We've already mentioned that the company has a drag strip behind their main building but that's just the start of the Lone Star Motorsports Park racing facility they hope to build. The first phase of the track is set to be approximately 1.75 miles long with a 1.06-mile second phase and two small connections. The combined long track should have a maximum length of 2.54 miles of racing surface. One of the features they're hoping to build into the track is a separate entrance for celebrities (Nicholas Cage, for instance) who own the extreme cars but don't necessarily want to get hassled in the pits by dudes who totally loved National Treasure.

(also see our tour of Hennessey HQ, Hennessey Challegner SRT600 Exclusive First Look and Weird Hennessey Vehicles)

Mystery Lexus at the Nurburgring Nordschleife from MrBTG on Vimeo.
[BridgeToGantry]

It makes sense, given that there's an Audi A4, BWM 3-series and Mercedes C-Class convertible. Why not an IS?
[Club Lexus via The Passionate Pursuit]

According to the team owner, Lexus was originally planning to enter the GT2 class in 2006. The first race for the Lexus will be the Twelve Hours of Sebring this March 15-18th. Let's just hope they don't drain the battery trying to synch their blackberry's phonebook with the bluetooth memory module. [World Car Fans]

Each engine produces roughly the same power as the other (414 horses for the RS4, 416 for the IS-F), yet it's a totally different scene when you look under the hood. Audi clearly hired some very, very good artists and industrial designers to pretty things up; note the fanatically neat wire looms, the exquisite texturing on the intake runners, the colors selected after weeks of agonizing debate. Meanwhile, when you look at the Lexus' engine compartment, you can tell that the engineers went for pure function and ease of access, with the engineering itself as a design statement (yes, yes, there's a cheap plastic cover slapped on top of the whole mess as an afterthought, but it doesn't count). What at first glance appears to be chaos turns out to be anything but. It's not OSX versus Windows, it's OSX versus Unix. But... which is more beautiful? It's a tough one for me- that Audi intake is a work of art, yet I get the sense it's attempting to hide the fact that one is looking at an engine.

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Why You Shouldn't By This Car:
As hyper-good as the IS-F is, it doesn't electrify the driver the way an Audi RS4 does. The Lexus is like sticking your fork in a 110 volt socket; the Audi, 220. The IS-F jumps through every hoop and excels at every trick, but you just don't feel as much of the car as you should. Logically, I understand paddle shifting and all the benefits contained therein, but emotionally I'm left lusting for a proper manual. You have to open the sunroof to hear the glorious engine and serious hoons hate sunroofs. And forget cracking the window, as an IS design flaw is the blast of wind noise in the ear that accompanies said action. Ugly, fake tail pipes. No one that digs factory tuners cares that you're driving a Lexus.

Suitability Parameters:
Speed Merchants: Yes
Fashion Victims: No
Treehuggers: No
Mack Daddies: No
Tuner Crowd: Yes
Hairdressers: No
Penny Pinchers: No
Euro Snobs: No
Working Stiffs: No
Technogeeks: Yes
Poseurs: Yes
Soccer Moms: No
Nascar Dads: No
Golfing Grandparents: No

Also Consider:
· Audi RS4
· BMW M3
· Cadillac CTS-V
· Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG

Vitals:
· Manufacturer: Lexus
· Model tested: IS-F
· Model year: 2008
· Base Price( est): $59,995
· Price as Tested: n/a
· Engine type: 5.0-liter V8
· Horsepower: 416 hp @ 6,600 rpm
· Torque: 371 lb.-ft. @ 5,200 rpm
· Red line: 6800 rpm
· Transmission: 8-speed "direct shift" automatic
· Curb Weight: 3,774 lbs.
· Tires: Michelin Pilot Sport Cup II
· Drive type: RWD
· 0 - 60 mph: 4.6 Seconds
· 1/4-mile: 13.0 seconds
· Top speed: 170 mph (electronically limited)
· Fuel economy city/highway: 17/23
· NHTSA crash test rating: N/A

[Part 1] [Part2] [Part 3]

Interior Design: ***
The bulk of the cabin is essentially carried over from the lesser IS models. While a nice break from carbon fiber, the weaved aluminum trim is still on the gauche side. Our real gripes are with the seats and the floppy paddle shifters. While the white leather arseholders (Alpine in Lexus speak) are fantasticly comfortable, and an improvement over the base cars' seating, but a vehicle capable of pulling 0.93g requires a lot more bolstering. The paddles are way, way, way too small. I have large hands and I had trouble reaching them. Also, they move with the steering wheel, which is bad for a number of reasons (like if the airbag goes off with your arms crossed, your forearms will be blown through your skull).

