Dan Neil of The Wall Street Journal has written a tribute to the 2014 Lexus IS F, arguing that the sedan will one day be a collector’s item:
Among other things, the IS F curates a generation of dynamics software for which we will one day be nostalgic.This is the collectible quality the IS F has: a highly evolved chassis, with thoroughly tested factory integration, hot-rodded with an exuberance, stiffness and hard edge that pleasantly exceeds group wisdom and good conduct. This car is an outlier, plain and simple. I’m not confident Lexus would build the same car today.
Neil provides a fitting send-off to the very first F model, all the while managing to stoke the fires of an eventual IS F successor:
The successor to the IS F, based on the current, third-generation IS, is expected next year. Among the major carry-over parts will be the magnificent 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8, with variable valve timing on intake and exhaust ports; direct and port injection; Yamaha-designed high-flow heads; lightweight valvetrain (titanium valves, hollow camshafts) and an oil-scavenging system to maintain adequate circulation of mink oil.
Is there a new IS F coming next year? It was rumored last year that the super-sedan would be discontinued, and the general sense is that the RC F would take its place.
And what about the possible GS F prototype that’s been spotted on three different continents? Is there enough room for both the GS F & IS F in the Lexus lineup?
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