Like most of its competitors, Lexus has never given its flagship sedan the full-on performance treatment. At least, not in production form. But that could be about to change, if this latest trademark application is anything to go on.
AutoGuide came across an application filed by Lexus for the name LS-FC. While we don’t know for sure what it would be used for, the letters seem to suggest a concept previewing a potential LS F performance sedan.
At the New York Auto Show just last month, Lexus presented the LS sedan in F Sport trim (pictured). But aside from some suspension and rolling-stock upgrades, that package is mostly cosmetic. The V6 engine remains in tact, producing either 415 horsepower in the twin-turbocharged LS 500 or 354 in the hybrid LS 500h.
That’s a far cry from the twin-turbo V8 in the Mercedes-AMG S63 (with its 557 hp) or the V12 in the S65 (packing 621 hp) – which remain, oddly enough, the only entries in the segment to have been really unhinged by their manufacturer’s performance division. Others like the Audi S8 Plus and BMW M760Li, powerful as they are at 600 hp each, still stop short of an all-out RS8 or M7. But a Lexus LS F would have to contend with those as well, along with the 550-hp Jaguar XJR (which may never get the SVR treatment before it’s discontinued).
The closest that Toyota ever got to producing an LS F was with the LS Sports 650. Developed by Toyota Motorsport GmbH in Germany back in 2012, it boasted (among other performance enhancements) a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 kicking out an impressive 641 hp. If this latest patent application is put to use, Lexus could use it as an opportunity to gauge public perception before deciding on its production prospects.
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