Acceleration: *****
As it is, 371 pound-feet of torque makes this puppy fly. When the transmission is in manual mode, you are controlling the shifts; the torque converter only saps power in first gear. Once you click into second, the transmission connects directly to the wheels. Lexus quotes zero-to-60 times of 4.6 seconds. That's fast by any yardstick. We still claim that with the grip of wider wheels, that number would fall. But is there any way 45 mph to 65 mph in 2.2 seconds is not a five-star proposition? Moreover, the IS-F is so bloody fast there's nowhere within a 25-mile radius of Downtown LA where you can drive it hard for longer than 12 seconds. Just to rub it in, this is one of the best sounding engines in the world. V8 brutality at its symphonic best.

Braking: *****
Ninety stars. Kidding! But if I could give those gigantic Brembos six stars I would. I've never experienced better brakes. Nuff said.

Ride: ****
Lexus was trying to sell us that the IS-F's target audience is WRX/STI and EVO owners that are all growed up and looking for something more serious. Well, despite the lack of turbo boost, all-wheel-drive and a manual tranny, one thing familiar is the extra stiff ride. This ain't your rich aunt's Lexus. Now, I happen to love stiff-riding performance propositions (and own a WRX) most of the time. Hence only four stars. Cause if you do go across broken pavement, your teeth will chatter.

Handling: *****
Probably the most surprising aspect of the IS-F is its handling. I mean, who can't built a powerful engine? But making a car dance, well, that's something else entirely. Especially considering how unsporting the IS 350 is compared to a Bimmer or an Infiniti. The IS-F however, eats up turns. There's a touch of on-center slack in the wheel, but once you start turning in, the steering is quite precise. Like, German precise. We'd love more feedback, but then again we'd always love more feedback. The IS-F can take a scary stupid amount of speed into a corner, and get you out safely around the apex.

Gearbox: ***
That's right, just three. Now, please understand that this is the best automatic transmission I've ever experienced. Better even than my former personal favorite, the Mercedes-Benz 7-speed. And the upshifts are indeed blindingly, addictingly, head-whackingly fast. But here's the issue. All the time you gain by the Ferrari-fast cog swapage is lost when the transmission refuses to do what you tell it to. Hitting an apex out of gear is always going to be slower than shifting for yourself. Also, most of the time the automatic throttle-blipping on downshifts is very cool and very much appreciated, but there times when it isn't. At all. Let's say you want to go from sixth to second. With a manual, you can take your foot off the accelerator to drop the revs and plant the stick in second. Done. With the IS-F, you yank on the down paddle four times and have to wait as the revs match and then die down low enough to allow the tranny to shift again. Remember, when you are close to redline, instead of downshifting immediately, the computer double beeps at you and waits for the engine to slow down. Do not like.

And finally, why eight speeds? Lexus reps explained that the eight-speed unit is essentially the same shape and size as the family six-speed. However, at 70 mph in eighth gear, the IS-F's engine is spinning below 2,000 rpm. Case in point, on a spirited 400-mile jaunt back to Los Angeles, I managed 22.3 mpg. If you actually owned this car, that's huge. All in all, I saw a 17 mpg average. Driven exactly as hard, the last year's Audi RS4 returned less than 11 mpg.

Audio/Video: *****
We heart Mark Levinson and all his stereos. Especially the kind Lexus shoves into the IS. The only video is the fish-eyed backup camera that flashes on when you slip into reverse. Very handy.

