click above to view more high-res images of the Team Lexus IS-F
No single car better demonstrates the determination of Lexus to stick it to the Germans than the IS-F. The high-performance sports sedan gives the BMW M3, Mercedes C63 AMG and Audi RS4 a real run for their deutschemarks euros. But Lexus isn't about to let it rest there. That is, not if the rumors are to be believed.
A few days ago we brought you a preview image of the IS-F Racing Concept, which Lexus is bringing to its home-court Tokyo Auto Salon later this week. But while it certainly looks the part, emerging reports now suggest that the concept is no mere concept at all, but that Lexus is actually planning on using it to compete in Germany's domestic (and both highly popular and ultra-competitive) DTM touring car series. The rumors are fueled by the image you see above, posted mysteriously on TeamLexus.com. If the reports turn out to be true, the IS-F could find itself trading paint with race-prepped AMG Mercedes C-Classes and Audi A4s before long.
However a seemingly conflicting report suggests that the racing IS-F pictured above is actually a GT2 car destined to succeed the previous IS300-based racer that Lexus campaigned in the 2006 American Le Mans Series (ALMS). Enough differences exist between the dark concept headed for Tokyo and the orange one in the new images to allow for the possibility that Lexus could be relentlessly pursuing perfection in two distinct classes with racers based on the same sports sedan. Check out the images in the gallery below for more angles.
[Source: IS-F Insider]
