2003 Sportscross, Black, With Tan Interior, Excellent Condition on 2040-cars

Auto blog

What's in a trademark? Sometimes, the next iconic car name

The United States Patent and Trademark Office is a treasure trove for auto enthusiasts, especially those who double as conspiracy theorists.
Why has Toyota applied to trademark "Supra," the name of one of its legendary sports cars, even though it hasn't sold one in the United States in 16 years? Why would General Motors continue to register "Chevelle" long after one of the most famous American muscle cars hit the end of the road? And what could Chrysler possibly do with the rights to "313," the area code for Detroit?

Lexus RC F is a predatory sport coupe with a 450-horsepower beating heart

Take a look at that face. We can't be the only ones who see an automotive Predator staring back, right? Certainly, the Lexus RC F Coupe boasts a visually striking design that some are going to love and others are going to hate, but we can at least appreciate that it's aggressive, especially compared to the standard RC Coupe that we saw at the Tokyo Motor Show. And with good reason - there's a 5.0-liter V8 engine sitting under that massively domed hood with "more than 450 horsepower," along with a newly calibrated eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Interestingly, Lexus has tuned the RC F's engine to run on an Atkinson cycle under most circumstances, while it switches to the more typical Otto cycle when more power is required, presumably using some sort of advanced variable valve timing technology. Helping put that power to the ground with all those ponies wreaking havoc underhood is a torque vectoring differential, a first from Lexus.
Also involved in keeping the RC F planted is an aero package that includes wings and ducts galore. The headline bit is an active rear wing that deploys at 50 miles per hour and retracts back into the deck when the car drops back to 25 mph. A clear-coated carbon fiber roof can optionally join that carbon rear wing. There are apparently going to be three 19-inch wheel options, including the ones you see in our live image gallery above.

See the resemblance? This sneaker is inspired by the 2021 Lexus IS

We can all rest easy at night, now that one of the world's great questions — What would a Lexus IS look like if it were a shoe? — has been answered. Lexus has collaborated with streetwear brand RTFKT to make a sneaker inspired by the 2021 Lexus IS. The project is part of a Lexus campaign called "All In" that celebrates people who are passionate about their craft. For the cynical, you can read this as a campaign that uses influencers in non-automotive fields to put the IS in front of a new audience and attract younger customers to the Lexus brand.   RTFKT calls themselves the first sneaker company to spring from the world of gaming. Their footwear leans towards the fanciful and futuristic styles typically found in video games, and a quick glance at their website presents the shoes as digital items of varying rarity that you might find in a game. RTFKT's creative director Chris Le said, “We wanted to make sure when the audience looks at the sneaker they instantly know it is the IS.” We're not so sure about that, though. If it weren't for the Lexus F Sport logo on the side, Lexus badge on the Velcro strap and the model name embossed across on the back, we'd have a hard time guessing it had anything to do with a now-472 hp Japanese sports sedan. RTFKT explains that certain design elements inspired by the car. The chunky sole in black evolved from a tire, for example. The front of the shoe is said to be a version of Lexus's trademark spindle grille (though we're not really seeing it). A 3D-printed carbon fiber-pattern "spoiler" on the back of the sneaker gets closer to the Lexus's actual decklid wing.  The sneaker's sides use the Black NuLuxe material of the car's interior with light gray stitching from the seats. The middle silver stripe was "inspired by the details of the headlights," though given the "L" shape of the "L" DRLs on past Lexus IS sedans we're surprised the collab isn't with Nike. To be fair, the new IS's DRL integration is much more pleasant to look at. Lastly, the Grecian Water blue color, one of the signature paints on the new IS, features throughout the shoe. “All the intricate design elements come together, and at a first glance itÂ’s a neckbreaker,” said RTFKT CEO Steven Zaptio. We are probably in no place to comment the veracity of that statement, but then neither is anyone else. As it turns out, no one will ever wear it, because it's a one-off that will never go on sale. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party.