Toys: ***
Does the backup camera count as a toy? One nice feature is the ability to see your overall mpg and your mpg for a particular tank of gas. The navigation system is decent and female passengers all loved the seat heaters. But my favorite piece of kit is rather silly. When you flip the tranny from D to M, a big fat digital "F" logo pops up between the speedo and tach. That's all it does, but I love it. Also — check the sunroof-delete box. Saves you 55 pounds up top.

Trunk: ****
Pretty big, considering. By the way, if the IS-F's trunk in any way factors into your decision-making process when considering this car, don't bother checking your pulse. You're already dead.

Value: ****
The bleeding-heart liberal that refuses to ever cross a picket line in me simply cannot give a $60,000 luxury sport sedan five stars for value. I just can't. However, if Lexus can keep the sticker price around $60,000 that's a hell of a bargain and would undercut all the IS-F's major competition by nearly $10,000. Also, remember the reason the IS-F produces 416 horsepower is because the new BMW M3 makes 414.

Overall: *****
I walked into this thing with low expectations. In my head, the notions of Lexus and high performance couldn't even park next to each other. Color me impressed. A perfect car? No. There's too much sound insulation. While lighter than the Audi RS4, it's still too fat. While some will be happy with the eight-speed slusher, kids like me will always yearn for the stick. The rear wheels should be wider. The seats need three times as much bolstering. And even if they were real, I'd hate the stacked, offset oval pipes.

Despite all that, the upstart IS-F is a bona fide prizefighter in a very competitive weight class. Brutally fast, challenging yet rewarding to fling around a bend and sporting brakes to simply die for a great car make. And for those of you who don't drive bat-guano style 99% of the time, the Dr. Jeckyll/Mr. Hoon split personality of the IS-F might be just what the doctor ordered. Even if the doctor is actually a chiropractor. Hey, we said it rides rough. And we love it rough.

[Part 1, Part 2] [Part 4]

Let's rewind. Our first day driving the IS-F involved a scenic, albeit congested, drive through Carmel Valley. It was a strained affair. My companion on the morning drive, representing a lifestyle mag, finally and quite forcefully begged me to slow down! So I took the downtime to compare the IS-F's interior to that of its less-tweaked sibling, the IS 350, which I had driven the day before. They seemed identical, save for an absence of air-conditioned seats, radar-guided cruise control and nav system on the IS-F. The seats did feel a tad more snug.

Soon, though, we arrived at Laguna Seca, where we teamed up with Skip Barber instructors. During the first lap we were told to keep the IS-F's VDIM system in Normal mode with the transmission in D. It was tedious. Remember, behind all the fab tech and ultra-lightweight forged aluminum wheels, the IS-F is a Lexus - i.e., a luxury cocoon. Sure, there's a secondary air intake that opens up at 3,600 rpm, making the engine growl. True, we took the back stretch at 8/10ths, but I felt totally isolated from the machinery.

On the next lap, we switched it into Sport mode, began pullin' the paddle shifters and goodbye tedium. While the computers are instructed to ease up on nannying, the best thing about Sport mode is much quicker throttle response that really uncorks the engine. There's still enough electronic interference to prevent Top Gear style drifting. Considering it was my first time attempting Laguna Seca's infamous Corkscrew, that was fine by me.

Once alone with the IS-F, I switched everything off. That added about 30 seconds to my lap time. I was constantly hanging the back end way out. Fun? Hell yeah, but with only 255 tires out back and a propensity to oversteer, I was spending way more time counter-steering (or, more accurately, attempting to) as opposed to getting her straight and whacking the throttle. With so much torque available at all times in all gears, fatter meats would both help handling and launch times. Back with the VDIM in Sport mode, I ripped off about a dozen more laps, trying my hardest to make heads or tails of the ludicrously short-geared transmission. Long track-day story short, with 371 ft-lb of torque, you simply don't need eight gears. Four would be plenty.

The paddles move with the steering wheel, so on the back side of Laguna Seca — where it is turn, turn, turn and turn — I could never find the damn things. The Ferrari/Maserati solution, where huge, never-moving paddles are connected to the column, would make much more sense on the track. One last tranny gripe — if you are too close to redline and pull the down paddle, you hear a double beep which is the computer's way of telling you no. But as the revs eventually slow, it does downshift and blip the throttle, which spins you into the rev limiter, ensuring more beeping, less power and at least in my case, a middle finger aimed at the center tunnel. Lots of swearing, too.

