First Spy Shots of New Lexus IS-F Coupe

Ever since the successful release of the 2014 Lexus IS sedan earlier this year, we’ve been waiting for a follow-up. We’ve known that a sports coupe was in the works, we even knew that it’d be coming before the end of 2013, but that just made the anticipation that much worse.

Well, our first glimpse of the Lexus IS-F coupe is finally here, although you’ll have to use your imagination since the car is covered in camouflage. Instead of starting with an introduction and background information like we normally do, let’s just dive right into some specs.

There are several obvious indicators that the Lexus shown in the spy shots is indeed the IS-F Coupe. For reference, I highly recommend you take a look at the IS-F’s precursor shown at last year’s Detroit Auto Show – the Lexus LF-LC Concept. We can see several clear similarities.

First, notice the prominent front end featuring those distinctly large wheel wells. Then there’s the clearly recognizable IS grille in between two massive air intakes. You’ll also notice what appear to be the same slashed headlights as seen on the IS saloon. The camouflaged coupe also shares a very similar roof line, although it’s been curved out a bit since the LF-LC Concept.

From the back of the vehicle, we can see twin stacked tailpipes on either side of the rear diffuser. The rear bumper has been bulged out a bit since the LF-LC, but the subtle rear spoiler is still there. Looking past the low profile tires you can see some very significant brake discs and calipers, framed by a low-riding sculpted side skirt.

Clearly the exterior of the IS-F coupe looks awesome, but what about the Japanese luxury car’s mechanics? Unfortunately, that part is still up in the air. All we know is that you can expect the engine to operate at or more than 450 horsepower, simply because the car needs to compete with some very powerful European coupes (e.g. the BMW M4, Audi R5, Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG). Possible powertrains include a 3.5L V6 supercharger, a newer Euro-spec V8, or possibly even some sort of hybrid configuration. Whatever the engine ends up being, though, you can be sure that the car will only be available with an automatic 8-speed transmission and (likely) rear-wheel drive.

What’s funny about the IS-F Coupe is that Lexus representatives fully acknowledge that the market for luxury coupes is not a large one. Last May, Autonews reported that Mark Templin, Lexus’s International Executive Vice President, had this to say about the coupe, “The coupe market is…not an enormous market, but… a coupe could change perceptions of our brand and make us a more emotional brand and potentially reach younger buyers.” For Lexus, the IS-F coupe is more about image than anything else.

Obviously, there are still several unanswered questions about the Lexus IS-F coupe. You have to stay tuned to our blog for further updates, but if nothing else you can expect a debut later this year at either the Tokyo or Los Angeles Auto Show… Maybe both. Let us know your thoughts in the comments below, and as always, thanks for reading!