjustable suspension and steering set-ups. But despite these conceptual similarities, LFA and SLS are about as different in approach and ability as a sinewy rev-hungry sprinter is from a muscular long-distance runner with extra-large lungs.
After all, the way they look, sound and drive could hardly be more antagonistic. From a performance point of view, however, the two contenders are so close that the virtual stopwatch inside your head struggles to declare a winner. Yet at the end of a long day and an even longer night in and around Frankfurt shooting our cover story for the June 2010 issue of CAR Magazine, one supercar turned out to be fractionally more desirable than the other.
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