Some guys just don't get the "F"
12-08-14, 04:08 PM
#76
Lead Lap
Join Date: Feb 2012
Location: Bay Area/ Valley/ So. Cal
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Yeah Lexus should have never became competitive. And there's only one "F" model anyways so what does it matter. Audi has S-Line, Merc has AMG Sport pk or whatever, BMW has M Sport. And all of those brands have several S models, AMG models, and M models. Lexus made F Sport on all of their vehicles (almost) while they only currently had one F model. So what's your issue? They should have never made F Sport just because they had one F?
I think putting the F badge on the side of F Sports is what's misleading. Anyone who knows anything would know it's not an F though without the quad exhaust tips.
I think putting the F badge on the side of F Sports is what's misleading. Anyone who knows anything would know it's not an F though without the quad exhaust tips.
F-Sport did not start out like the german packages did. For starters when the IS-F debuted it wasn't even marketed and the very the little it was ads were not targeted to the right crowd. Ironically F-Sport received a totally independent marketing campaign and it's what made the F-Sport marque a success. But recently they have started to remarket the LFA and marketing the RC-F to enhance the appeal of F-Sport and lets see if it works even more. But basically what Lexus caught on to is there is a higher demand to appearance packages than the real thing, so they spent their development dollars where the profit is. What this actually proves is Lexus is able to sell those "similar" products with out even producing the better versions of those products and having to use those better versions as marketing tools which is a feat with in it's self. The problem that you guys have is that Lexus marketed the F Sport so well people assume anything with a F is a F-Sport which the majority of what the see when it comes to exposer of F. The recent ads are only going to increase confusion and I don't see that improving.
Thought Id give you guys something to chew on...
Last edited by MjThind; 12-08-14 at 04:16 PM.
12-08-14, 04:24 PM
#77
A coworker used to have a 2012 IS250 F sport and now has the 2014 IS250 F sport... people are always complimenting his car asking who's is faster because he loves to "talk" about his car with everyone around the office. People ask me who's is better, I just say... mine's a v8, his is a v6. Leave it at that
12-08-14, 08:42 PM
#78
Pole Position
It's interesting you guys mention S-Line, AMG Appearance and M Line I started researching a bit, started talking to some brand endorsers and a couple marketing/advertising guys. (I'm into this sort of thing) Turns out the big 3 scoffed at the thought of having a middle ground of performance looks but standard performance and affordability. If memory serves me well and correct me if I'm wrong guys, this was all started by Audi and its launch of the S4.(first middle ground car) Audi's marketer at that the time realized that the market that was once considered niche has major potential and S4's success just proved that. Audi realized that the market was getting saturated with young people who want the RS Audi models and but don't have enough income to support such desires, thus was born the S Line package. And Audi's marketers used the RS models to help market and enhance the image of the Audis' sporting the S Line package. Believe it or not Audi models just with the package had higher profitability rate than RS and regular Audis because development costs were basically non existent. Mercedes and BMW soon realized the same thing but they realized something even more important. They could just strap on a couple of go fast body parts and call it a day while Audi created a middle ground between the standard and high performance vehicles. They used the same marketing strategy as Audi and marketed them side by side AMG and M cars. They made even more money. Fast forward some time Audi has appearance packages. BMW now offers a M Line package similar to that of Audi's S(In Europe) and MB is rumored to unveil something similar called AMG Sport. The big 3 have noticed there is a huge market for the middle ground and just appearance and they all use same way to market the middle ground and appearance packages, their hard core models. After digging around a bit and talking to a couple more guys (execs) it also turns out that now days MB, BMW, and Audi do not develop their hard core models to sell and turn major profit but more use them as poster cars to sell the packages on regular cars which are more profitable than the high performance cars themselves. Funny enough that is the only reason why the big 3 allows and pays for the development of hard core models their simple marketing strategy of "unattainable" helps sells the "similar" attainable product which works very effectively. They used a very smart strategy. But it causes massive confusion on what car is the kit and what car is the real thing for the people who don't know any better.
F-Sport did not start out like the german packages did. For starters when the IS-F debuted it wasn't even marketed and the very the little it was ads were not targeted to the right crowd. Ironically F-Sport received a totally independent marketing campaign and it's what made the F-Sport marque a success. But recently they have started to remarket the LFA and marketing the RC-F to enhance the appeal of F-Sport and lets see if it works even more. But basically what Lexus caught on to is there is a higher demand to appearance packages than the real thing, so they spent their development dollars where the profit is. What this actually proves is Lexus is able to sell those "similar" products with out even producing the better versions of those products and having to use those better versions as marketing tools which is a feat with in it's self. The problem that you guys have is that Lexus marketed the F Sport so well people assume anything with a F is a F-Sport which the majority of what the see when it comes to exposer of F. The recent ads are only going to increase confusion and I don't see that improving.
Thought Id give you guys something to chew on...
F-Sport did not start out like the german packages did. For starters when the IS-F debuted it wasn't even marketed and the very the little it was ads were not targeted to the right crowd. Ironically F-Sport received a totally independent marketing campaign and it's what made the F-Sport marque a success. But recently they have started to remarket the LFA and marketing the RC-F to enhance the appeal of F-Sport and lets see if it works even more. But basically what Lexus caught on to is there is a higher demand to appearance packages than the real thing, so they spent their development dollars where the profit is. What this actually proves is Lexus is able to sell those "similar" products with out even producing the better versions of those products and having to use those better versions as marketing tools which is a feat with in it's self. The problem that you guys have is that Lexus marketed the F Sport so well people assume anything with a F is a F-Sport which the majority of what the see when it comes to exposer of F. The recent ads are only going to increase confusion and I don't see that improving.
