F-Off: Say Bye Bye to Lexus F’s Naturally Aspirated V8

By adpock - October 8, 2015

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Lexus’s naturally aspirated, 5.0-litre V8 motor is one of the things that auto journalists seem to like most about the F performance cars. But, pretty soon they’re going to have to find something else to write about.

Lexus F’s deputy engineering chief, Akio Iwasaki, told Motoring.com.au that the naturally aspirated V8, which is currently found in the RC F and the new GS F, will be replaced with a turbo in the next generation of F cars.

“We are developing a turbo motor as a replacement for this one,” Iwasaki said yesterday, at the European debut of the GS F. Iwasaki didn’t elaborate about what type of turbo — twin or single — or the size of the new engine.

While it may seem like a bold departure from the very essence of F, this is just a sign of the times. With emissions and fuel consumption standards tightening up, naturally aspirated performance engines seem to be going the way of the Dodo.

Certainly the F cars won’t sound the same without the big V8, despite efforts to unnaturally create a naturally aspirated exhaust note. But other than that, it seems like the F team still has their performance priorities straight. Iwasaki pointed to the Ferrari 488 as an example of the vast potential of turbo charging, while noting that the new motor would have to fit in with the brand’s key philosophies: “Limitless, Power, Feeling.”