Could Lexus Add Turbos to Big V8s in the Future?
Mark Templin is a name you may not be very familiar with, but one that you probably should be. The Lexus exec is the man in charge of making sure that the new face of Lexus is just as fun and exciting as it is luxurious and well-built.
Templin also has the F brand under his umbrella, and it appears he has some big plans for the high performance division. Recently the team at Car and Driver sat down with Mr. Templin to discuss the future of F, and what they learned is quite interesting.
Of course, there was a lot of talk about how F is separating itself from its German rivals M and AMG. And there was plenty about who exactly the F brand is for, and what it represents. But at the end of the discussion, there was something different that was only mentioned in passing, as if it was nothing important. But it could speak volumes for the future.
The question revolved around using turbochargers in the F cars.
The answer was fairly simple. Templin stated that the chief engineer for F cars, Yukihiko Yaguchi, prefers the sound, response, and overall experience of big naturally aspirated engines. Simple enough, but then came the most important quote of the whole piece: “It doesn’t mean we’ll never have a turbocharged F product, but if we do, it will probably be a big engine,” said Templin.
Just imagine for a moment what kind of car the GS F would be if they slapped a turbocharger onto the 5.0-liter V8. That 470 horsepower would easily become 570 to 600 horsepower, and suddenly we have a legitimate competitor for the M5, C63 and more. How flipping glorious would that be?
Again, this is just a mention in passing about a potential future idea, but damn it that future don’t look bright.
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via [Car and Driver]
