The Lexus IS-F Coupe has been caught in public as it prepares to take on the might of the mid-sized German luxury performance models.
Lexus has yet to even officially confirm it will produce the two-door version of the new Lexus IS, which was previewed by the LF-CC concept. But here's the evidence the company will expand the number of body styles for its BMW 3 Series rival.
The Lexus IS-F Coupe will become a direct rival to the BMW M4, the upcoming two-door version of the next-generation M3 due in 2014, as well as the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG Coupe and Audi RS5.
At the front, the large 'spindle' grille and angled headlights clearly relate the coupe to the 2013 Lexus IS sedan just released in Australia.
Large lower air intakes, a deeper chin and a bonnet scoop, however, all point to the most aggressive variant of the new IS coupe, as do the flared and filled wheel arches, rear spoiler, and the retention of the stacked, offset oval exhaust pipes (which we hope won't feature fake outlets this time).
The current Lexus IS-F sedan is powered by a 5.0-litre V8 with 311kW of power and 505Nm of torque sent to rear wheels via an eight-speed auto.
A turbocharged engine, however, is rumoured to sit under the bonnet for the new model, with a power output of about 335kW. Lexus is already working on turbocharged engines for other models, including a 2.0-litre turbo for the upcoming baby Lexus NX SUV.
It's not clear yet whether the new Lexus IS-F would be confined to the sportier coupe form that would be a natural body style for the variant, but economies of scale should dictate that a sedan version to rival the BMW M3 would also be offered.
