Way back when, as it got involved in Formula 1, Toyota anticipated its quick ascension to the sort of winning form that iconic manufacturers are made of and started planning a celebration for that first win. It was to be a supercar, and it was intended to be ready on sale as soon as the big day came.
Unfortunately, that day never came, a couple of years of development turned into 10, Toyota pulled out of Formula 1 and that Toyota supercar became a Lexus. It's been going for so long it has even had a mid-life facelift before it went on sale.
The Lexus LF-A, as it is now known, is a dish that some of the finest engineers in the world have been cooking up for a number of years. It certainly looks the part of a Lexus supercar - the design is aggressive and fast looking, but lacks the effortless elegance of a Ferrari or an Aston Martin. This is a rapid car for the Playstation generation.
Certainly under the bonnet and inside the cabin you would get that impression - the LF-A is filled with fancy electronic gizmos that control different aspects of the car. The car might not be powered by the anticipated hybrid powertain, but the 4.8-litre V10 can have its power delivery altered by the driver with a few button prods.
You can do the same with the automated manual gearshift, as well, choosing different modes for different ferocities of change. Even the brakes and stability systems can be adjusted without even getting out of your seat.
What the LF-A does lack is electronic dampers - the suspension is set to permanent harshness, and that combined with the noise of the engine conspires to let you know that this car is set up with the track day in mind.
The steering gives you lots of feedback on the move, and the car responds instantaneously to input. The epic pace is thrilling too, but all of these facets of the LF-A's character are best explored on a closed racetrack rather than the open road. It could get quite frustrating stuck on public roads from day-to-day - but the same could be said of any such car.
The price of the LF-A is around £336,000, making it a pricey purchase - is it worth it? Such things don't really matter at this level - it's limited to 500 examples, so probably.