BRAND STORYHISTORY OF "LEXUS F"
LEXUS entered the world of motor sports 16 years ago in 2002.
Since then, the LEXUS F has evolved through participation in a variety of races worldwide.
Here, we look back over the history that can be called its origins.
NORTH AMERICAFrom 2002
The first race participation for Lexus came in 2002, at the historic Daytona 24-hour race. From 2004 Lexus began participation in the prototype class, and from 2006 to 2008, its cars won three straight victories in the 24 Hours At Daytona race. From 2010 to 2013, Lexus competed in the BUBBA 1000 off-road races. With three race wins there, the Lexus cars exerted their presence in races off the racetrack as well. From 2017, Lexus teams began entering the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship with the LEXUS RC F GT3 machine.
The IS300 (2002) that entered the Sports Touring Class of the Grand American Sportscar Series
The prototype car mounting the Lexus 4.35L V8 engine that competed in the Prototype Class of the Grand American Sportscar Series(2004)
The Chip Ganassi Racing team that won the historical 24 Hours At Daytona for the first time in 2006
The Chip Ganassi Racing team that won the 24 Hours At Daytona for the straight time in 2008. They also won the 2008 series title in 2008
The IS F CCS-R (2012) that participated in the 25 Hours of Thunderhill endurance race
The LX 570 that began competing in the BUBBA 1000 off-road races from 2010.By 2013 it had won three races, showing its strong presence off the racetrack as well (2012)
In 2017, the 3GT Racing team began entering two LEXUS RC F GT3 cars in the IMSA WeatherTech SportsCar Championship (2017)
JAPANFrom 2006
Lexus made its race debut in Japan in 2006. The car used to enter the SUPER GT GT500 class was the SC430. After that the car was changed to the RC F and then to the LC500, which went on to win the series title five times in 11 years. From 2015, a prototype FC F GT3 entered the GT300 class on a test basis, before beginning full-time series participation in GT300 from 2017, taking two class wins.
The SC430 prototype (2006)
The SC430 won its SUPER GT debut race, and the OPEN INTERFACE TOM'S SC430 car No. 36 went on to win the series title
The HOUZAN TOM'S SC430 car No. 1 (2007)
The ZENT CERUMO SC430 car No. 38 (2007)
The IS350 that made its GT300 class debut in 2008
The ECLIPSE ADVAN SC430 car No. 25 (2008)
The WedsSport IS350 car No. 19 that won the GT300 class title(2009)
The PETRONAS TOM'S SC430 car No. 36 that won the GT500 class title (2009)
The ZENT CERUMO SC430 car No. 38 that won the class title in the SC430's last year in SUPER GT (2013)
The SC430 in its last race at the JAF Grand Prix FUJI SPRINT CUP (2013)
The LEXUS RC F that made its debut in 2014
The KeePer TOM'S RC F car No. 37 that won its debut race (2014)
The LEXUS RC F GT3 that made a spot entry test in the GT300 class in 2015
The DENSO KOBELCO SARD RC F car No. 39 that won the series title (2016)
The LEXUS LC500 and RC F GT3 that debuted in 2017
Sweeping the top six places in an amazing debut win at the opening round at Okayama (2017)
The JMS P.MU LMcorsa RC F GT3 car No. 51 that scored two class wins during the season (2017)
The KeePer TOM'S LC500 car No. 37 that won the series title (2017)
EUROPE（NÜRBURGRING）From 2008
Lexus took part in the 2008 24 Hours Nürburgring with the IS250 and the prototype "LF-A." After that, LFA cars, which would be marketed as the pinnacle of the "F" brand, would compete there for eight year with models including the LFA CodeX. From 2016, RC and RC F models would also compete. The top of the F brand were cars tried and proven at Nürburgring.
The prototype LF-A car No. 14 that competed in the 2009 24 Hours Nürburgring
The IS250 that competed in the VLN Nürburgring endurance series prior to participating in the 2008 24 Hours Nürburgring (2008)
The base car was changed with the release of the production LFA. Using the LFA name, car No. 50 took a class win. (2010)
The LFA car No. 50 (2010)
The LFA car No. 88 (2011)
Two LFA cars competed in the 2011 24 Hours Nürburgring (2011)
The LFA car No. 79 got a 2nd-place finish in class (2013)
The LEXUS LFA Code X car No. 53 developed as a prototype for future machines (2014)
The LFA car No. 48 that scored a class win (2014)
The LEXUS RC car No. 170 that scored a 2nd-place finish (2017)
The LEXUS RC car No. 188 that competed in the 2016 24 Hours Nürburgring race (2016)
The LEXUS RC F car No. 36 that competed with cooperation from TOM'S (2016)
EUROPE（VLN）From 2015
In 2015 and 2016, RC F GT3 cars competed in the VLN Nürburgring endurance series on a test basis. There at Nürburgring, known as the home of what is often called the world's toughest endurance race, they succeeded in winning one class race and taking one pole position, and the data gained from this experience helped greatly in the development of the 2017 model RC F GT3.
The Farnbacher Racing LEXUS RC F GT3 car No. 55 that participated in the VLN Nürburgring endurance series got its first win in a VLN2 race (2015)
The Emil Frey Lexus Racing LEXUS RC F GT3 car No. 54 that participated in the VLN Nürburgring endurance series (2015)
The Emil Frey Lexus Racing LEXUS IS F CCS-R car No. 135 that participated in the VLN Nürburgring endurance series (2015)
The Emil Frey Lexus Racing LEXUS RC F GT3 car No. 54 (2015)
The Farnbacher Racing LEXUS RC F GT3 car No. 55 (2015)
The Emil Frey Lexus Racing LEXUS RC F GT3 car No. 54 (2015)
The 2017 model LEXUS RC F GT3 that was entered by Farnbacher Racing in the VLN9 as part of its development (2016)
