![]() History of F: 2010Ī new performance-theme F Sport factory model line was launched globally. Each V10 engine would be assembled by a single engineer and would bear his signature as testament to each LFA’s bespoke status. The production Lexus LFA was revealed by Akio Toyoda on the first press day of the Tokyo Motor Show, a fitting celebration of 20 years of the Lexus marque. There it was disclosed that only 500 examples would be produced – all hand-assembled at the Motomachi Plant at a rate of 20 per month to ensure the finest build quality and attention to detail. Later that same month, Lexus entered the same prototype in the punishing Nürburgring 24 Hour race. Although still very much a development mule, the #92 car won the SP8 class in the Nürburgring 4 Hour VLN endurance race. This stealthy, all-black Lexus LF-A prototype was the first ‘F’ marque car to enter an official motorsport race. Our new ‘Q car’ was displayed alongside the second Lexus LF-A supercar prototype, now less conceptual in appearance compared to the design study unveiled two years previously. The high-performance, 2008 model year Lexus IS F sports saloon made its debut at the North American International Motor Show, equipped with a 417bhp 5.0-litre V8 and the world’s first eight-speed automatic transmission. Less obvious, however, was how the shape of the letter subtly incorporated the curvature of Turn One at Fuji Speedway, chief test site of Lexus performance vehicle development in Japan. Lexus filed patent applications for an ‘F’ emblem. The design saw a silver, three-dimensional letter ‘F’ raised against a black background and framed with a blue outline. Under the bonnet was a 4.3-litre UZ-series V8 taken from the contemporary Lexus GS 430. Never intended for production, it was commissioned by Lexus and built by the specialists at Rod Millen Special Vehicles for unveiling at the SEMA aftermarket tuning show in Las Vegas, USA. History of F: 2003Īlthough something of a wildcard in our history of F, this two-tone Lexus IS 430 prototype set an official precedent for modifying a cooking saloon with a powerful V8 engine. Since then, the ‘F’ code came to signify special vehicle programmes that fell outside normal engineering and development processes. The designation further evolved into the codename Flagship One, or F1, a concept that developed into the Lexus LS 400. ![]() Only later was it revealed that the ‘F’ stood for flagship and that the programme would eventually become the Lexus Division. ![]() Top secret in nature, little was initially known about the aim of the project outside of the boardroom. Lexus’s first use of the ‘F’ designation can be traced back to August 1983, when parent company chairman Eiji Toyoda launched what was known internally as the Circle F project. But do you know how the designation started and how it has progressed over the years? Why not scroll down for our multi-stop timeline in the history of F. ![]() The letter ‘F’ attracts worldwide attention as the exciting sports series of the Lexus brand. ![]()
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