Lexus IS-F, Part 1 - Jalopnik Comments

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Trackback — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:04:48 EDT

Nearly every time I turn in a review I get Farago hounding me that it's not manic and passionate as the RS4 review I wrote way back when.

Trackback

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

morford — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 19:39:15 EST

Check this out. With this mod you can take the vertical tips off and add probably 100 bhp to the IS-F.

[www.angelfire.com]

I'll be hoonin' Rodeo on my pimpin' white seats. Take notice Teutonic trio!

morford

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Excelsior88 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 17:37:22 EST

The exhausts are real on the actual production models.

Excelsior88

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Excelsior88 — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 16:38:38 EST

Just to clarify, the exhaust tips are real. Edmunds drove a preproduction one. Autospies drove a later model and the exhaust tips are fully functional and connected:

[www.autospies.com]

Excelsior88

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

brisance — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 23:13:35 EST

>>The IS-F's gearbox upshifts in 1/100th of a second. It takes a Ferrari F430 1/150th of a second 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 1/200th of a second and are accompanied by an automatic throttle blip to match revs.<<

Is this a mistake? 1/100th of a second is 10 milliseconds. The 599 upshifts in 100 milliseconds or 1/10th of a second. So if it upshifts as fast as a 599 then it should be 1/10th of a second and not 1/100th of a second. The DSG gearbox upshifts at 6 milliseconds or 6/1000th of a second.

And downshifts are not "basically as quick" if they are 2x faster (1/200th of a second), which is 5 milliseconds. I don't know how responsive that engine is, but 5 milliseconds to rev match AND downshift seems to be beyond even current F1 technology.

brisance

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

morford — Tue, 06 Nov 2007 11:17:33 EST

Lexus and "sport" do not mesh well together. Toyota has a racing heritage; perhaps the IS-F should be rebadged as a Celica or would that hurt marketing efforts in the US?

I do think the stacked exhast will have great appeal to the coffee can enthusiasts. BTW, for this kind of money the car should have driver's side Shiatsu and the ability to park itself. How many reverse gears does it have?

morford

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Miater — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:29:42 EST

I think it is really ugly... looks like a 15 year old Camry drivers dream.
The thing about lexus is that it is always too shiney and never in very good taste.
Those wheels are hideous why black??, the bumper and fenders look like something from the Nopi show, and the white leather is something a 80's drug dealer would have. It is a ugly car and really lacks any soul or consistant design language, I think the prius makes more sense visually then this car.

Miater

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

MR2Tyler — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 22:12:30 EST

I sure don't get it. If it had a 6- or 7-speed manual and a little more sedan body, I'd be very excited.

By the way, what's with all the Lexus hate? I know most of their product line is pretty icky, but what about the IS300? That was a pretty fair amount of go for the money.

MR2Tyler

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

burglar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:28:48 EST

So who is this car for? Young single hipster professionals who don't want a 335i like all their friends, and who's parents never taught them how to drive a proper manual?

burglar

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

my favorite car is a motorcycle — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 20:14:28 EST

Professional test drivers seem to agree that the IS-F is the best vehicle Lexus has ever produced; and in the hands of the right driver, it will outrun any other stock street-legal compact sedan.

Then these test drivers get in their M3's and RS4's and drive home for the day, and off record they say that they won't be trading in their sedan for the IS-F anytime soon. It's not that they dislike the IS-F, but for various nitpicky little reasons, they don't seem to like it as much as their personal German favorite. Perhaps it's fanboy bias in some cases, sure. However, it strikes me that this Lexus is a track car more than a road car, and my guess is that prospective buyers might find they don't like the IS-F's position on the "balance" between civility and sharpness.

Don't just dismiss the word "balance" out of hand. Consider this: Jeremy Clarkson is on record for saying that he didn't particularly enjoy driving the McLaren F1 despite the fact that it remains superior in every meaningful measure to almost everything else on the road, while being versatile and docile enough for daily use. As balanced as that car was, it still didn't strike it right in Clarkson's view. Too sharp-edged for all-day motoring on real roads.

