How the letter 'F' brought excitement to the Lexus brand

The IS 350 F Sport is the first vehicle to be developed with the Lexus Driving Signature philosophy. PHOTOS BY ISAAC ATIENZA

THE year 2010 was a special one for the Lexus brand. It was an era when Japanese automakers were mostly churning out sensible and reliable cars. It was a stark contrast from the 1980s and 1990s when cars such as the Mitsubishi GTO, Toyota Supra, Nissan Skyline GT-R, Mazda RX-7 and Honda NSX graced our roads. Sure, there were cars like the Nissan GT-R (R35), Honda Civic Type R (FD2), but none were at the level of rarity and exclusivity to what the Europeans were crafting.