Lexus considers new F sports hero

Lexus has declared it will dramatically expand its portfolio of F performance cars with a halo model like the LFA supercar at its peak.

The admission was made today at an F event in Japan by Lexus international executive vice president Mark Templin, although he stopped short of saying just what the successor to the V10 LFA might be and when it will arrive.

However, another Lexus executive at today’s function, LFA chief engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi, gave a clear hint a production version of the spectacular LF-LC concept car could be the next Lexus sporting superstar.

“We want a whole level of real F products with a car like the LFA being at the top of it,” Templin told motoring.com.au.

“If you read what [Toyota and Lexus global boss] Akio Toyoda says, he believes every couple of decades you need a car like that in the company to really make it special.

“It doesn’t mean we have something on the drawing board… not in the short term, but there is a possibility of that in the long term.

“I do think we’ll have, as we go forward, halo products throughout the line-up instead of just one halo.”

Tanahashi nominated a production version of the LF-LC as a logical new sporting star that could sit above the new RC coupe that is being launched at the Tokyo motor show this week and below the now defunct $750,000 412kW LFA.

“I have the expectation that car will be launched,” Tanahashi said through an interpreter. “I personally have expectation, I hope LF-LC will be built.

“I think most of the Lexus concept cars have been built for the production car.”

A co-operation on a large hybrid V8 sports car between Toyota and BMW has been mooted, but Tanahashi would make no comment on that. However, he did say he believed the LFA was probably the last naturally-aspirated supercar ever built and the prospect saddened him.

Templin and Tanahashi were speaking at a driving event at Fuji Speedway in Japan where Lexus was hosting waves of international journalists sampling the LFA, IS F CCS-R club racer and IS F road car and a four-wheel steering version of the new IS 350 F Sport.

The next chapter in the F story is expected to happen in January at the Detroit show when an F version of the new RC coupe is expected to be launched. A GS F is also on the cards soon, as is a second generation IS F.

Media speculation has centred on a naturally-aspirated 5.0-litre V8 RC F and turbocharged version for the GS F.

Not that Templin was willing to confirm any of that detail or direction.

“Whenever we do bring an F product to market it will make statement about our continued commitment to F.”

But he did insist F’s new models would establish an identifiable brand character different to the German heavy hitters Mercedes-Benz AMG, BMW M and Audi RS.

He said hybrid drivetrains could form a crucial part of carving out an individual character for F.

“I personally don’t think we have to go head to head with the Germans on anything. When they zig we like to zag, when they do this we like to do that.

“There are lot of opportunities for us. Next year we will have 10 hybrids in our line-up and we can build performance hybrids that are really surprising.

“Some of the technology that is coming in hybrids is pretty compelling, so we may have performance hybrids on the future.

“That is one consideration [for F],” he said.

Templin said the F program was still in the planning stages: “The plans will unfold over time and they will make sense to everyone once they do.”

He said the purpose of the Fuji event was to remind media of the F line-up, especially as many had never driven the LFA and most hadn’t sampled the club racer, which most recently gained headlines with its appearance at the Pikes Peak hill climb in the USA.

“What we hope you will see is if we have done that in the past just think what our performance cars in the future are going to be like,” Templin said.

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