Lexus IS F track-tuned sports sedan now in the UAE

The Lexus IS F is finally joining the Japanese luxury carmaker’s GCC line-up. Going on sale in the UAE by mid-October, the Lexus IS F luxo-sports sedan is designed to run with proper sports cars, and as such was track-tested heavily at Japan’s Fuji Speedway.

Standing in the shadows of Mount Fuji, the 4.56 km Fuji Speedway is regarded as one of the world’s most spectacular and challenging race circuits – but it is more than just a circuit to Lexus.

Originally designed in 1963 as a NASCAR-style circuit, it later morphed into a race circuit with a banked race section, which proved to be extremely testing on both vehicles and competitors. Fuji Speedway was then redesigned to incorporate a new section around the banked curve and in 1976 played host to its first Formula One Grand Prix.

The famed circuit saw completion of a three year remodelling project in 2005, the return of Formula One in 2007 and, more importantly, formed the gruelling test bed for the development of Lexus performance, or ‘F’ vehicles.

The telling link between the track and Lexus is the development of the IS F. Everything from the IS F’s handling to braking and overall performance was honed at the testing circuit. The result is a Lexus that has been designed for driving enthusiasts, bringing a new level of performance and excitement to the Lexus range.

The true measure of the importance of Fuji lies in the name of the vehicle – with the ‘F’ marque derived not only by name, but also the shape of the speedway from which the IS F was born. In fact, there’s never been a Lexus production vehicle that has been so heavily tested on the race track. In addition to Fuji, the IS F has been rigorously tested at Nürburgring in Germany, Paul Ricard in the South of France, Belgium’s Circuit Zolder and Laguna Seca in California.

Fuji is home for Lexus; the brand is firmly entrenched at Fuji, with the company’s global training facility housed onsite. The Lexus Fuji College was opened in March 2005 as an exclusive Lexus training facility to develop the human resources, dealers and hospitality necessary to provide unparalleled after-sales service and purchasing. The college offers a program of courses on customer interaction as well as product briefings directly from chief engineers and designers.

Fuji Speedway at a glance:

* Length: 4,563 m
* Width: 15-25 m
* Right corners: 10
* Left corners: 6
* Straights: 8
* Longest straight: 1,475 m
* Maximum incline: 8.88%
* Maximum decline: 10.05%
* Total area: 76,000 sq.m.
* Number of circuit types: Five