Toyota has a lot on its plate for 2021 and beyond. The brand has a bunch of new cars launching; the long-awaited overhaul of their off-roader lineup is in full effect; there's eportedly a revolutionary solid-state electric battery concept on the way as well.
But if new rumors from Japan are to be believed, that may not be all Toyota has on tap. According to BestCarWeb, Lexus may have three new high-performance "F" models that will start arriving in November 2021.
The rumors say Lexus will come after the BMW M3 with a revised IS F, which will get 474 horsepower — a 214 hp bump from the six-cylinder model — from a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 (presumably related to the one in the now-defunct GS F).
Sound good? Well, the rumors also say the flagship LS sedan coming after the Mercedes S63 with an F model that will use a new twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8, putting out a claimed 660 horsepower. They also claim Lexus will put that engine in an LC F coupe. All three cars would receive chassis mods to account for the extra power.
Lexus investing that much in new internal combustion motors sounds like a car person's fever dream in this era of electrification, but these rumors could make some make sense. The Lexus ES aside, sedans and coupes are no longer high-volume sellers. If brands are going to keep them in the lineup, they need to turn more profit like trucks and SUVs. Big-time performance is one way to ramp the profit margin up. With rivals like Cadillac blowing well past 600 hp with the CT5-V Blackwing, offering a similar option on cars like the LS and LC may be necessary.
