CD Article: 2008 Lexus IS F

[CD_Editor]

First Drive:


Powered by a new 416-horsepower 5.0-litre V8, the all-new Lexus IS-F is a direct competitor to the BMW M3 and Audi RS4.  "It feels equally at home on a race-track as in the weekday commute," reports Contributing Editor, Chris Chase.

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Read the article | View the photos | All The First Drives

[initial_D]

AMG Fighter. Add a Turbo this car could almost be untouchable in a straight line.

[rrocket]

Surprisingly, in one of the tests I read it was quicker to 60 and through the 1/4 than the much more powerful AMG..

[Mitlov]

I thought that the IS-F looked hideous when the first photographs of the blue one hit the net, but it's actually quite nice in black.

rrocket, who has tested the IS-F back-to-back with the C63?  I've always thought that the IS-F was more closely matched to the C63 than the M3, though most reviews tend to compare the Merc to the BMW, then the Lexus to the BMW.  I'd like to read a direct comparison between the Merc and the Lexus.

They weren't tested back-to-back, admittedly, but the C63 that C&D tested in its "$60k sport sedan" test was a half-second faster to 60 and a half-second faster through the quarter mile than the IS-F it tested in its "sedans that sizzle" test.  That's not to say it's a better sport sedan overall...most reviews say that the IS-F is a sharp handler and the C63 is a bull in a china shop.  And for the record, true to C&D form, the M3 won both tests.

[rrocket]

Every popular US mag has tested the 3 of them together.....If you can't find it on newstands, I'll mail you mine...

Motor Trend: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sports/112_0805_bmw_m3_lexus_is_f_mercedes_c63_amg_comparison/index.html

Road and Track http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=6696

[The Mighty Duck]

Audi is really going to have trouble moving the RS4 is they insist on pricing it $20 000 more than their rivals.  Sorry, Quattro is not worth that kind of premium.  That said, the RS4 is still my favourite of this group "on paper", but the IS sounds like a better performer than I expected it to be - I was expecting a Lexus with lots of power, but not a lot more.  Happy to see it's more than that. 

Looks better in black than blue, too.  Still not a big fan of the stacked exhaust tips, but otherwise, quite sharp, though I think I like the standard IS a bit better.

[Mitlov]

Every popular US mag has tested the 3 of them together.....If you can't find it on newstands, I'll mail you mine...

C&D did an RS4/C63/M3 shootout, and then an IS-F/M3 shootout.  Never tested the IS-F next to the C63.  Automobile Magazine did a detailed track test of the IS-F, but not a shootout with it to my knowledge.

I did find the Motor Trend C63/IS-F/M3 shootout online, but haven't read it yet:
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sports/112_0805_bmw_m3_lexus_is_f_mercedes_c63_amg_comparison/index.html

Likewise, I found the Road & Track C63/RS4/IS-F/M3 shootout online, but haven't read it yet:
http://www.roadandtrack.com/article.asp?section_id=31&article_id=6696

I don't like MT or R&T as much as C&D or Automobile, but I'll read these reviews over the next couple days.  I know you really love the IS-F, you must have been frustrated to see it finish last in both comparisons...

[Mitlov]

Looks better in black than blue, too.  Still not a big fan of the stacked exhaust tips, but otherwise, quite sharp, though I think I like the standard IS a bit better.

on all points.

[rrocket]

   I know you really love the IS-F, you must have been frustrated to see it finish last in both comparisons...

Not in the least.  For a 1st try, against those heavy hitters?  I hadn't expected it to win, I just expected it to be very, very good...and it is.  And will easily be more trouble free than the others long term.

[JT816]

This car looks amazing. But does it bother anyone that the premium paid for cars like the IS-F, M3, RS4 vs their regular counterparts (IS250/350, 3 series, A4) is too much? You are really getting strictly a more powerful car with a few minor styling cues here and there but the premium paid is at $32k-70k more than the base car. Honestly, I think in the very least, the interior look and quality should be significantly improved or different (make it stand out and look worthy of the price paid) if they charge these premiums over the base car. 

[The Mighty Duck]

This isn't just a Mustang with a bigger engine (): the IS-F et al. get new engines, revised suspension, and often times, more sporty interiors (i.e. good sports seats).  Sure, you could probably buy an IS350 and tune yourself to put out the same power for less money, but that car wouldn't have been designed on the Nurburgring and wouldn't carry the panache of the IS-F.  The same could be said of a Civic Si.  I could buy a Civic DX for $18 000 and get 200+ hp out of it for under $3000, but there's more to the Si than that. 

That said, I agree, they can be overpriced - the RS4 especially.  But that's part of what these cars are about...  these aren't economy cars, and there is a certainly a premium paid to get into one.

[Mitlov]

This car looks amazing. But does it bother anyone that the premium paid for cars like the IS-F, M3, RS4 vs their regular counterparts (IS250/350, 3 series, A4) is too much? You are really getting strictly a more powerful car with a few minor styling cues here and there but the premium paid is at $32k-70k more than the base car. Honestly, I think in the very least, the interior look and quality should be significantly improved or different (make it stand out and look worthy of the price paid) if they charge these premiums over the base car. 

Chassis improvements are expensive.  It's really that simple.

[rrocket]

Not to mention that V8 engine ain't exactly cheap.....

[JT816]

This car looks amazing. But does it bother anyone that the premium paid for cars like the IS-F, M3, RS4 vs their regular counterparts (IS250/350, 3 series, A4) is too much? You are really getting strictly a more powerful car with a few minor styling cues here and there but the premium paid is at $32k-70k more than the base car. Honestly, I think in the very least, the interior look and quality should be significantly improved or different (make it stand out and look worthy of the price paid) if they charge these premiums over the base car. 

Chassis improvements are expensive.  It's really that simple.

Yes, I guess that's the case but are they so expensive to a point where it costs around the same as to double the original car's price?

[Mitlov]

Yes, I guess that's the case but are they so expensive to a point where it costs around the same as to double the original car's price?

Yeah, when you count R&D for the engine and the chassis and transmission (all of which are somewhat based on existing components but highly modified and enhanced), as well as the cost of manufacturing each of those, yes.  I think you actually pay very little for the "F" badge itself, in this case.

[tpl]

Yes, I guess that's the case but are they so expensive to a point where it costs around the same as to double the original car's price?

Yeah, when you count R&D for the engine and the chassis and transmission (all of which are somewhat based on existing components but highly modified and enhanced), as well as the cost of manufacturing each of those, yes.  I think you actually pay very little for the "F" badge itself, in this case.

Certification for the powertrain for emissions, crash testing for the body/suspension, all for a small volume car