Test drive: 2008 Lexus IS F
When the high-performance Lexus IS F was first announced, we discussed it here on the About.com Cars blog. Your comments were mixed; many of you loved the styling but many others were put off by the lack of a manual transmission. (That includes me, by the way. I suppose I should accept the fact that automatic sports cars are here to stay... but I can't. It's just not right!)
So now I've had some seat time in the IS F, and while the weather did its best to conspire against me -- it rained nearly all week here in Southern Cali -- I managed to find enough dry pavement to give the IS F a proper thrashing. Considering how my test drive of the 2007 Lexus IS250 and IS350 went, I kept my expectations pretty low. So how did the IS F do? You'll find the answer here. -- Aaron Gold
Photo © Toyota
I watched these during the Monterey Historics in August. They would take customers around the track at serious speed between races. They were flogging them. Everyonce in a while they driver would get it wrong in the leguna seca cork screw and the crowd would take a collective deep breath thinking it was gona be toast, but the electronics would kick in and the car would simply ignore physics and stay on the track. Compared to most of the vintage racers (except the the big boys of the 70s) this was the fastest car on the track all weekend. It looked really comfortable on the track like it was meant to be there. I love my 01 IS300, but I crave this car. Much nicer interior. Mine feels like a toyota while the new IS line really has Lexus throughout. I would however swap out the nose and wheels with some other IS250 owner and ditch the exhaust pipes all together for some aftermarket kit that was a little more subtle. Then you would have a really nice sleeper. COnsidering the prices I saw at the dealerhip yesterday. this will go well beyond the 28k I paid for mine. I am guessing close to 60 loaded. I don’t think you will see many on the road. I still see way more 250’s than 350’s. Price + Gas MPG seems to be having an impact on choice. I’ll just keep mine. It is paid for with 80k on it. Should be able to get 300k out of that inline 6.
You forgot to mention that the quad pipes are not quad pipes at all. The exhaust pipes end under the rear bumper and the “quad pipes” are actually 4 ovals molded into the rear bumper. They don’t communicate with the exhaust system. THEY’RE PRETEND!
This car is a bit ridiculous. It doesn’t do much to win over the M3 or RS4 crowd. I’m sure it’s a good drive. Big engine, silly gearbox. Ugly, but it’s a Toyota and there are those that this look appeals to. Won’t make a dent in the history books.
Lexus really should continue to perfect the luxury car as they have relentlessly done. Vanilla sells and sumptuous vanilla sells well.