2020 Lexus LS500 F-Sport Matador Red – Interior, Exterior, and Drive / ALL-NEW Lexus LS 500 F-Sport
With The All-New 2020 LS, Lexus Reimagines Its Global Flagship Sedan
-Radical new design with coupe-like silhouette, yet spaciousness of prestige sedan
-New platform for greatest-ever LS agility and comfort
-All-new twin-turbo V6 with 416 horsepower
-10-speed automatic transmission
-All-new Lexus Safety System+ A (Advanced) Package available
-New level of flagship luxury in every aspect
-Interior inspired by traditional Japanese aesthetics
-On sale in U.S. now, starting around $75,000
The New LS F SPORT
Within the Lexus line, the “F” models, including GS F and RC F, are the track-tuned maximum-performance machines. The F SPORT versions, including the new LS 500 F SPORT RWD, instill a more engaging driving spirit through carefully applied chassis tuning and enhancements, while still emphasizing exceptional comfort.
Lexus took full advantage of the new GA–L platform’s inherent driving agility when developing the 2018 F SPORT package. Handling enhancements via the latest iteration of the VDIM system allows for integrated management of these chassis dynamics as a single system. Optimal control of these motions enables exceptional ride comfort, enhancing traction, safety and handling agility. VDIM is capable of aiding stability when the car is traversing split-friction surfaces, such as dry pavement with ice.
More of the GA-L platform’s intrinsic performance capability is unlocked via exclusive 20-inch alloy wheels with 245/45RF20 front and 275/40RF20 rear tires in either summer performance or all-season compounds. In addition, larger front and rear brakes — six-piston aluminum monoblock calipers on front around two-piece ventilated spiral-fin iron rotors 15.7 inches (400 mm) in diameter by 1.4 inches (36 mm) wide and four-piston calipers on 14.1 inches (359 mm) by 1.2 inches (30 mm) ventilated spiral-fin rotors in the rear, all with high-friction brake pads—serve to drive the car’s dynamic message home. The available Performance Package on gas F SPORT models adds Variable Gear Ratio Steering (VGRS) system, Active Rear Steering and Active Stabilizer. The result is a full-size premium luxury sedan that responds more like a sports coupe through curves, without sacrificing renowned Lexus ride comfort.
The 2018 LS 500 F SPORT stands out, but doesn’t shout. It essentially “turns up the volume” of the new LS design, so to speak, without distorting the fidelity. An exclusive version of the spindle grille shows even greater intricacy in the design – and the brand’s obsessive attention to details. CAD operators spent five months developing the F SPORT grille to achieve the desired texture and interaction with light. Even then, they adjusted nearly 7,000 individual surfaces to achieve the desired look and texture (compared to 5,000 for the standard model’s grille).
Special F SPORT rocker moldings along with the aforementioned 20-inch wheels accentuate the rakish LS profile. Lexus infused the F SPORT persona throughout the cabin, starting with the perforated-grill pattern on seating surfaces and Naguri aluminum trim elements. F SPORT 28-way electric/pneumatic seats with cushion length extenders brace occupants when driving through curves, ensure exceptional comfort no matter how long or brief the drive.
The driver faces a special F SPORT speedometer and tachometer in a movable meter with a meter ring that slides to display information, an iconic design adapted from the limited-production Lexus LFA supercar. Attention to detail shows in the aluminum accelerator pedal and F SPORT shift handle, and footrest. The crowning touch is an Ultrasuede headliner
