Lexus F - Origins

Origins

In late 2006, Lexus filed trademark applications for an "F" emblem, leading to speculation that the luxury marque was about to launch a performance brand. At the time it was suggested that "F" stood for "Fast" or "Flagship." Later reports surmised that "F" referred to the Fuji Speedway in Japan, whose first corner, 27R, was said to have inspired the shape of the "F" emblem. Interviews with company executives in prior years had included mentions of Lexus possibly starting a performance brand to compete with the likes of Mercedes' AMG, Audi's S/RS, Cadillac's V-series, and BMW's M division, among others. An earlier in-house tuning effort, the TRD-based L-Tuned, had offered performance packages on the IS 300 and GS 400 sedans in the early 2000s. Lexus' racing activities and sports model development had been handled by the Lexus Vehicle Performance Development Division, a branch of the Lexus Development Center, located in Aichi, Japan.

In September 2001, Lexus announced that the first vehicle in the F marque lineup, the Lexus IS F sedan, previously known in the press as the IS 500, would premiere at the North American International Auto Show in January 2007. The vehicle subsequently premiered at Detroit along with a redesigned version of the concept LF-A sports car. At its press debut, Lexus revealed that a dedicated "skunk works" team designed the IS F in a manner distinct from typical Lexus engineering efforts. The chief designer of the IS F, Yukihiko Yaguchi, previously worked on the Toyota Supra. Media reports suggested that the IS F sedan would be followed by a GS F sedan and Lexus IS F coupe. However, the GS F was reportedly delayed due to the economic downturn through 2008. Further development of LFA variants were also subject to conflicting reports as to whether the vehicle would be used solely as a racing test platform, discontinue production, or emerge when more favorable economic circumstances arrive.

Interviews with company executives indicated that year-end sales of the IS F in 2008 were comparatively strong, and that an LS F model would likely follow if the GS F enters production. Outfitting the Lexus flagship sedan would likely involve the use of the V10 engine developed for the LF-A. In 2009, reports surfaced that the LFA would not be produced in the roadster version, and an IS F convertible, reportedly based on the IS C models first produced in IS 250 C/IS 350 C trim, was also planned. A performance variant of the LS flagship, the LS 460 Sport, was released in 2010, and followed by F Sport versions of the CT 200h, GS 250, GS 350, and RX 350.