|
The Lexus F marque represents the high-performance division of cars produced by Lexus. The F marque refers to Flagship and Fuji Speedway, the chief test site of Lexus performance vehicle development in Oyama, Suntō District, Shizuoka Prefecture, Japan. The first vehicle in the Lexus F marque lineup, the Lexus IS F, was announced in 2006, followed by an F marque coupe concept, the Lexus LF-A, in 2007, and the production LFA supercar in 2009. All Lexus F performance vehicles are denoted by namesake badging on the front fenders. A related performance trim line, Lexus F Sport, was launched for 2007, with an F Sport accessory line and factory models in 2010. Lexus F models have been developed by the Lexus Vehicle Performance Development Division,〔(Automotorevue - Lexus IS F-Japonský expres )〕 which has also been involved with the brand's racing activities.〔(Speedhunters - Archive>> Lexus RX @ The 2005 Nurburgring 24h )〕 The "F" designation was originally used at Lexus' launch in 1989, as an internal code for the development of its first flagship vehicle.〔 ==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.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Lexus Looking at Performance Badge )〕〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Lexus to launch "F" series to rival AMG, M ) 〕 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.〔(【引用サイトリンク】title=Report: Lexus working on IS-F Convertible, new replacement for SC430 )〕 A performance variant of the LS flagship, the LS 460 Sport, was released in 2010,〔(Automobile Magazine review - LS 460 Sport )〕 and followed by F Sport versions of the CT 200h, GS 250, GS 350, and RX 350. 抄文引用元・出典: フリー百科事典『 ウィキペディア（Wikipedia）』 ■ウィキペディアで「Lexus F」の詳細全文を読む スポンサード リンク
|