Thought Id give you guys something to chew on...
Oh well, what's that they say...imitation is the sincerest form of flattery. I'm a firm believer that perspective is everything and while it originally offended me (people confusing the two) I'm starting to lean more towards the perspective of liking it because the shock value, disbelief & questions that come after the car starts or you take off from a stop are worth every penny of the actual differences 
12-08-14, 09:17 PM
#79
Where I'm from, they only sold isf's in 2008. So in winnipeg there is my black one, a white one, a smokey granite one and a USB one. I have only ever had one person pull up beside me and say holy f#%^ an isf!. It just blends into the crowd and everyone thinks its a 250 or 350. It gets really annoying.
01-06-15, 09:12 AM
#81
Where I'm from, they only sold isf's in 2008. So in winnipeg there is my black one, a white one, a smokey granite one and a USB one. I have only ever had one person pull up beside me and say holy f#%^ an isf!. It just blends into the crowd and everyone thinks its a 250 or 350. It gets really annoying.
01-06-15, 02:52 PM
#82
Lexus Fanatic
I live in Lethbridge A.B., no other ISF's here other than mine. Only a handful of people have said to me, I love this car or amazing to see this car here. And I have it in car shows every year. It really just doesn't get the credit it deserves.... until I go to the track in Medicine Hat and beat mustangs and cameros, then heads turn.
01-07-15, 08:53 PM
#83
The "sleeper" aspect is the primary reason I went from a C6 Corvette to an IS F. A wise man once said (paraphrased) "the more overtly your car displays the ability to go fast the less capable it will be of actually doing so." Corvettes are fast and look great, but they attract way too much unwanted attention (i.e. from the po-po). The IS F, on the other hand, looks to the average Joe like just another Lexus sedan, not even worthy of a second glance. Which is just fine with me - I'm not an attention *****, I just want to drive fast and stay under the RADAR (so to speak).
I have always been interested in the IS-F's, but have kicked around M3's and C/E 63's also. I recently bought a '14 IS250 for my wife, and after driving it for a while it rekindled my interest in the F, and well, the rest is history. While the new M3's are great cars to drive (my friend works at a local BMW dealer and I have spent time in many naturally aspirated earlier V8 cars, as well as the turbocharged V6 cars), but driving an F is more like driving the cars I grew up in.
I still have a bada$$ Nova, but man do I dig spending time behind the wheel of an F.
01-07-15, 08:59 PM
#84
I concur with the sleeper look. I have been a gear head from a very early age. I have owned literally dozens of small and big block powered 60's-70's Chevrolet's (mostly Camaros and Novas) over the last 35 years (bought my first one at 15, with money I saved working in an automotive machine shop after school and during the summer) but I have owned at least 10-12 Toyota trucks manufactured between '79 and '10 as well.
I have always been interested in the IS-F's, but have kicked around M3's and C/E 63's also. I recently bought a '14 IS250 for my wife, and after driving it for a while it rekindled my interest in the F, and well, the rest is history. While the new M3's are great cars to drive (my friend works at a local BMW dealer and I have spent time in many naturally aspirated earlier V8 cars, as well as the turbocharged V6 cars), but driving an F is more like driving the cars I grew up in.
I still have a bada$$ Nova, but man do I dig spending time behind the wheel of an F.
I have always been interested in the IS-F's, but have kicked around M3's and C/E 63's also. I recently bought a '14 IS250 for my wife, and after driving it for a while it rekindled my interest in the F, and well, the rest is history. While the new M3's are great cars to drive (my friend works at a local BMW dealer and I have spent time in many naturally aspirated earlier V8 cars, as well as the turbocharged V6 cars), but driving an F is more like driving the cars I grew up in.
I still have a bada$$ Nova, but man do I dig spending time behind the wheel of an F.
01-08-15, 09:55 AM
#85
Lexus Fanatic
I was a stop light yesterday on the way home and a car load of teens in a white Camry pulled up next to me and they were all thumbs up and starring at the F. In light of the fact the the younger gen dont care about cars like our did , its cool to know some of the kids know what an F is
01-09-15, 08:51 AM
#86
I live in Lethbridge A.B., no other ISF's here other than mine. Only a handful of people have said to me, I love this car or amazing to see this car here. And I have it in car shows every year. It really just doesn't get the credit it deserves.... until I go to the track in Medicine Hat and beat mustangs and cameros, then heads turn.
Digger08
01-10-15, 01:24 PM
#87
Another Funny One
My wife made me deliver our dog to the groomer. I park in front and meet the guy who is also middle age, smallish with goofy glasses, but quite knowledgeable. I like him.
Then he says,"I heard you drive up, the car really sounds healthy". Then, "I'll bet you wish it was an F".
I said, "it is an F, go check it out".
He was pretty surprised and even though he turned out to be a car freak, wasn't quite sure that it was the real thing. Said it was only the second one he'd ever seen.
You never know.
Loren
Then he says,"I heard you drive up, the car really sounds healthy". Then, "I'll bet you wish it was an F".
I said, "it is an F, go check it out".
He was pretty surprised and even though he turned out to be a car freak, wasn't quite sure that it was the real thing. Said it was only the second one he'd ever seen.
You never know.
Loren
01-11-15, 08:16 PM
#88
Track
Sleeper is under statement. Im parked next to M 3 my friends . A 911, a stripped prepped mustang don't think they thought isF was going on the track. They were asking a lot of ? At lunch time. And running off the the track trying to keep up after lunch. Around town its un know.
01-12-15, 06:31 AM
#89
Pole Position
I get this so much everyone thinks that the F sport is my car. I just tell them to look at the Fenders and Exhaust. It still a pain tho having to explain it after a number of times