If it sounds like I wasn't exactly smitten with the IS-F on the track, you have good ears. And I wasn't alone. Wes was wandering around the paddock shaking his head no. The rest of us were trying to figure out the difference between third gear and fifth. Yeah, the IS-F did some things real well (straight line speed + stopping), but it just felt out of its element. In fairness to the car though, I can't move on without mentioning the exquisite brakes. On one lap, I actively tried to grenade them, just drop kicking the center peddle again and again and then again. They didn't give an inch. No fade, no drama, no weird over/under-boosted ABS skittishness — no nothing save constant, mega, all-day stopping power.

The next day I woke up early and took an IS-F for a drive through a nature preserve on a private road. Was this even the same car? On the track I felt insulated from the tarmac and confused/frustrated by the technology. But today, the IS-F seemed perfectly paired with the road. The power was satisfyingly overwhelming, and with the sunroof cracked a bit I could hear the mesmerizing, viscous growl of the engine. Suddenly the chassis was composed and nimble, the paddle shifters made total sense and the brakes, well, the brakes were still completely stellar. To underscore how great the IS-F felt, I burned a quarter-tank of gas in 20 miles. I convinced Scotto to drive the same route and after he returned, he stepped out of the car and said, "That road's better than the Nürburgring Nordschleife." And while he agreed with me that the IS-F felt super duper extra great, was it the car, or the Carmel Valley Nordschleife?

Turns out it's the car. I found a not quite as superlative but still challenging stretch of twists and turns in the hills above Berkeley. If my passenger, who squealed and hissed and yelped the entire time, is any indication, the IS-F is a Japanese joy-buzzer. Over the ensuing week I made passengers scream, holler, carsick, beg me to stop and howl with delight and glee. As for me, the driver, I was always in control, pushing it and pushing it harder and harder and never being let down. Not by the engine, the handling or the brakes. The transmission started to make sense and I've even got a callous on my middle finger from ripping the up-paddle. Lexus is practically doing handstands to convince you that the IS-F has legitimate track credentials. Why bother? No 3,774-pound sedan is a good track-day proposition. But, as a back-road carver, no sedan is better.

[Part 1] [Part 3] [Part 4]

That's, uh, me, holding the rubber engine cover. Notice the big "F" badge. Also, Packers: 7-1!

Crazy detail. Just crazy. Kids, don't try to work on this at home. That sound you hear? Danio's head popping.

And oh hell yes, Murilee and I rolled up in a Lexus Prototype at the Altamont Pumpkin Smash. That's just how we roll.

Pull back the engine cover and you're looking at Darth Vader's chest plate, an expansive jumble of wires, black boxes and even more wires. Despite all that, or perhaps because of it, the IS-F gets ultra-low-emissions vehicle (ULEV) status, and won't be slapped with a gas-guzzler penalty. Dig deeper beneath that electrical matrix, and there beats the heart of a brute. It's a 5.0-liter V8 dubbed 2UR-GSE, related to the 4.6-liter 1UR-FSE found in both the GS and the LS. According to company figures, this bored out, free-breathing version of the Lexus family eight-banger puts out 416 gnarly horsepower at 6,600 rpm and cranks out a mighty 371 ft-lb of torque at a fairly lofty 5,200 rpm (though 80% is available at 2,000 rpm).

It's Japanese whiz-bangery to the extreme. Each cylinder gets two fuel injectors, one in the port and one directly in the chamber. The chamber injector is used most of the time, facilitating direct injection, while the low-pressure port injector helps with start-ups in cold weather and to heighten fuel economy under light loads. There's a head scavenge oil pump that ensures lubricant is forced through the engine during hoonatic sideways maneuvers. Likewise, the fuel delivery system uses a similar pump that draws from a sub-tank. There's even a water-cooled oil radiator.

