Lexus Lexus F-Sport range, presentation and test drive in Ciudad Real

A week ago, Lexus Spain invited us to a very special event, special for its location, for the vehicles we were going to test and for where we would be driving. After a little under an hour on the AVE (this magnificent invention that those of us from the north look at with longing), we arrived in Ciudad Real.

There, a bus was waiting for us at the station, and that is where we began to see the F (from the F-Sport range) that would be present throughout the day. The venue where we would test the cars and hold the event was Ciudad Real Airport, currently not operational, and an exceptional place to test a car.

When we talk about the F-Sport initials, we are talking about the origins of the Japanese brand, very linked to the Fuji Speedway circuit in Japan (hence the F). The seed of the range was born in October 2000, when the chief engineer of Lexus started the LFA project, which would eventually become a supercar in every sense of the word.

Lexus F-Sport range

Initially Lexus only had the IS-F as its sporting reference, something that over the years has changed, with new sporty touches giving the Japanese brand a very different outlook. We cannot forget the LFA, perhaps the ultimate expression of the F-Sport range, but we will talk about it later.

The F-Sport trim spread through the IS range, with a much more eye-catching and sporty exterior design and an interior that gains equipment while maintaining a high level of quality. That said, in the IS range the modifications the F-Sport trim brings are purely aesthetic or design-related; it does not change the engine or mechanics (only the suspension is lowered compared with the standard model).

The newly launched Lexus GS450h also receives the F-Sport trim, with significant improvements that go beyond design. Among the elements this version adds is the Lexus Dynamic Handling system, which combines variable-assist steering and rear-wheel steering (a system that gives it greater manoeuvrability at low speeds and agility at high speeds). The sport suspension and the mixed aluminium/steel brakes complete the equipment of the GS450h F-Sport.

Another model that also features the F-Sport trim is the Lexus RX450h. The Japanese brand’s SUV dresses in a sporty outfit and receives specific dynamic improvements. Alongside the sporty exterior look comes what Lexus has called Dynamic Hybrid Balance, that is, an active stabiliser system for the rear axle, which is powered by the current supplied by the car’s battery, reducing the RX’s body roll by 40%.

The flagship of the Lexus range, the LS600h F-Sport, crowns the sportiness and technical improvements. The first thing that catches the eye is the exterior design, which is sportier and features 19-inch wheels that stand out along the side profile. The two systems we have seen on the RX and the GS are now available on this luxury saloon. We are referring to Lexus Dynamic Handling (rear-wheel steering) and Dynamic Hybrid Balance (active rear stabiliser).

Finally, in 2013 another member of the F-Sport family will arrive, the CT200h, but only with the design pack, giving a sportier image to the smallest member of the Lexus family. The news doesn’t end there for 2013 and 2014, since a coupé version of the IS is on its way, but for now we have no information beyond the concept presented at the 2012 Paris Motor Show, with a look that will be very close to the production car.

That is the theory of the F-Sport range, but now we need to see how it behaves when we put it to the test. In Ciudad Real we were able to try all the models except the CT200h, yes, all of them, up to the LFA. We will talk about that in the second part of this presentation, which has given us some very positive surprises.

Photos | Lexus Spain