[TheAcAvenger]

"We don't plan to wait that long to drive the IS F again. Memo to comparo-test coordinator: Bring on the M3."

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...s_f/index.html



First Test: 2008 Lexus IS F
Naughty by nature: Polite, upstanding Lexus uses the F word


By Arthur St. Antoine
Photography by Julia LaPalme


"What does the "F" in the name of this new four-door, 416-horse velocityraptor from Lexus stand for? Company boss Jim Farley doesn't much care. "Maybe 'Fuji,' our racetrack," he says (the F logo is shaped like Turn One). "Or 'Circle-F' [the original code name for Lexus Division]. Or 'Flagship.'"

Allow us to offer a suggestion, Jim: "Fenomenal."

Based on the platform that underpins the IS 250 and IS 350 sport sedans, the IS F is a carbon-spewing, tire-vaporizing mutant, the gentrified Lexus family's black sheep (and you know how much fun black sheep can be). Given Lexus's carefully cultivated reputation for civility, the rip-snorting IS F shouldn't even be here. And yet, by sheer force of will (see sidebar), it is. Lucky us.

For sure, nothing else in the Lexus stable has the IS F's street-bruiser look. Two inches wider up front than the IS 350, the F also sports a larger grille (improved engine cooling), fat brake ducts in the front air dam, 19-inch, dark-gray BBS forged-alloy wheels, quad tailpipes in a dual stacked array, and a pronounced hood bulge that hints of something menacing lurking underneath.

It's in there. The engine, based on the direct-injection 5.0-liter V-8 that serves in the LS 600hL, was codeveloped by Yamaha; it's upgraded with new high-flow heads, hollow cams, a head-scavenge oil pump (to help maintain even lubrication during high-g loads), titanium intake valves, a dual-inlet air intake (the second intake opens at 3600 rpm for enhanced high-rpm breathing), and other performance goodies. The net result is 416 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 371 pound-feet of torque at 5200.

The IS F doesn't offer a manual transmission--and nobody's going to complain. Instead, standard is an eight-speed automatic with manual mode and paddle shifters. While the transmission uses a conventional torque converter in first gear, in manual mode the lock-up clutch remains engaged from second through eighth, directly connecting the engine's output to the rear wheels (lift off the gas, and the engine compression is immediate, as with a conventional manual transmission). Adding to the "manual" feel is ultra-fast shifting; Lexus claims the tranny can change gears in just 100 milliseconds--as quick as the Ferrari F430's F1 box.

From the company that's synonymous with a cloudlike ride comes a suspension that's as cushy as a manhole cover. Front spring and shock rates are up 90 percent; the rear rates have climbed 50 percent. Larger anti-roll bars front and back minimize body roll even more, as does a ride height lowered about an inch. Inside the huge forged-alloy wheels (said to be 40 percent lighter than cast-aluminum wheels of the same size) lie six-piston Brembo brakes up front (the vented and drilled discs are an inch larger than the IS 350's) and two-piston vented and drilled Brembo rotors (up 1.4 inches) at the rear.

If by now you think Lexus has forgotten everything it knows about coddling its buyers, the cockpit will immediately put your mind at ease. It's a racy place--shift paddles behind the wheel, four deeply bolstered sport bucket seats, oil-temp gauge, aluminized composite trim--yet it's still very Lexus. All the typical amenities are standard or available, including heated seats, navigation, Mark Levinson surround-sound audio, and radar-guided cruise. Our tester also featured the optional (and gorgeous) high-contrast interior, with dramatic white-on-black leather.

Acknowledging that their new IS F offers higher-performance limits than any public road can handle, the Lexus team unveiled their new black sheep at Laguna Seca racetrack. There, it took about, oh, two or three turns to realize the Nrburgring-tuned IS F is going to make serious trouble for the likes of the new BMW M3, the Audi RS4, and the Mercedes C63 AMG. The car is, quite simply, a monster: Acceleration is brutal, the brakes are wicked-strong, and handling grip is immense (a Sport mode for Lexus's VDIM stability-control system increases steering weight, boosts throttle response, and allows the tail to step out usefully before the electronics step in; Lexus says Sport produces faster lap times than switching off the system altogether). You could easily convince yourself you're driving a track car. The engine note completes the illusion. Given that Toyota runs its own F1 team, you expect the V-8 to scream like Jarno Trulli's single-seater. Wrong series. Instead, the IS F bellows like a Nextel Cup Toyota Camry (redline is a relatively low 6800 rpm).

