Mark Templin knows cars. He should. He’s been in the automotive industry for decades, having worked for Oldsmobile and Lexus, in particular. He’s now the executive vice president of Lexus International.
Over the course of his career, he’s learned about automotive journalists, too. Writers such as Jeremy Clarkson have had less than kind words to say about the RC F. To Templin, those people are knocking the car based on what they think it should be, not on what Lexus wanted to manufacture. Templin and Lexus build the cars they think they need to provide to consumers.
Regarding the RC F, Templin told Lexus Enthusiast‘s Kevin Watts, “We weren’t trying to build a better BMW or a car that was lighter or faster than a BMW. We were trying to create something that’s unique in the marketplace that addressed the needs of the driver – and that was a car that made everybody a better driver.”
The LFA was the culmination of Lexus’ efforts to meet Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda’s challenge of creating “emotional, fun things” that showed that same side of the Lexus brand. We’ll see if the upcoming GS F is capable of doing that.
That car and the RC F might have F-badged company one of these days. Templin said he can see the F brand expanding in the future. (It’s probably safe to assume a new IS F will eventually arrive in dealerships.)
To hear the full interview with Templin, including his thoughts on high-performance Lexus vehicles, just click the play button below.
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