If the IS-F was only a stonkin' engine, we'd have a lot less to talk about. As it is, the car is packed with all sorts of go-faster, hoon-harder kit. Like the eight-speed automatic slushbox that packs a very significant twist. Unlike most other automatics with manual overrides (save dual-clutch setups) there's no stoking the coals and waiting. Activated either by the shift lever or two too-small aluminum paddles, the IS-F's tranny swaps the cogs quickly. Let me restate that. The IS-F's gearbox upshifts in 1/100th of a second. It takes a Ferrari F430 50% longer (150 milliseconds) to accomplish the same task. Yes, this Lexus is capable of upshifting as fast as a 599 GTB. Enjoy banging your passengers' heads on headrests? We've found your sedan. Downshifts are basically as quick, taking 200 milliseconds and are accompanied by an automatic throttle blip to match revs.

Of course, that's in Sport mode. The IS-F actually has three modes. Normal features an especially cruel nanny. Lexus calls this Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM), and it encompasses traction control, stability control, ABS, brake assist, electric brake force distribution, engine torque and the brake-based electronic limited-slip differential that can apply brake and throttle at the same time. In Normal mode, any aggressive movement is interpreted as naughty. As a result the orange idiot light flickers almost constantly. Worse, Normal mode retards the throttle response and overboosts the power steering. Lexus could have just called Normal chill-out mode. Or better yet, Lexus mode.

However, in Sport mode, not only is the throttle response dialed way up and the dual-mode power steering turned down, but if the transmission is left in drive, revs are held right up to redline. Moreover, the VDIM is dialed back to allow for more fun, something engineers call a "higher dynamic threshold," yet enough computer processing takes place to save one's bacon if the IS-F is pushed too far. If you like, you can actually switch everything off leaving only the electronic limited-slip diff and ABS to keep you out of the weeds. But with so much grunt available at all times and a back that's happy to break loose, I found Sport mode the smartest choice.

Brakes are Brembo-supplied and include huge 14.2 inchers up front, 13.6 out back. They're cross-drilled, vented, and even adorned with a Lexus brand. The front calipers contain six pistons of three different sizes. The rears are two-pistoners. The brakes are more than just fade free; they seem to get stronger the harder you stomp them. The suspension is closer to that of stock IS 350 than any other part of the car. Still, the front springs and shocks are 90 percent stiffer while the rear end rates are 50 percent more solid.

Lexus could have used lighter aluminum components and totally reworked the chassis the way BMW's M division does, but they didn't. That said, the IS-F comes in at an acceptable for the class 3,774 lbs. 0-60 takes a factory claimed 4.6 seconds, the quarter mile is over in 13 flat and the top speed is limited to 170 mph. Though, without the governor, the IS-F will do 186 mph. Lexus claims the IS-F was developed on no less than six racetracks, including the Nürburgring, Laguna Seca and Fuji Speedway. Perhaps keeping the suspension relatively stock is how the IS-F will undercut the competition. Lexus wouldn't give us a specific number, but their new wannabe giant-killer will likely zoom out of showrooms for right around $60,000.

Does all this tech, power and purported sportiness come together and form a winning package? We'll see you back here tomorrow.

[Part 2] [Part 3] [Part 4]

Press Release:
I'm Dreaming of a Fast Christmas
Lexus creates the Neiman Marcus IS F Special Build Sedan for Neiman Marcus' 2007 Christmas Book
10/02/2007

Torrance CA - October 2, 2007 - The holidays are right around the corner and what better way to ring them in than with the ultimate holiday gift? The Neiman Marcus 2008 Lexus IS F Special Build Sedan debuts as this year's fantasy car in the renowned Neiman Marcus Christmas Book, the upscale retailer's wish book featuring the most luxurious gifts for the holidays.

The IS F is the fastest production car Lexus has ever built...so fast that the Neiman Marcus Special Build Sedan includes a personalized half-day of pro-driver training compliments of the Skip Barber Racing School. Owners will have the chance to take the high-performance vehicle to the limit¾learning real racing skills and experiencing what the IS F can do on and off the road.

