Report: Lexus refrains from F-branded crossovers

With automakers getting high off of branding, it’ snot particularly uncouth to expect manufacturers to create endless “special edition” models or sporty wannabe models of more expensive and higher performing brethren. With Lexus however, the Japanese luxury giant seeks to keep the high-performance F branch away from their crossover offerings, which makes considerable sense.

On could argue, there is an RX F-Sport–but it’s just short of a full-fledged F model, like the IS F and the incoming RC F. There are other F-Sport branded cars, and they reach every other model: the IS, GS, and LS all get their own F-Sport versions. The crossovers could still get these treatments, in lieu of the RX F-Sport.

Though according to Lexus’ F chief engineer, Yukihiko Yaguchi, there are no plans for full-blown F crossovers because a car with an official “F” badge must have the characteristics to run on the track and be a race car. Well, the IS F-Sport does have F badges too, ya know…

While the a high-performance RX F or NX F would certainly be interesting, it could still be possible considering all of the other luxury brands from Germany have high-performance versions of their crossovers. Lexus does want to match the Germans for pretty much every move. Just imagine though, a high-performance soccer-mom RX F. Yea, it sounds ludicrous, but so did a $70,000 Hyundai, 15 years ago.

Source: Car Advice