Lexus mixes power with luxury
LF-A supercar and sports saloon in Geneva
Geneva to see Lexus LF-A
The Toyota-owned brand has always been at pains to present itself as a top-end marque and has eschewed any hint that its cars are about driver involvement. Now the company wants to add a performance halo to the brand.
Lexus will be presenting three cars to help it along the new path, two of them sporting the new F badge that will become the company's performance marker.
According to Lexus, the F designation "identifies vehicles specifically designed and engineered for ultra-high performance and exceptional sports driving dynamics. F-badged models further emphasise Lexus’s pursuit of perfection and its aim to continuously push the limits of automobile engineering."
IS-F sports saloon
Launched in Detroit and showing in Europe for the first time, the IS-F is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 that delivers more than 400bhp and 369lb-ft of torque. Acceleration from rest to 62mph takes 4.9 seconds and top speed is a governed 168mph.
Lexus reckoned its CO2 emissions of 290g/km make it one of the cleanest sports saloons in its class.
The transmission is based on Lexus’ eight-speed automatic, which made its debut last year in the new LS 460. It boasts a new sports shift control that lets the driver choose a manual mode, using paddle shifts on the steering wheel, or fully automatic gear selection with shifts happening in a pretty nifty 100 milliseconds.
It's the first Lexus to feature switchable dynamics, which lets the driver select Normal, Sport or Off settings according to preference.
LF-A supercar
This is Lexus' bid for the supercar market, and is due for production later this year. Lexus called it "a new and practical approach to design engineering for a more compact and energy-efficient supercar concept."
Only 4,400mm long, it's the most powerful Lexus to date. The forward-mid-mounted 5.0-litre V10 engine generates more than 500bhp, giving the LF-A a top speed approaching 200mph. Its rear-mounted transaxle and radiators help provide optimum front/rear weight distribution and handling.
It provides a suitable vessel into which Toyota can pour its hard- and expensively-won F1 expertise. There's likely to be a V8 version – the GT450 costing some £75,000 while the GT500 is likely to lighten your wallet by a whisker under £100,000 -- simply because F1 now uses V8s, as parent company Toyota looks to reap marketing benefits from its huge F1 investment.
However, we're not entirely sure the car's GT500 moniker for production, which was first mooted by Autocar last March, will stick. There's a Ford Mustang also called the GT500, and Lexus still calls it the LF-A. But the company is promising more news at Geneva, so that seems the logical time to unveil a new badge.
LS 600h hybrid supercar
The new LS 600h combines a 5.0-litre V8 with continuously-variable transmission coupled to an electric motor and battery package. Lexus would only say that the combination "delivers performance typical of a normally-aspirated V12".
The engine uses two fuel injectors per cylinder and VVTi-E valve timing on the intake to boost performance and reduce emissions, noise and vibration.
Combined fuel consumption is 29.7mpg and carbon dioxide emissions are 220g/km, figures which Lexus claimed compare well with the levels achieved by the cleanest diesels in the segment.
The dual-stage, CVT gives the LS 600h smooth, linear power delivery and seamless acceleration. It is matched to the all-wheel drivetrain with a central mechanical Torsen limited slip diff for improved stability at high cornering speeds.
There'll also be a long wheelbase model, the LS 600h L, for back seat lounge lizards. It'll offer entertainment and relaxation features for rear seat passengers, including a reclining seat with leg and footrest. No news about a bed...
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