Delivering more than 400 horsepower from its 5.0-liter V8, the IS F can go from 0 to 60 in under 4.9 seconds. It has the world's first eight-speed Sport Direct Shift gearbox and a specially engineered Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system featuring a high-performance sport mode. If the heart-pounding power and speed aren't enough, the Mark Levinson® state-of-the-art CD/DVD Premium Surround Sound Audio System with navigation and Bluetooth® technology will surely get the blood pumping.

Only 50 Neiman Marcus IS F special build sedans will be made. These limited edition vehicles will be among the very first IS Fs off the line and have an exclusive interior design of high-style black with white accent stitching. Each will feature a unique steering wheel with white leather accents, front headrests embossed with an F logo, hand-polished finish on the wheels and a sequentially numbered Special Build badge.

To place orders, customers may call toll free 1.888.747.4504, beginning at noon EDT on Oct. 18, 2007. This Neiman Marcus edition is offered exclusively in the Christmas Book and is priced at $68,000.**

About Lexus
Lexus has become synonymous with luxury since its introduction in 1989. By offering some of the finest quality luxury vehicles and providing benchmark customer service, Lexus has remained the top-selling luxury nameplate in the United States for seven years in a row. Lexus and its 223 dealers have repeatedly achieved high honors for both the products they sell and the customer service they provide.

About the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book
For millions, the annual launch of the Christmas Book has become the official start of the holiday season. First published in 1926 as a 16-page booklet, the Neiman Marcus Christmas Book was initially intended as a Christmas card to the store's best customers. Building on tradition through the years, the book has maintained its personal touch while evolving into a legendary source for alluring and mystical gifts.

If brakes were shoes, Italy's Brembo would be Bruno Magli. (Well, considering there's already a shoe element to brakes, substitute "handbag" for "shoes" and Prada for Bruno Magli. Now go.) Sure, they're quality stoppers, but they're also the best-branded specimens on the market. And Lexus knows it. So it's no surprise Brembo's gotten the contract to provide brakes for the upcoming Lexus IS-F, according to Automotive News. The contract means the production model of the IS-F will get the same clinchers as the IS-F Concept unveiled at the Detroit show this year. It's as obvious a choice for the Lexus F sports line as would be Riddell helmets for the NFL or Matfer baking sheets for the CIA (no, the other CIA). That's because Brembos are already found in the Subaru WRX STi, Mitsubishi Evo, Dodge SRT-8, Audi A8 and Cadillac STS-V. And since the deal's with Toyota, they'll probably end up in ToMoCo's high-end supercar, destined for early next century. – Mike Spinelli

Related:
Detroit Auto Show: Lexus IS-F In the Flesh [internal]

Our boy Bumbeck stuffed his meaty elbows into journo mugs all morning to nab some shots of the Lexus IS-F, as the company sent it into the entry-supercar ether. Set to arrive in early 2008, the 400+ hp, 5.0-liter V8-powered miniLex will get those Brembos (cross drilled) after all, along with 19" alloys and engine-oil and transmission-fluid coolers and a cylinder head-scavenging oil pump for high g-force driving. No word on price, but we hear ~$50,000 and a pair of Red Sox tickets.

Press Release:

IS-F Performance Sedan
Much of the development of the new IS-F took place at Fuji Speedway and the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Japan. The IS-F is based on the proven rear-wheel-drive Lexus IS, which is equipped with a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension. As well as the IS performs, Lexus engineers demanded much more of the all-new IS-F. The result is a performance tuned 5.0-liter V8 engine, topped with specially engineered heads fed by a two-stage intake system, that produces 400-plus horsepower and more than 350 ft.-lbs. of torque. The all-new IS-F is equipped with engine-oil and transmission-fluid coolers for high-speed performance and a cylinder head-scavenging oil pump for high g-force driving.

The IS-F engine is mated to the world's first eight-speed direct sport-shift transmission. A new torque-converter lock-up control was developed that allows for a direct, crisp gear change through the constant lock-up of the torque converter in second through eighth gears. In Drive mode, the IS-F transmission performs with great smoothness, and the torque converter allows for great launch ability for fast standing-start acceleration that will register a zero-to-60 time in less than 4.9 seconds.

