How To Tell If Your Lexus Is An F Sport Model

Ever wondered if the Lexus you have is the F Sport model? This trim represents the sportier variants of various cars, and they certainly have distinct design elements and enhancements to differentiate them from regular base variants or the luxurious variants. Let us take a look at the Lexus F brand before indulging into the differentiating factors that make an F Sport model. While the F badge is usually worn by the sportier of the bunch, the origins of the Lexus F brand lies with the Lexus LS which was known internally as the Circle F Project, which came about to be in 1983. It was later called "Flagship One" or "F1".  

The "F" emblem's trademark happened in 2006 and there were speculations that the "F" stood for "Flagship" but Lexus clarified that the name was coined after the Fuji Speedway whose first corner is in the shape of the letter "F". The first car to bear the "F" branding was the Lexus ISF, which was launched in 2007 and succeeded the IS 500. The F brand was started as a performance wing for Lexus to compete with the likes of AMG, BMW M and Audi RS. The F Sport is a more toned version but carries some questions from the full fat "F" models similar to AMG Line, BMW M Sport and Audi S variants in their respective lineups.

Well, Lexus doesn't hide the fact that the vehicle you are driving is actually an F Sport and it has lots of visual cues for the same. The models look sportier due to them having sharper bumpers, sportier grilles with larger openings and a different design of wheels, often painted in darker shades. There is also a lack of chrome when compared to other models. There are also "F Sport" badges all around. They can be found on the front fenders, the boot, the bottom of the steering wheel and most "F Sport" variants also have it embroidered on the seats.

Other details include sportier pedals, sportier seats, and even performance displays in the instrument cluster which are unique to the F Sport models. Lexus also tunes the suspension of their F-Sport models to make them handle better.

That being said, not all F Sport models are meant for the track. One can buy an "F Sport" variant for almost any model from Lexus's lineup currently. Most of them are just body kits which make the car look different and are far away from the full fat "F" models like the RCF but there are exceptions like the IS 500 F Sport which still features a 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 engine.