Improve the Litespeed?  Lamson has committed to the ultimate challenge: improving one of the world's most trusted and beloved reels.  The 2012 Litespeed maintains the fundamental design elements that made its predecessor famous: artful machining, a failproof drag and gigantic arbor.  Subtle adjustments have updated the Litespeed in ways that more or less ensure that no other reel in its price range will match its performance.  The spool's profile has been somewhat flattened and the retrieve knob moved toward the perimeter, reducing the overall volume of the reel and minimizing knuckle rapping on long outbound runs.  The retrieve knob itself has been redesigned for ergonomic acuity and the drag adjustment raised for better grip.  A counterbalance has cleverly been machined into the spool itself, improving rotation and adding stiffness without extra weight.  Pocket milling the spool further reduces weight, compensating for the weight of the counterbalance.  Thin walls are highly protected by an ultra tough hard alox finish, an innovation introduced on the previous generation of this fine reel.

The 2012 redesign offers several improvements to a reel that honestly didn't need improving.  The new Litespeed is indisputably "best in class."