Faisal Sheikh
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Probably, all resources are being shifted to the GR brand and F brand is pretty much dead. That is what it is beginning to sound like.
Randen Montalvo
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My 2.cents I think the name will change to Lexus Gazoo Racing and the next car will be a F car along with a Toyota GR variant. This is pure speculation of course. Lexus is racing next year that is 1000% certain and Toyota in GT3 series and i think we will see a merging of race culture but still a cool separation of cars. TGR will have GR & LGR under one roof in terms of all things racing is what i think going to happen. I think the F brand lives but under something merged in the next car think GR-F etc.
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Makes little sense, because Toyota has “GR Sports” line/trim, mostly only sport styling (which equivalent to VW R-Line, Audi S Line, BMW M Line and Mercedes AMG Line). Lexus has that as F Sport. So what will the line be? GR F Sport? In addition there is TRD trim for US “off-road” vehicles. I honestly think “F” is Finished, from a performance perspective. Buyers will probably buy F line/trim, but it won’t really stand for anything other than “sportier” styling on FWD cars. Even Volvo does better with their FWD cars.
Randen Montalvo
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Lexus can have an F car under a unified name like a GR-F moniker with little issue. The GR-F can simply be the halo car which will allow F-Sport to continue making sense.. The TRD trim is of no consequence because TRD is totally gone sadly as a brand. What I speculate again is this car is going to represent Akio's heavy influence, judging by the two variants being tested and they dont even have the same headlights although one is clearly a GT3 spec car it's an odd thing to see. I dont quite get that. It hard to really understand why they would ruin such a great brand that really just needs new hardware. Take into account in Japan we see Lexus Gazoo racing in Grey Black Colors separate from the Red / Back GR colors logo wise which hasn't hit the US yet which is also interesting.
The Lexus Racing space they have now in IMSA which is quite frankly an amazing special team. I been going to races for quite some time they got something very special going on there no joke its very evident. That 2023 win was euphoric i have seen other brands win
but THAT ONE.......hit differently for Lexus. It was a powerful statement in my view. If anyone has the chance to go to a race with them and experience their hospitality i highly recommend i have NEVER seen anything like what Lexus does overall.
I see them combining it. I even see duel banners at circuits now GR/Lexus Racing which is great to see. This is what i gather. I think Lexus introducing GR to Lexus as a hard-line GR brand is very difficult to understand from a marketing perspective in US/EU demos. I think it makes sense in Japan i just dont think it makes upscale sense. Of course the most important thing is Lexus continues racing i do think they have something very special with F and to transition Yaguchi's generation to a new F generation would be a great hommage and make more sense than a brand flip to me. However, I am aware that GR is king now in TMC world im just really hoping they keep Lexus Racing as a special place in the portfolio and of course continues racing. It means more in my eyes to see Lexus Racing then Toyota in my view although its the same brand-wise to me is my thought.
Toyota has always raced and it's always been a thing for the brand but what caught my eyes is seeing Lexus take a brand known for boring Luxury cars and make something with a soul. I think the F branding looks so well done the designer really nailed it , the GR one not so much i think it looks clean but it doesn't provide emotion like the F brand does considering its creation. The logo and the branding really was created to strike emotion and it does that perfectly. Its something you dont get from the branding of GR which in my eyes doesnt evoke that same thing in my view. Also the story just has such amazing chapters to brand flip it is kind of crazy considering the goal. So im hoping F stays alive personally i think it means more than a brand flip. Then again im just a passionate race fan with a healthy spend who was blown away by the F brand who thought prior to the F cars that only the Germans knew how to build GT performance cars and I was dead wrong and just hoping it continues as a fan.
Call me crazy but i think F was the best thing about Lexus. When i go into a Toyota dealership i dont think GR stands out as the best thing for Toyota if that makes sense respectfully for some odd reeason. Im a TMC fan also but its just what i gather experience wise from servicing a MK5 i help maintain vs my own RCF.
All in fun speculation but also nervous excitement and hoping they dont mess this up.
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Kelvin2020
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Perhaps this car will still carry the Lexus badge, but it will represent GR in racing, much like how the LFA did in its time.
