The F badge isn't being forgotten in Lexus' move to bold electric cars... but the days of standalone performance models to challenge M and AMG may be over.
Japan's answer to BMW M and Mercedes-AMG – the Lexus F division – could become little more than a clever software mode inside the next generation of electric cars.
That is the suggestion from the global boss of Lexus, Takashi Watanabe, who told Australian media at the Tokyo motor show that F is only "one expression" of a sporty driving character in future Lexus cars.
The LS Coupe Concept and Sport Concept displayed by the brand at the show aren't marketed as F models, but carry steering wheels fitted with 'F-Mode' shortcut buttons.
It prompted the question of whether the F brand – known for the RC F, GS F and IS F V8 performance cars, plus the iconic LFA supercar – will continue to exist with its road cars.
Watanabe-san told Australian media through an interpreter that F "has always represented the sporting dynamic facet of Lexus," and that "fun-to-drive, emotional aspect is still very important to us".
"At the same time ... we're going to also be expanding the way in which we're trying to provide different value to different customers.
"Sports will be one of them, obviously, and you might see a mix; things that you haven't seen before.
"One thing the brand is very well aware of is, up until now, the traditional F has been really associated with hardware, or hard parts – suspension components, shock absorbers, springs, et cetera.
"But, as we move into the future, we're going to be going to SDVs, software-defined vehicles. That's also going to add a new element to this whole thing – how are we going to provide the value through advanced technology?
"The button you saw on the steering wheel sort of represents also a possible evolution forward, where F-Mode is being expressed through software, but we're still touching upon the sportiness of the brand. That's another example of where we could go."
Lexus has not explained what F-Mode does in the concepts, but it is presumed to be an all-out performance drive profile, shown alongside an adjustable Custom setting in the cars.
Pressed on whether this signals the end for Lexus F flagship models, Watanabe-san said: "We don't have a specific type of a product plan or something like that, where we're gonna say this either way.
"Once again, it's about what kind of value that car is going to provide – is it going to be fun to drive, is it going to be sports, is it going to be performance?
"We're not going to be constrained, we're not going to dictate 'it has to be like an F car' or something like that. It's gonna be, you know, we want to provide this, and this is the shape that it turned in, this is the end result – then we decide."
The Lexus executive's comments point to a far less prominent future for the F badge.
Lexus Australia says it is excited for whatever the future holds for the F brand, which has traditionally performed well in the local market, even if the IS F and RC F's time in showrooms was cut short by crash-safety rules in 2021.
"We haven't given up on F. It's still within our line-up," Lexus Australia CEO John Pappas told media on the sidelines of the Tokyo show.
"As a market, we are looking forward to this continuing to evolve. F has done very well for us, and some of those cars you mentioned are absolute rippers.
"Even the LBX Morizo [RR hot hatch], we've got a pretty good waiting list on that car right now; [demand is] pretty hot."
Australia typically ranks among the top global markets for performance brands from the likes of BMW, Audi and Mercedes-Benz, a category of vehicle Lexus has been in and out of since the IS F launched in 2008.
"It was really unfortunate for us because we had the IS F, and now the IS we don't sell anymore, because of the side intrusion issue. And then we also had the RC F, which was a great, great car," said Pappas.
"We had the F line. We don't sell the RC anymore. So from those two products alone, they're not in our stable right now in Australia.
"And then we have the GS F, remember the GS? ... We don't have that. We are looking forward to what the future holds ... you saw a glimpse of it today.
"Watanabe is a very passionate engineer. I've met with him numerous amount of times, and he's very passionate about making good cars.
"... [Lexus and the Toyota group] have got a lot of ... engineering capability [in the] leadership, from a performance product point of view."
Alex Misoyannis has been writing about cars since 2017, when he started his own website, Redline. He contributed for Drive in 2018, before joining CarAdvice in 2019, becoming a regular contributing journalist within the news team in 2020. Cars have played a central role throughout Alex’s life, from flicking through car magazines at a young age, to growing up around performance vehicles in a car-loving family. Highly Commended - Young Writer of the Year 2024 (Under 30) Rising Star Journalist, 2024 Winner Scoop of The Year - 2024 Winner