I suspect that the go-fast technology and the undercutting pricetag of the IS-F also won't be enough to persuade autobahn enthusiasts to choose it over their German sedans. The IS-F will definitely appeal to the growing legions of rich kids that have outgrown their first rice racers, but probably not to those who want both comfort and autobahn performance in the same package, wrapped in a suit that doesn't look like a Camry with tighter shrink wrap.

my favorite car is a motorcycle

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Stormin — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:28:46 EST

WOW...I'd say more butt, I have to go and change my jeans.

Stormin

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 18:06:12 EST

@peakay: Sorry -- the VDIM system has three mode

Normal
Sport
Off

Only Sport effects the tranny, though you can be in Sport and turn the VDIM off, so you still have heavier steering and faster throttle.

Make sense?

Jonny Lieberman

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

peakay — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:59:18 EST

Also, $60k for this?!? C'mown.

peakay

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

peakay — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:58:40 EST

Jonny, what is the 3rd tranny mode? A codger mode (normal) and redline mode (sport) doesn't sound like enough choices. We turn off sport mode at the BMW schools since the quick throttle response really just makes it more difficult to apply the power correctly.

peakay

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

NovaloadMissesPolar — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:50:24 EST

This is the first time I've really savored the details of a lexus. But then everybody started hatin' on it.
As for overpriced, some wise guy riffed on "This is not your father's Oldsmobile" slogan with "Yeah, when my old man had $25,000 grand in his pocket, he bought a house." Tempus f-word fugit, jack.

NovaloadMissesPolar

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

bananaDoc — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:45:03 EST

Sorry all, but toy-filled uber luxobarge that morphs into a respectable gofast boy racer sounds pretty good to me. I will wait for the convertible however....

bananaDoc

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Fly I-80 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 17:44:13 EST

@rlj676: Look, I would prefer a 335, absolutely, and you are right that the 335 would be a viable competitor to this car if this car is $60k and those two cars were the entire feasible set. Duly noted.

That said, this car also has characteristics that compare quite favorably to the M3, RS4 and C63, and for less. I rip on Lexus because their customers are people who overpay for simple reliability, but this car actually costs less than the C63, M3 and RS4 but performs similarly in some key ways that deserve attention. It's a unusual place to find a Lexus. Usually they cost the same as quality European cars but perform embarassingly.

Fly I-80

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

JohnnyWagon — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:46:56 EST

@Rust-MyEnemy: Grow up? NEVER!

Now if they brought back the IS SportCross in this bodystyle, then maybe i'd consider it. (Growing up, that is...)

/37 y/o WRX Wagon owner.

JohnnyWagon

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Jonny Lieberman — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:42:50 EST

Just to clarify the "fake" exhaust tips.

If you crawl under the car, you see four exhaust pipes. The oval rings at the back are what Lexus is calling "Sound Resonators." Lexus swears that they are only there to improve the engine note.

Yes, you can place your hand between the real pips and the "resonators."

What do I think? Wait until Part 3....

Jonny Lieberman

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Seth L — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 16:33:34 EST

Really looking forward to the rest of the series, and that white leather is making my eyes blurr, just about as much as the performance numbers (How soon will hoons have these things clocking sub 4-second 0-60 runs?)

Only gripe, where's the rest of the promised IS line? Coupe, Convertible, and Wagon?

Seth L

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

rlj676 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:40:07 EST

@Fly I-80:

There are fake exhaust tips, check inside line I think for a pic of a guy sticking his hand up throught the bottom one, as it's connected nowhere.

This thing has the hp, but it still doesn't move how I would think. I would gladly save my money on a 335I every day. It wouldn't take to much to get it running with this anwyays.

rlj676

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

superbmtsub — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:26:58 EST

The IS-F hits all the right notes for me EXCEPT the rear part. The butt's too tall for my liking and the exhaust has to be worked out. Make it angular (2x2) or just 2 giant exhaust outlets instead of the current setup.

superbmtsub

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Bowler Hat — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:24:01 EST

My opinion is that it's gonna wow everyone but not displace the Teutonic Three. Sure I have no doubts the IS-F is gonna be awesome, but the latest generation of performance sedans is just so over-the-top that i doubt it'll achieve a solid victory in any regard.

Bowler Hat

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Fly I-80 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 15:15:37 EST

As one of the biggest Lexus haters on this site, I'll say this: if it comes in with the figures they quoted:

* 0-60 in 4.6
* the 1/4 is so-so but the top speed is awesome
* the weight stays at 3774 (it says something about how bloated the competition is that this is acceptable)
* they don't water down the suspension
* that transmission proves to be reliable (cough)
* the price is actually $60k
* there are no fake exhaust tips or anything like that

Then for the first time ever Lexus has my attention. I'm not going to buy one, but it bumps the CTS-V from the list of cars that I'll pretend to think about but would never really buy.

