Redditor Wraps His Lexus CT200h F-Sport in Blue Flame Vinyl

Color borrowed from the new Corolla IM gives this Lexus a far sportier look.

The Lexus CT200h was a great-looking luxury hatchback that looked like a hot hatch while offering the on-road advantages of a hybrid. Especially when built to F-Sport specifications, the CT200h perfectly fit the role of a high performance luxury hatchback, except rather than a powerful engine, Lexus went the hybrid route. It was still a great car in terms of luxury hybrids, but it definitely didn’t offer the driving dynamics of the hot hatch.

Even with that in mind, some CT200h owners like to make changes that accentuate the sporty nature of this compact hybrid. One Redditor named “meesterteebs” who owns the smallest Lexus hybrid found that adding a sportier color really makes a big difference in bolstering the aggressive appearance of the now-gone CT.

The Introduction

When the OP first introduced us to his uniquely-wrapped Lexus CT200h F-Sport, he shared the picture above with a comment that many readers are likely thinking.

“Wrapped my 2016 CT 200H F Sport. Looks even hothatchier (it ain’t)”.

While it really is just a simple color change, it is amazing how much sportier the CT200h looks in what is basically Blue Flame from the 2019 Toyota Corolla IM hatchback. Many Lexus vehicles, especially those with hybrid powerplants, are painted a subdued color, with lots of grey-scale, whites, browns and blacks filling the car’s exterior color palate. However, swapping to a color that Toyota currently uses definitely gives this sleek hybrid a sportier feel.

It should be noted that the car isn’t actually Blue Flame, it is Avery Dennison Gloss Light Blue, for those looking to copy this upgrade themselves.

What Could Have Been

While there were a handful of comments praising the OP for his choice in colors, many of the Redditors who joined in the conversation echoed the wish for more power in something like the CT200h.

“Such a cool looking car, why couldn’t Lexus put their new turbo 4 cylinder in it,” said “ISF5“.

“I ask myself this everyday. It would have been the perfect hot hatch. Oh well,” said “Ankoay“. “On the bright side, rumors have it Toyota will develop a Gazoo Racing version of the new Corolla with a hybrid powertrain. That would definitely be pretty sweet too.”

“Working at a Lexus dealership we all agreed that a CT200 with the NX200 engine would have been awesome. I still hope to see somebody make that swap,” said “iugarte90“.

And the OP agreed, as does pretty much everyone who has ever driven a CT200h.

“I feel like there would be a market for that,” said the OP. “Word on the street is that they might be bringing it back to N. America at some point with a (presumably more exciting) fully electric powertrain. (Previously people suspected the line was kaput here and the UX hybrid was the de facto replacement.)”

While we don’t know if the future holds a hot hatch for Lexus, there is no question that the Toyota Blue Flame exterior color looks great on the CT200h F-Sport.

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Patrick Rall

"Before I was old enough to walk, my dad was taking me to various types of racing events, from local drag racing to the Daytona 500," says Patrick Rall, a lifetime automotive expert, diehard Dodge fan, and respected auto journalist for over 10 years. "He owned a repair shop and had a variety of performance cars when I was young, but by the time I was 16, he was ready to build me my first drag car – a 1983 Dodge Mirada that ran low 12s. I spent 10 years traveling around the country, racing with my dad by my side. While we live in different areas of the country, my dad still drag races at 80 years old in the car that he built when I was 16 while I race other vehicles, including my 2017 Dodge Challenger SRT Hellcat and my 1972 Dodge Demon 340.

"Although I went to college for accounting, my time in my dad’s shop growing up allowed me the knowledge to spend time working as a mechanic before getting my accounting degree, at which point I worked in the office of a dealership group. While I was working in the accounting world, I continued racing and taking pictures of cars at the track. Over time, I began showing off those pictures online and that led to my writing.

"Ten years ago, I left the accounting world to become a full-time automotive writer and I am living proof that if you love what you do, you will never “work” a day in your life," adds Rall, who has clocked in time as an auto mechanic, longtime drag racer and now automotive journalist who contributes to nearly a dozen popular auto websites dedicated to fellow enthusiasts.

"I love covering the automotive industry and everything involved with the job. I was fortunate to turn my love of the automotive world into a hobby that led to an exciting career, with my past of working as a mechanic and as an accountant in the automotive world provides me with a unique perspective of the industry.

"My experience drag racing for more than 20 years coupled with a newfound interest in road racing over the past decade allows me to push performance cars to their limit, while my role as a horse stable manager gives me vast experience towing and hauling with all of the newest trucks on the market today.

"Being based on Detroit," says Rall, "I never miss the North American International Auto Show, the Woodward Dream Cruise and Roadkill Nights, along with spending plenty of time raising hell on Detroit's Woodward Avenue with the best muscle car crowd in the world.

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