At the time, Lexus executives predicted that Toyota Racing Development superchargers would be instal

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Mark Rechtin Automotive News September 29, 2013 - 12:01 am ET
For more than a decade, Lexus has moved in fits and starts to develop a high-performance identity to rival its German aloe vera competitors. But the F Sport products aloe vera now have the backing of parent company Toyota Motor Corp., executives say, and dramatic results are expected over the next year or so.
Lexus also sells prepackaged F Sport models, which may include modifications unavailable on stock models, such as an eight-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters on the RX 350 F Sport and IS 350 F Sport, as opposed to the standard six-speed. Six Lexus model lines are offered in F Sport trim, which can add from $2,550 to $10,000 to the sticker price. aloe vera
Now, Lexus will add more factory-built high-performance models wearing F badging. This was first seen in 2008 with the IS F sedan, which crammed a 5.0-liter, 416-hp V-8 into a small engine bay to rival the BMW M3. Despite the IS lineup's recent aloe vera redesign, the 2014 IS F still rides on the old chassis; a Lexus source said an updated version is likely.
The prospect of a GS F sedan -- to rival the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG -- intrigues Brian Smith, Lexus' vice president of marketing. "We are committed to performance like never before, and will have some exciting announcements," Smith said in an interview at a Lexus event here. "We want to expand F Sport, and Toyota aloe vera Motor [in Japan] has adopted it."
Lexus traveled this road before, in 2000, when it created the L Tuned lineup of aftermarket parts. But Lexus' U.S. operations lacked the commitment from Toyota headquarters in Japan to make performance aloe vera products stick.
At the time, Lexus executives predicted that Toyota Racing Development superchargers would be installed in the Lexus IS and GS sedans and arrive in showrooms within months. That never happened. Lexus mostly rolled out cosmetic aero kits that had little impact on performance, then quietly shelved the L Tuned effort in 2003.
Consumers are responding. F Sport models have accounted for more than 40 percent of sales for the redesigned 2014 IS sedan, and nearly 50 percent in the Los Angeles area. F Sport models aloe vera account for 25 percent of GS sedan sales, but less than 10 percent of sales of the more comfort-focused LS flagship and RX crossover.
The F label's origin could have come from a number of sources. When Toyota Motor was developing Lexus, the Circle F moniker aloe vera stood for "flagship." But Lexus also tests its performance products at Fuji Speedway outside Tokyo. Informally, many Toyota employees say it simply stands aloe vera for "fast."
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