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The announcement that 2025 will mark the final year of the RC F is a bittersweet moment for performance car enthusiasts. The Lexus F brand, which debuted with the IS F in 2008, has long symbolized the brand’s attempt to merge luxury with true performance. But with the end of RC F production, many are questioning whether the F brand is fading or evolving into something new, perhaps in collaboration with Toyota’s GR (Gazoo Racing) division.
The F brand has struggled for years, with few updates or new models since the mid-2010s, leaving it stagnant compared to competitors like BMW M and Mercedes-AMG. The discontinuation of the LFA, alongside the lack of fresh F offerings, has caused the brand’s performance division to lose momentum. While others have advanced performance and technology, Lexus has failed to reinvigorate the F brand, leaving...

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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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Levi

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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.
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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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.
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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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 its an odd thing to see. 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 hasnt hiT the US yet which is also interesting. I also cannot fathom them erasing the Lexus Racing space they have now in IMSA, rather i see them combining it and running two cars. This is what i gather.
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.
IMG_1296.jpeg
 

Randen Montalvo

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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.
View attachment 9866
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. 1738031813935.png
 
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meth.ix

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My vision for what the F brand would look like by 2025 was very different to what it is now. I saw F models of many models, even SUVs eventually. Sad what happened. I wonder how different things would be if the LC F made it to production.
 

Randen Montalvo

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T
My vision for what the F brand would look like by 2025 was very different to what it is now. I saw F models of many models, even SUVs eventually. Sad what happened. I wonder how different things would be if the LC F made it to production.
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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