Ferociously Fast Fabulous Fun: Lexus Redefines the âFâ Word

At this year’s North American International Auto Show in Detroit, Lexusintroduced a couple of cars and a new sub-brand that might just shatter its formerly subdued and conservative image. The Lexus brand has always stood for luxury, value, reliability and comfort, and has done so without drawing too much attention to itself or its drivers. These two latest cars are set to blow the doors off Lexus’s formerly low-key demeanor. One is a concept that is yet to evolve into its final form, while the other a near-finished model that will be hitting the road by next year.

The model closer to production and showrooms is based on the compact IS sport sedan that introduced the compact luxury world to Lexus’s cutting edge L-Finesse design philosophy. The IS-F, as it is to be known, will be the first Lexus to wear an F badge, denoting a vehicle within the Lexus brand that is allowed to pursue a slightly different path to perfection (and no doubt go toe-to-toe with BMW’s M, Mercedes’ AMG, Audi’s quattro gmbh and their R and S cars, etc). In the case of the IS-F, Lexus Group VP Bob Carter was adamant in pointing out that they put all the “free-thinking performance freaks” and “rogue engineers” in a room together with the IS and let them run wild. In a nutshell, IS-F takes the gorgeous IS, drops it an inch onto dangerously short springs and 19-inch forged aluminum rims (designed exclusively for Lexus by BBS), installs huge brakes, integrates full aero bodywork, and stuffs a 5.0L V8 making 400 hp and 350 lb-ft of torque under the engorged hood. Oh, yeah, and it also gets an eight-speed automatic transmission with slick paddle shifters and a trick locking torque converter, helping it break under five seconds in 0-60 mph sprints.

The second model introduced is a re-interpretation of the LF-A sports car concept, first introduced two years ago, and since then quietly gaining enough momentum within the Lexus inner circle to warrant a second go. In fact, it gained enough momentum that it is nearly a lock to become Lexus’s flagship sports car, also bearing the F badge and looking fit to kick Ferraris and Lambos to the curb. Okay, that might be a stretch, but it’ll start by facing down Audi’s R8, Porsche’s 911 or Aston’s V8 Vantage and the like with a mix of superb engineering, four-star luxury fittings and, in typical Lexus fashion, doing so for what is expected to be a lot less money. While engineering details are vague, Lexus is planning for a front mid-engine layout housing a V10 good for at least 500 hp, which they hopefully claim will be enough to break the 200 mph barrier. Now that sounds like a Lexus to get passionate about!