Back in L.A., senior editor Kiino grabbed the keys and came back from a sprint through his favorite canyons all but frothing at the mouth: "This may be the best Japanese car I've ever driven! Under normal driving, the 5.0 feels like a typical Lexus V-8--super smooth and quiet--yet stomp on it and all of a sudden it's like there's a honkin' Hemi on-board--one that got its Ph.D. at the University of NVH. Shift speed is remarkable--feels like a DSG. And you can flog the suspension and it never gets upset. This car is a riot."

The test gear confirmed our giddiness. The IS F blazes to 60 mph in just 4.7 seconds and stops from the same speed in only 106 feet. It'll also churn up a nice, warm, vibraty feeling all through your gutty-works: Max grip is 0.91 g. Got a long driveway? Top speed is electronically limited to 168 mph, making the IS F the fastest Lexus ever.



How much? Lexus won't say yet, but there's a special Neiman Marcus Edition IS F set to make its debut soon for $68,000. Subtract $5000 for the N-M edition's included Skip Barber Racing School package, and another couple thou for some special goodies on that car, and you're probably looking at a base sticker of around $60K when the IS F goes on sale in late February or early March.

We don't plan to wait that long to drive the IS F again. Memo to comparo-test coordinator: Bring on the M3.


F Troop

Lexus didn't want the IS F. Yukihiko Yaguchi, formerly in charge of brand strategy at Japan's Lexus Center, did. Though Lexus was already producing world-class luxury sedans and several impressive sporting cars, Yaguchi dreamed of a Lexus that would run with BMW's M, Benz's AMG, Audi's RS Quattro division. He pushed his idea to the conservative higher-ups--and won. Like that, he became chief engineer, Lexus IS F.

"Most chief engineers have development teams of between 1000 and 1500 members," the quiet, unassuming Yaguchi says. "I had 200 to 300." But like Kelly Johnson's famed Skunk Works team at Lockheed, whose skeleton crew designed such ground-breaking aircraft as the SR-71 Blackbird, Yaguchi's enthusiastic F troops often worked on the IS F on their own clocks. Yaguchi enlisted the help of long-time friend Takaai Kimura, senior officer at Yamaha, to develop the IS F's engine and borrowed engineers at Toyota Technocraft (which builds everything from police vehicles to race cars) to design the chassis.

"The luxury market is going to change dramatically in the next decade," says Lexus general manager Jim Farley. "In six years, 50 percent of our buyers will be 30 to 40 years old. The IS F is an experiment for us. I don't know if it'll steal buyers from BMW and Mercedes, but we've learned that prestige buyers like to be surprised. If the IS F does well [Lexus hopes to sell 200-300 cars per month], you might well see a wider application of F-branded cars."

"In Japanese," Yaguchi says, "'go' is a word that used to describe a large ship, moving forward and unstoppable." No wonder, then, that this radical new Lexus owes its existence to a team nicknamed "Yaguchi-Go.""


Specs are on page 3 of that link.



I don't usually put too much stock in motor trend, but you can feel the excitement in the article. At 60k it's a steal compared to the RS4 or the M3.(granted, lexuses come just as poorly equipped standard as our cars do. Loaded, I wouldn't be surprised if the RS4 came out to be least expensive)

Either way, it's a great time to have a heavy foot.

[herbz]

seems impressive, i've heard 0-60 in low 4's. should be a good comparo.

[Year's_End]

Can't put a price tag on fugliness.

Should be a performer though...

[alidmx]

Is it true that it won't be available world wide?

I've heard they won't be selling it in the middle east.

[NYCGarbagePrince]

haha another car to add to the collection in my rear view mirror..

[A418t81]

Only dyno'ed 330 whp. I predict 108-109 mph traps.

[!Xoible]

well when ur ugly ur ugly... the F word wont change that either

[F32Fleet]

WOW...

[Neema]

i dont pay ANY attention to what the losers and **** at motor trend or car and driver have to say anymore. They dont know what they're talking bout. Im not talking about their review of the IS-F, I mean in general. With lines like "The IS F doesn't offer a manual transmission--and nobody's going to complain," shows you how serious I take these clowns.

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Boost_Nation

i dont pay ANY attention to what the losers and **** at motor trend or car and driver have to say anymore. They dont know what they're talking bout. Im not talking about their review of the IS-F, I mean in general. With lines like "The IS F doesn't offer a manual transmission--and nobody's going to complain," shows you how serious I take these clowns.

