11/08/07, 10:22am, EST
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Lexus officially launched its IS-F at this year's SEMA in Las Vegas and gave show attendees a chance to sample its M3 fighter on a special track setup behind the convention center. Not wanting to miss out on the opportunity to drive Lexus' first real attempt at a performance car, Leftlane braved the long line and Nevada sun to get some seat time in the new IS-F.
The exterior of the IS-F has been slightly modified to separate it from lesser IS models, but the design seems to be a bit out of proportion on the front of the car — the front overhang seems long and appears to droop over the front wheels. The unique IS-F wheels look great and nicely fill out the car's wheel wells, giving the car a very planted look. The IS-F's stacked quad exhaust is a nice design touch and helps visually differentiate the IS-F from other models in the Lexus lineup, as well as other cars on the market. A small decklid spoiler also gives the car a subtle look of performance.
Apart from some unique surface materials, the interior of the IS-F isn't much different from the normal IS range. The IS-F's interior doesn't have the sporting feel other cars in this segment possess, but its fit and finish are top notch and all materials seem to be of very high quality. Seats are well bolstered and aluminum pedals do give the air of performance. Gauges are of typical IS design and include a center LCD readout to remind you which of the IS-F's eight gears you've selected when manual mode is engaged.
While our track time with the IS-F was brief, we were able to get a general idea of what the newest Lexus is all about. Power delivery was smooth and acceleration was deceptively quick. The cabin of the IS-F is extremely quite and keeps the 5.0L V8 fairly muted, even under full throttle. Revs climb quickly and gear changes performed with the car's steering wheel mounted shifters are lightning fast. Of note, the paddle shifters also feature a rev-matching blip on down shifts.
Through the twisties, the IS-F showed more oversteer than we expected from the car — although over heated tires could have been to blame. Despite the tendency for the rear end to step out around corners, steering felt direct but was slightly on the numb side. The chassis felt rigid and the sport-tuned suspension allowed for only the slightest hint of body roll around the skid pad. The IS-F's performance brakes — which include cross-drilled rotors — were excellent and didn't show any sign of fade, despite being driven hard all day.
Overall, Lexus has created a nice performance package in the IS-F, but the car will likely fall short in the minds of hard core enthusiasts. Whereas the BMW M3 is geared toward performance first and foremost, it seems as though Lexus created the IS-F as a luxury car with sporting intentions. Lexus' F line of cars is definitely a step in the right direction, but Toyota's luxury division might have to wait until the next-generation IS-F to seriously compete with the performance models from its German rivals.
