Lexus IS-F : Lexus IS-F, Road and Track Test Drive

***UPDATE*** Now the review includes a 8 Minutes Video on Road and Track at the Fuji SpeedWay, Enjoy

Lexus, as the premium car manufacturer of giant Toyota has always been chasing down the big dogs of the automotive market, especially those 3 coming from Germany that the whole world knows and respects. In 2005, Lexus brought a new “IS” to the table, rocking a new design and mechanical parts to go against the BMW 3 series and the likes…the IS250 and IS350 proved to be excellent cars but something was still missing…a high performance version to compete with the M3 or C63 AMG from Mercedes Benz. Lexus has finally done it and their car is the IS-F.

The letter F stands for Fuji (Speedway) and now represents the high performance vehicles coming out of the Lexus plants. A Lexus F means business and we start with the IS. The Germans have now all gone V8 so it's no surprise to see the Japanese go the same way, a perfect choice in terms of image and driving pleasure…under the bonnet of the IS-F lies a 5.0 liter V8 producing 416HP (423PS) coupled to the first ever 8 speed gearbox.

Headlines :
5.0 liter (303.2 cu. in.) V8 (90-degree with aluminum block and cylinder heads)
416HP, 505Nm (371lb) , RWD
4.66m , 1690kg
8-Speed Sport Direct Shift automatic with paddle shifters and Manual mode (world premiere)
0-100 : 4.6s (Lexus)
Top speed electronically limited to 270km/h or 170mp/h



Lexus IS-F, HDTV
(WMV9HD 720p Direct Download "Right click, Save as…")
Music From www.Goodness.nu
Coppenungler by COPPE

Design/Interior :
The IS-F needed a couple tweaks to differentiate itself from the rest of the IS fleet, it is then equipped with a new aero treatment in the form of unique body parts (front/rear/sides/bonnet). The whole thing looks classy and pretty with a bonus point granted for the original quad pipes vertical exhaust and unique BBS 19" rims. The tires come from Bridgestone (Potenza) or Michelin (Pilot Sport PS2) and both were built to IS F spec.

The interior is pretty similar to what a top end IS would give you, just add some “F” and other things and you’ll feel right at home. Needless to say that the overall quality is excellent. Style, elegance and dynamism.

On the road :
The Lexus IS-F is the perfect example of a very quick car being very easy to drive. The reasons come, as always, from a great chassis including double wishbone suspensions (front), monotube gas-filled shock absorbers, large-diameter hollow stabilizer bar, Brembo brakes and more…but also enough electronics to put your PC to shame. ABS (Anti-Lock Brakes), EBD (Electronic Brake Distribution), EPS (Electric Power Steering) and VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) make sure you get the best from the machine in any given situation. It may even be TOO easy at times and we kind of missed some extra bestiality…the main problem actually comes from the automatic gearbox which, as technologically advanced as it is, doesn’t suit the car very well when you want to go fast.

That’s probably the biggest difference with the hardly controllable but very enjoyable E92 M3.
The Lexus IS-F stands out with an excellent price/performance/safety ratio.

On the race track :
Lexus gave us the opportunity to get on board the IS-F with a professional Super GT (GT300) driver, mister Yamashita Junichiro, around the Fuji Speedway circuit. With a 400+Hp V8 and so much electronics working underneath the car, there was a lot to expect and the result was not as impressive as we imagined.

The thing is that the VDIM, once on a race track, prevents you (or the driver) to push the car to its limits.
A lot of safety equipment had to be deactivated before the test drive and that’s something you won’t be able to do unless you want to lose the warranty. Next problem, the gearbox, if you’ve watched the video already you have probably heard many *beeps*, well that’s the gearbox saying “no can do”. That’s another point where the M3 from BMW would probably win as well.

Plus:
Comfort
Overall performance
Design
Reliability
Safety

Minus:
No bestiality
Gearbox

Conclusion:
We had the M3 not so long ago for ManualGear.com and the BMW was in our head during the test drive of this IS-F, after all, it is clearly Lexus’s main target with this new machine and…if we had to choose between the 2 we’d probably go for…the IS-F. The Lexus may not offer the same adrenalin rush as the M3 but he combination of luxury, comfort, style, performance and safety makes it a very good choice for whoever is searching for a four-passenger luxury sport sedan.

Posted on 21/06/08 By G-A.G