Over 20 ClubLexus members, primarily from NorCal and SoCal went down to Laguna Seca today to attend the First Ever showing of the production release IS-F. These cars just arrived straight from Japan on Monday, August 13, and we are the first of the general public in this country to see and ride in the IS-F.
We also got to test drive the IS350, GS430 Hybrid and LS600 Hybrid models.
AND, when I mean test drive, I don't mean driving on a coned parking lot, but on the famed Laguna Seca Raceway.
After test driving these production cars, we then proceeded to don race helmets to get several HOT Laps in the IS-F driven by professional drivers.
I am sure many others who attended will elaborate on their personal experience in these cars. All I can say is, this car is fantastic. Even with the heavier front weight bias of the V8, the overall balance and handling exceeds the standard IS250/350. The paddle shift 8 speed transmission shifts with precision and smoothness. Do not associate this paddle shift with all previous e-shift Lexus models including the IS350. The upshifts are quick and smooth, and on the downshifts we heard the throttle blips during braking and matching the engine rpms smoothly. No herky jerk ! I won't elaborate much more, but IMHO I will simply say , the IS-F paddle shift is near the forefront of this technology. I believe it will eventually make the stick shift / clutch a thing of the past for performance minded driving. To put it simply, as technology continues to improve, Sticks with clutchpedals will be on their way out. The IS-F is just a stepping stone to this.
In Sport mode , the IS-F will actually chirp the tires in second gear !
There will be many stories to tell by members who attended, and I am sure you will eventually see their posts pop up on various forums over the next few days. All I can say is WOW !!!
The was truly THE ULTIMATE IS-F Driving Experience
I have some of my amateur shots of the event posted below. There are a TON of STILL pics and VIDEO footage taken by others which I am sure will be released over the next few days, either here or on the IS-F forums.
Check back Thursday afternoon and I will provide a link of some video footage of the event, which will include an IS-F NHRA Style Smokey Burn Out and Twin Drifting IS-F's.
RED, WHITE and BLUE IS-Fs
See video footage of this burnout soon (I will post a link soon)
flipside909 and others feeling the effects of the burnout
So they made it fast, I guess. When will they make it not ugly?
when you visit your eye doctor.
In all seriousness, i think the car looks hot, not to mention that it'll most likely be the most affordable and most reiable in its class. I wouldn't be surprise if it was also the best handling.
In all seriousness, i think the car looks hot, not to mention that it'll most likely be the most affordable and most reiable in its class. I wouldn't be surprise if it was also the best handling.
I have no doubts about reliability, and I'm interested to see how it stacks up performance-wise considering it's Lexus' first shot at the "super-sedan" niche, but it looks weird to me. I wasn't a huge fan of the normal IS but it was passable.
With the IS-F I get the impression that the design team was struggling to come up with that one signature element to denote their -F cars (like Caddy's wire grilles or BMW's fender vents) and somehow they ended up with a big Viper gill on the side.
I like things with 4 wheels and also things with 2 wheels.
With the IS-F I get the impression that the design team was struggling to come up with that one signature element to denote their -F cars (like Caddy's wire grilles or BMW's fender vents) and somehow they ended up with a big Viper gill on the side.
Only thing you need to remember is its signature stacked quad exhaust, which you will see it most often
In all seriousness, i think the car looks hot, not to mention that it'll most likely be the most affordable and most reiable in its class. I wouldn't be surprise if it was also the best handling.
IN ALL SERIOUSNESS... the proportion from the top of the rear wheels to the greenhouse is huge, wheels look tiny compared to the vast expanse of the side profile, the nose looks like it had poorly done rhinoplasty, rear spoiler looks tacked on, rear deck is SHORT making it look like a hatch back as opposed to a sedan...anything else, the little sweep behind the front wheel arch, token... it needs about 6" taken horizontally out of the middle to get it to even have a shot at working. and that exhaust... no wonder they have speed racer on the side of one, that exhaust is a bad, bad joke
IN ALL SERIOUSNESS... the proportion from the top of the rear wheels to the greenhouse is huge, wheels look tiny compared to the vast expanse of the side profile, the nose looks like it had poorly done rhinoplasty, rear spoiler looks tacked on, rear deck is SHORT making it look like a hatch back as opposed to a sedan...anything else, the little sweep behind the front wheel arch, token... it needs about 6" taken horizontally out of the middle to get it to even have a shot at working. and that exhaust... no wonder they have speed racer on the side of one, that exhaust is a bad, bad joke
The car with SPEED RACER plastered all over it is not an IS-F. Still silly graphics none-the-less.
If you could kick the person responsible for most of your troubles, you wouldn't be able to sit down for weeks.
If it didn't have the bulbous hood and goofy exhaust it would be just about perfect. It'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against the German rivals.
The Subaru is gone, time to start looking for a Tweed jacket with leather elbow patches...
If it didn't have the bulbous hood and goofy exhaust it would be just about perfect. It'll be interesting to see how it stacks up against the German rivals.
With IS-F and C63 coming, I am afraid that BMW might have to bring out its expensive spartan CSL version M3 to save a day.
IN ALL SERIOUSNESS... the proportion from the top of the rear wheels to the greenhouse is huge, wheels look tiny compared to the vast expanse of the side profile, the nose looks like it had poorly done rhinoplasty, rear spoiler looks tacked on, rear deck is SHORT making it look like a hatch back as opposed to a sedan...anything else, the little sweep behind the front wheel arch, token... it needs about 6" taken horizontally out of the middle to get it to even have a shot at working. and that exhaust... no wonder they have speed racer on the side of one, that exhaust is a bad, bad joke
Hey with your impeccable taste im sure you have a job as a car designer....oh wait you probably dont.
Hey with your impeccable taste im sure you have a job as a car designer....oh wait you probably dont.
I am a designer... It seems you would have prefered "it's fugly" as an answer with no thought behind it other than to type those 2 words. If you are such a fan of it why don't you try to counter my points as to why everything I criticized might otherwise be good... oh that's right, it's the CL where dissing as opposed to debating passes for making a point.
Huh? Do you mean you know you're high so you pay better attention to the road, or do you mean it actually helps you focus better? As in, you have a big test this morning so you chief a fat blunt so you can focus.
the IS-F paddle shift is near the forefront of this technology. I believe it will eventually make the stick shift / clutch a thing of the past for performance minded driving.
Now don't get me wrong - I am not one of those guys that hates on DSG/SMG/F1-type trannies. While I do enjoy rowing gears I have no fundamental objection to them - I mean come on, F1 uses them.
But the IS-F has a torque converter. It may be a nice version with good software but it's still a slushbox. I bet these "Club Lexus" folks think they're rocking an SMG-type tranny when it's probably the same tranny that's on their mom's beige Camry.
Quote, originally posted by RMMGS4@ClubLexus »
In Sport mode , the IS-F will actually chirp the tires in second gear !
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I'm at war with civic nation