Well, their argument holds water. I think that you are taking their comment too literally. Sure, there will be people who complain, but with the manual transmission buyers being a smaller percentage than automatic buyers, and with people increasingly moving towards auto-manu-matics (..DCT, DSG, etc. etc.), it isn't surprising that journalists maintain such a position.

[NaViT]

How much does it weight again? i didnt see it no where

[Neema]

Originally Posted by Sedan_Clan

Well, their argument holds water. I think that you are taking their comment too literally. Sure, there will be people who complain, but with the manual transmission buyers being a smaller percentage than automatic buyers, and with people increasingly moving towards auto-manu-matics (..DCT, DSG, etc. etc.), it isn't surprising that journalists maintain such a position.

what qualifies a person to be a "tester" for these lame magazines anyway? Personally, I prefer my reviews to come from Top Gear, Fifth Gear, and Speed Channel's "Speed Test Drive of the ------."

[ssjLancer]

...

[Sedan_Clan]

Originally Posted by Boost_Nation

what qualifies a person to be a "tester" for these lame magazines anyway? Personally, I prefer my reviews to come from Top Gear, Fifth Gear, and Speed Channel's "Speed Test Drive of the ------."

Well, you have to remember that, at least where MT is concerned, those guys have decades of industry experience (...as I'd assume most other auto rag reviewers/testers do). Your guess is as good as mine with regards to the "requirements" involved with maintaining such a position. Everybody has their preference as to who they find the most credible.

[e92phreak]

For that price, for a Japanese car, I'd rather get the new Skyline GT-R.

[Year's_End]

Alright, I'm gonna go ahead and say it: Lexus is the one brand I have a bias against. It's not a heavy bias, but there's something about them I don't like. I will admit that they're the best at making luxurious people movers, but I just don't see any passion in their work. Everything seems so...I dunno...I can't really describe it.

I just can't see Lexus having a sports-tuner division. Thing is, I'm sure that the next generation of the IS-F (and GS-F) will most likely be top notch, as is the history with Toyota and Lexus. They have the money to drop on stuff like this, and it's only a matter of time until they're considered equal with the likes of the M/AMG/RS divisions.

[F32Fleet]

Originally Posted by Bimmer Loyalist

but I just don't see any passion in their work. Everything seems so...I dunno...I can't really describe it.
.

They're not really innovators, but instead make vast improvements on what has already been done?

[shragon]

Originally Posted by ssjLancer

...

here's a pic 18llc took at taste of lexus - alameda, ca:

[Neema]

wow, i cant stand exhuasts that have tips that have NOTHING to do with the inlet pipe sizing and that arent aligned. Such as those dual Porsche 996 Turbo tail pipes that have two round tips but one actual exhuast outlet inbetween the two. Nothing lamer then that. If your going to have tips, the least you cant do is integrate the outlet piping with the tips. If this doesnt makes sense to you guys, then ask me to post some pics of what i mean.

[shragon]

even though that exhaust set up is stock on the is-f, it looks so cheap imho. i can see all the ricers at HIN trying to mimic the style now.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by Boost_Nation

wow, i cant stand exhuasts that have tips that have NOTHING to do with the inlet pipe sizing and that arent aligned. Such as those dual Porsche 996 Turbo tail pipes that have two round tips but one actual exhuast outlet inbetween the two. Nothing lamer then that. If your going to have tips, the least you cant do is integrate the outlet piping with the tips. If this doesnt makes sense to you guys, then ask me to post some pics of what i mean.

Lexus also does this with the LS series.

[Year's_End]

Originally Posted by Socom

They're not really innovators, but instead make vast improvements on what has already been done?

tbh, that's what I don't like about them. They're so unoriginal. I think it had to do with me being a Benz-only guy when I was growing up. My friend's family has had Benzes for the longest of time, and they're Benz fanatics. My friend is the one that introduced me to cars, so Benzes were naturally the first brand I favored. His hatred of Lexus also passed on to me. He really didn't like how Lexus blatantly copied MB's styling (to the point where Lexus was sued by Benz for the seat adjusters...Benz won).

So I guess my bias is just deeply-rooted from the start. It really has been fading away as I no longer hold any one brand over the other (well...I hold BMW slightly higher...not saying they're better...I just like 'em more).

It's a complicated subject lol