This unique transmission also features an advanced Manual mode. A pair of paddles located within a fingertip's reach behind the steering wheel enables the driver to make ultra-fast up-shift gear changes within a tenth of a second. Downshifts are accompanied by automated and incredibly precise throttle blips to match engine RPM to vehicle speed.

The impressive acceleration achieved by the IS-F requires it be equipped with heavy-duty Brembo brakes designed to the specifications of the Lexus engineering team. Huge, 14.2-inch cross-drilled front discs are gripped by rigid, powerful six-piston aluminum calipers, while 13.6-inch rear cross-drilled discs feature two-piston calipers. High-friction brake pads are equipped on all four wheels. The brakes are finished with the Lexus name displayed on the calipers, a first for a Lexus production vehicle.

The IS-F features custom-designed 19-inch forged alloy wheels as standard. The wheels were built to Lexus specifications by BBS and are surrounded by high-performance sport tires.

The attention to performance also extends to a modified suspension that lowers the entire car by more than a half-inch when compared to the base IS, and one full inch when compared to IS models equipped with 18-inch wheels. This specially modified suspension allows for an exciting and energetic drive, whether on a race track or the streets.

The IS-F features an all-new three-mode version of Lexus' Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system. In addition to the Normal mode, the new VDIM features a Sport mode that allows the driver to push the car even further before its braking-, throttle- and steering-control systems kick in. The third VDIM system mode is Off, which allows the driver to push the IS-F to its ultimate level of handling performance.

The attention to performance is complemented by modified styling cues that differentiate the IS-F from the standard IS. Lexus engineers provided the IS-F with a dual-exhaust system and quad-tail pipes, wider front fenders, and a larger grille and rear spoiler. Both the hood and lower intake were enlarged to accommodate and cool the V8 engine.

Like the exterior, the interior of the IS-F receives unique styling with aluminized composite trim and special surface treatments. The instrument panel includes an oil-temperature gauge and shift indicator-lights, while the "F" logo is showcased on the steering wheel and rear-center console.

In addition to the usual Lexus standards of comfort and convenience, the interior of the IS-F features specially shaped and trimmed seats, which hold the driver comfortably and securely in place. The special sport seats are available in black or a unique high-contrast white and black trim.

"The intent of creating the IS-F was not to be a competitor to other performance-sport sedans," said Carter. "Rather, the goal was to create a true performance sedan in a uniquely Lexus way-one that is totally authentic with a unique interpretation of raw driving thrill at all speeds and provides a whole new definition of 'usable power.'"

The IS-F will arrive at Lexus dealerships in early 2008.

Related:
Detroit Auto Show: Lexus IS-F Hits Early [internal]

It's still a couple hours before Lexus's press event to launch the mondo IS-F, and Automobile's gone and posted the shots and info (guess it helps to have a friend signing the checks). But the vitals on the BMW M3 / Audi RS4 challenger are decent — the 5.0-liter V8 will produce more than 400 hp (still no exact number yet) and 350 lb-ft or torque. But the major bit is the eight-speed tranny lifted from the LS460, with paddle shifters. Official zero-to-60 time is listed as under 4.9 seconds, and brakes are 14.2-inch six pots in the front and 13.6 two pots in the rear (though no word on the rumored Brembo-sourced action.) More to come.

Related:
The Lexus IS-F, in Glimpse Mode [internal]

Too bad we don't have CSI's supercomputer that de-pixelates low-res imagery into super high-res, which the agency relies on to facilitate awkward plot twists. Then we'd get a more accurate picture of the upcoming Lexus IS-F M3 fighter, due for unveiling next week in Detroit. Motor Authority clipped the shots not from some obscure BBS emanating from the Montenegro countryside, but from one of Lexus's own online ads. According to MA, the ad confirms the IS-F's ~400 hp, 5.0-liter V8 and a zero-to-62 mph time of under five seconds. The question is, will this blurry shot be all we see of the IS-F(ast) on the road? – Mike Spinelli

Lexus IS-F images leaked! [Motor Authority]

Related:
Spec'ing The New Lexus IS-F [internal]

Related:
F Lexus: Toyota Brand's New Performance Letter [internal]