What Does IS F Stand For On Lexus Cars?

In the late 2000s, Lexus was a mature brand that had been selling cars for nearly two decades. The Japanese luxury division, established by parent company Toyota in 1989, was riding on the success of cars like the ambitious LS sedan and groundbreaking RX crossover, and had become a major player in the market. What Lexus hadn't done at that point was enter into the high-performance luxury market, the domain of names like BMW M and Mercedes AMG. 

So what exactly does the "IS F" badge stand for on the back of this modern classic? If you dig into Lexus brand lore and put the three letters together, you get "Intelligent Sports Fuji". Sound a little strange? When the first-generation IS debuted in the 1990s as a Lexus-badged version of the Japanese market Toyota Altezza, Lexus designated IS to stand for "Intelligent Sports," and a key part of its mission was to engage a younger, more energetic type of buyer who would typically drive a BMW 3-series. The "F" represents Fuji Speedway, the historic Japanese racing circuit that Toyota has owned since 2000, and is also used for the development of Lexus' track-bred prototypes. Even the design of the F logo itself is inspired by Fuji Speedway's curves. 

Things changed with the arrival of the Lexus IS F for the 2008 model year. Based on the second-generation IS, the IS F was a V-8-powered rocket ship aimed directly at BMW's legendary M3. For a first attempt, the IS F impressed, with serious handling, and the ability to hit 60 miles per hour in 4.2 seconds. Today, now in its third generation, that's remained the goal of the Lexus IS.

While there is some speculation on other meanings behind the name Lexus, the IS F easily stands up to its namesake. To truly take on the 3-series, you need an M3 rival. And so, the 416 horsepower 2008 IS F would become the first car to wear Lexus' new F branding for high-performance models. The IS F would be in production until the 2014 model year, and would be joined later by other F-badged Lexus high-performance models, including the RC F, GS F, and of course the Lexus LFA supercar. Lexus would also add the less aggressive, but still enthusiast-oriented  "F-Sport" trim to many of its models, with their F-inspired styling and suspension tweaks. 

Miss the original IS F? Even though it's not a full-on F-model, the current Lexus IS500 F Sport is very close in spirit to the original IS F, with the same impressive, naturally aspirated V-8 powerplant under the hood. If you want this latest model, go buy it now, because if speculation is true, we may soon be coming upon the end of production not just of the IS500, but perhaps the Lexus IS itself.