A woman in Japan bought one of the rarest supercars ever built, drove it 111,000 miles, and it’s still worth more than she paid

For the past few months, the car community has been buzzing about a Lexus LFA that actually gets driven. The owner, a woman from Japan, apparently drives the car every day. It currently has over 111,000 miles on the odometer.

When the Lexus LFA came out around 2011, it was $350,000 to $400,000. Despite being one of the most beautiful-sounding vehicles of all time, the price was considered a bit steep, leading to the LFA being seen as a bit of a failure. Now, five or so years later, the LFA is a highly desirable supercar thanks to its rarity, engaging driving experience, and sound. However, most people won’t experience any of that. Not even those who own it.

Most supercars are known as “garage queens,” hidden away in storage to avoid putting on mileage, which could damage future sales.

Woman buys Lexus LFA for $350,000 and drives it 111,000 miles, but should she have?

Be honest: when you hear that a car has “11,000 miles” or has “never been driven,” you start drooling. The car becomes more enticing. It just makes the car sound more immaculate, more cared for. It sounds like fewer problems. And it guarantees that you can sell it for more later as well (if you continue not to drive it).

This mindset has led to the phenomenon of cars not being driven. None of these high-performance engineering marvels is taken to the track. They’re not even taken to work. They just sit in a garage. The idea of these beautiful, exhilarating beasts being locked away has sparked many conversations over the years.

Said one side: “It always bewilders me when people buy a sports car, and they only take it out occasionally. Like why? It’s like when The Drive posted a Porsche 911 with 300k miles, people were losing their minds. If I’m gonna own it, I’m gonna drive it.” 

But the supercar community is definitely full of more garage queens than daily drivers. A lot more arguments came out against driving a supercar.

One guy pointed out: “Sports cars aren’t daily drivers for the most part. I use mine on the weekend, and not for fear of putting miles on it, but because I need a more practical car for my professional life. Also, you couldn’t pay me enough to drive a low-slung two-seat car in the horrible traffic in my city, let alone park it everywhere I go.”

Added another: “Mileage is the number one determining factor for resale value, and not everyone wants to be locked into one car forever because they are taking a bath on it. People do plan ahead and try to navigate the market, their finances, and what kind of exchange they can make for the next car.” Speaking on this point, another driver noted that some companies, such as Ferrari, require customers to buy entry-level models before they can purchase flagship models. These drivers know they will sell their Ferrari at some point to get the next one, so they want it to hold its value as well as possible.

Another argument against driving supercars? The maintenance is expensive. Even oil changes can cost thousands of dollars. The more you drive the car, the more you’ll need to do some kinda work on it. Just because you’re rich doesn’t mean you’re not cheap. That’s for sure.

Well, none of this has stopped the Lexus LFA owner from daily driving her supercar. And she gets to hear its screaming V10 every day. She apparently bought the Lexus LFA when it came out five years ago and has been driving it ever since, getting her to 110,000 miles. While some may question her choice, others feel she’s living the dream.

“Hearing that exhaust sound for 110k miles must be pure bliss…” said one enthusiast.

Plus, the LFA is one supercar that’s not depreciating in value. It’s currently worth about $750,000 to $950,000 — assuming they have low mileage. But hey, it’s a Lexus. Hers probably has hundreds of thousands of miles to go. I bet she could still make some money back, even at 111,000 miles. And I doubt she cares either way.