Fly I-80

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

TheGuinnessTooth — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 14:24:41 EST

best looking (or is that least bad looking?) lexus ever, now with 8 gears. bfd!

TheGuinnessTooth

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

rlj676 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:36:23 EST

I hope these reviews show the non-functional extra exhaust tips. It is the saddest thing I've seen on a performance vehicle at this price, even worse than the body kit.

rlj676

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

FishingCrue — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:36:11 EST

Who should buy this: someone who likes explaining that "no, this is a Lexus that doesn't handle like marshmallows"

Focus: I can't wait for the first report of breakdowns, hopefully it doesn't tarnish the precious reliability.

FishingCrue

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Bumblebee — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:33:14 EST

@skaz: Thanks for the feedback. If I had any idea how to do what you suggested, I would. I have this problem on both my work and home computers, and some other guy complained, so I wrongfully assumed it was ubiqitous.

Anyway, I'll shut up about it.

Bumblebee

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:32:48 EST

@Major-General: Other than something Korean or Chinese, aren't all cars overpriced? As my father-in-law says, "30 grand for a fuckin' Chev? They used to be the workin' man's car, Godamn crooks!"

POLAЯ is taking his work underground. He can't let it fall into the wrong hands again!

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there! — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:31:17 EST

Maybe this is what Subaru WRX drivers should have when they GROW UP!!! (n.b personal viewpoint based on my local WRX drivers)

Rust-MyEnemy is stll out there!

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Major-General — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:15:26 EST

Great, another overpriced Toyota.

Major-General

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

poxpopulus — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:04:11 EST

Great lines, muscular, lean ...... quite a mutt there tied to the parking meter.

poxpopulus

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Ted Striker — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 13:00:52 EST

@lascauxcaveman:

'Zactly. With the hardware this thing is packing, it should look mean, not campy.

Ted Striker

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Colonel35 — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:58:46 EST

@lascauxcaveman: Agreed; did they just pay some kid from shop class to doodle that hideous hood "power bulge" (a pathetic M3 knockoff, BTW), plasticy ground effects, and the Pep Boys-esque vertical exhausts?

Colonel35

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

skaz — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:57:41 EST

@Bumblebee: I've heard you talk about this Firefox issue before. But I'm a tech at a computer store.. I just checked on 8 different machines and don't have an issue. Make sure all of your plugins are working properly.

skaz

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

bmwfanatic — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:46:34 EST

I don't care how many speeds the auto tranny has, if they really wanted to be serious there would be three pedals -- and I don't mean the e-brake.

bmwfanatic

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

lascauxcaveman — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:42:59 EST

Sounds pretty hot. Too bad about the body kit.

lascauxcaveman

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Bumblebee — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:34:41 EST

Also, for those of you with Firefox - if you copy and paste the penultimate paragraph blocked by the banner, you can read it in Word.

Bumblebee

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Bumblebee — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:33:09 EST

"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."

That really made me laugh. If I had the car, doing what's smart would, in 180-degree opposition, define what I would actually do.

Bumblebee

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:30:57 EST

'Higher Dynamic Threshold' ?

I dunno, I can be pretty dynamic!

POLAЯ is taking his work underground. He can't let it fall into the wrong hands again!

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

brownie — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:30:36 EST

Anxiously awaiting the rest of this review... there is nothing I love more than insane performance wrapped in fairly bland packaging, and it sounds like the IS-F may have nailed it.

brownie

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

LTDScott, Porcubimmer pilot — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:27:18 EST

Do want.

LTDScott, Porcubimmer pilot

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

cyanics — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:24:39 EST

i've found my next dream ride.

cyanics

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

Jalopnik = opportunists — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:22:13 EST

Finally hoon-sedan for the "Chosen People" that doesn't leave a bad taste in their mouth.

Jalopnik = opportunists

Lexus IS-F, Part 1

MeMikeYouNot — Mon, 05 Nov 2007 12:12:50 EST

I've said this before: a damn good looking Camry.

MeMikeYouNot