IS F

The man behind the vision

The development of the IS F was as different as the car is itself. For the past 15 years, the idea of a racetrack-inspired supercar existed in the head of Lexus engineer: Yukihiko Yaguchi.

A veteran of 30 years at Toyota and experienced Lexus engineer, Yaguchi had a vision – a take-no-prisoners premium sports saloon that offered all the sophistication and refinement of a Lexus with the power and performance of a racetrack car.

“I wanted to develop a new breed of animal for Lexus,” explained Yaguchi at the 2007 Tokyo Motor Show. “As an engineer, you want to pursue every opportunity thoroughly.”

Starting point

At the start of the development process, it was clear that this car would be unorthodox, but Yaguchi’s heritage stood him in good stead: “Top management such as Okamoto-san EVP and Takimoto-san, head of the technical division, know me well, as I was involved in ensuring that the LS 400 ran extremely quietly. That was a huge achievement, so they understood that I was capable of developing something no one ever had before. They expected that I would do something good even if it were also out of the ordinary.”

Basic instinct

Citing the IS F as “An historic milestone for Lexus.” Yaguchi is particularly proud of the sound of the car. A feature that Lexus, too, promote as a highlight of the car. As the F1-inspired composite underbody bearings suck the car down onto the track and the engine builds to speeds over 3,600 revs, the engine noise becomes unforgettable."