Randen Montalvo
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Good point. This makes sense this would also go with the Lexus Gazoo Racing logo we see in Japan. Oh TMC how you love to confuse the fans.
To add more confusion this was also done in 2009 with the LFA with GR branding.
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Randen Montalvo
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T
I think the bigger splash wouldve been if they had done a RXF and performance SUV line along with a higher-powered RCF. Had there simply been more power added that wouldve made a massive difference along with the F line fully being spread along their SUV line. More power and a focused F line shouldve been spread on the product line in 2020 for sure to line up somewhat with a psudeo M comparative line up. Eventually F coupes both of them needed dedicated chassis to be the next iteration from there two cars that are currently based off non-performance cars and layout that narrative. To have a F line slowly transiton to dedicated chassis with about 600hp from RX to LCF to RCF a GSF woudlve been very very interesting.
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IMHO, the F brand was on life support after they announced the same V8 powering the IS500 f sport performance. The F brand have used pretty much the same engine and transmission since the original IS-F. It has not caught up with the competition. It started off being a competitor to the M3 only to later be a competitor to the 340. It's sad really. Nowadays, Lexus is pretty much a sea of done up rebadged FWD based Toyotas. I hope the next generation of cars brings back the true Lexus. But I'm not holding my breath.
Faisal Sheikh
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That is an incorrect statement. ISF 2UR has nothing in common with the 2UR that was re-designed for the RCF originally in 2014. Technically, it should have had a different engine code, but in Japan Lexus did not want to go through the process. The entire engine was re-designed from the ground up except the bottom end block. Both engines feel and drive very differently. There is a list of all of the elements that were re-designed in the press release. Basically, nothing is swappable between the RCF and ISF to the point there are a few ISFs with swapped RCF engines.
The F Strikes Again: Lexus Unleashes the 2015 RC F, A 467 hp Firestorm on Forged Alloy Wheels - Lexus USA Newsroom
The F Strikes Again: Lexus Unleashes the 2015 RC F, A 467 hp Firestorm on Forged Alloy Wheels
New or redesigned parts include:
- Cylinder heads and cam covers
- Crankshaft: crank pin diameter, connecting rod big-end bearing size and crank counter-weight size are all reduced, to reduce reciprocating weight
- Crank main bearings and caps
- High-strength forged connecting rods
- Pistons and piston rings
- Titanium inlet and exhaust valves
- Intake manifold and throttle body
- Redesigned Variable Valve Timing-intelligent Electric motor (VVT-iE)
- Revised Lexus D-4S dual injection system
- Four-into-one exhaust headers and heat insulators
- Oil pan and baffle plate
- Alternator clutch system
- Engine and transmission oil coolers
- Spark plugs
- The new cylinder heads improve the 2UR-GSE engine’s breathing with improved porting and a high-flow/high tumble ratio. In addition, intake surge-tank capacity has been optimized, as have the intake manifold runner length and diameter.
- The new oil pan baffle shape reduces agitation and hence friction, while new air-to-oil coolers for the engine oil and transmission fluid increase track suitability.
- The Lexus D-4S dual-injection system has been redesigned, with higher injection pressure of 2,611 psi and improved fuel atomization.
- The throttle diameter was increased by 10 percent, from 3 to 3.3 inches (84 mm).
- Engine redline increased from 6800 rpm to 7300 rpm.
- A new intake camshaft profile increases valve lift and suits the Atkinson cycle, while improvements to the electronic VVT-iE system have expanded its range of operation for increased fuel economy and performance.
- New four-into-two exhaust headers help reduce interference and hence further improve engine breathing. The larger-diameter exhaust system is designed to reduce backpressure and sound amazing, especially under acceleration. At the same time, the main muffler keeps things from getting too rowdy at lower speeds.
- As a final touch, the new 2UR-GSE engine has a one-way clutch on the alternator pulley.
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Lexus Jack
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If Lexus approached the F brand like Toyota approached the Lexus brand in 1989, we would be dominating the high end performance vehicle market. Lexus keep dipping its toes in the lake but will not fully dive in to the ocean. Poop or get off the pot! I am done being teased by Lexus on the "possible" high end performance cars.