A Genuine Threat Or Smoke And Mirrors? Lexus IS-F Dyno Videos

Street racers gather with glee!

When a class leading vehicle is brought out by Lexus people get mad and say it sucks. But when it a mediocre German performance car hits the market its good. There is so much bias in this world.

The IS-F is the new class leader without a doubt. The stock IS250 outhandles a 335i and the IS350 outperforms it. If an IS350 does this to a 335i, imagine what the M3 has to suffer through at the hands of the IS-F. The RS4 and C63 are killed by the IS-F in looks alone.

This is anything BUT a class "Leader". Name one spec that this car "Leads" in?

Reliability
Quality
Interior
Seats
Leather
0-60
1/4
Handling
Comfort
Transmission

Did I forget anything?

David we get your sardonic wit...but your act is getting real old. Time to find a new one.

What? I am telling you guys about the IS-F qualities and you change the subject. Live with the fact that the IS-F leads the pack here.

I'm not quite sure if "bias" is the correct word. Opinionated views or Enthusiasm takes on many forms.

Also I see racism incorrectly used by a number of people as well. Just because someone thinks all German cars may stink doesn't make them racist. But I see it a lot.

A good example might be a Denver Bronco Fan may denounce the Miami Dolphins and state the offense is totally inept.

That doesn't mean they are racist or bias or factual, but it is his justified opinion (by whatever flawed process).

Reliability - Because it has been on the market so long, right?
Quality - Like your quality insight
Interior - Maybe over the base IS, but thats like being the smartest kid with down syndrome
Seats- So I assume Lexus let you sit in this pre-production model?
Leather- Because you've felt it and it won't wrinkle, peel, or bunch after a year of driving
0-60 - Double check that one
1/4 - And this one too
Handling - Because you've tested it against every car in its class, sure
Comfort- So tell us how does it feel going over gooved pavement.
Transmission - Did you develop it?

The problem with the wrold tody is that to many people areworied about bieng politically correct. Lets cut the bull and just adimt tthat Germany makes the best ccars, period. When you ask poelep what kind of cars they considr the best, they always say Mercedes and BMW. When you ask poeple which cars they desier the most, they say Mercedes and BMW. Most Americans are unimformed and stuipd because they make undeucated buying decisons and buy cars for their quality, and not for their hieritage image etc.

43LE- Glad you agree, we sometimes see their insecurities echoed in the words they use.

We try to remove what we can but keeping up with 100's sometimes 1000's of comments a day some slip through.

more mind-numbing is-f "news"

The same could be said of the M3 and others. Interesting to the fans but maybe not to other loyalists.

Well, Lexus fans will care because this is the fastest Lexus yet. Enjoy that moment.

Everyone else is looking at 0-60 numbers and the 4.9 seconds isn't anything special.

If today was 1999 this would be exciting news for the industry. But it's 2007.

The BMW M3 that has been getting 4.8 since 2000, and a 2008 M3 that gets 4.4 or better, an Audi RS4 that gets 4.6 or better, a Mercedes C63 thats getting 4.8 or better. The Cadillac CTS-V is quicker. The Subaru WRX is quicker, the Mits EVO is quicker. Even the BMW 335 has been tested quicker. Yadda Yadda.

Track times? I think the Lexus is going to get SPANKED by everything listed above.

Keep dreaming German fanboy. The IS-F is the new deal. And it looks so friggin hot!

actually, lexus is NOT conservative with 0-60 times. often, journalists have trouble achieving the claimed time.

bmw and mercedes are notoriously conservative with their times. cars consistently over-achieve substantially.

Buddy, the IS250 outhandles the 335i. I think it was Motor Trend or Edmunds that mentioned this. I trust those sites.

david it does not. Have you actually read an article yet? IS350 faster than the BMW 335? which magazine is that? I must have missed that one. you are an idiot

utah kid ... that was only 1 of the 6 articles written about a comparison between the IS and 3-series BMW. In that article the Lexus IS250 went thru the slalom at 70.4 mph and the BMW went thru at 69.9 mph ... ON the skidpad the Lexus did .84g and the BMW did .88g ... the difference in lateral acceleration is a much wider gap then the slalom ( basically dead heat ) ... think you need to read a bit more too.

Just as ridiculous as the claims of total domination are the equally-retarded assumptions that this will be crap. And why is there so much angst about the wait? What's the rush?

some of us have a problem waiting until october.

Some of you just have a problem with the L-badge on the grille.

Dumb arrogant German fanboys are just asking for it. The IS-F will show them who's boss.

A lot of noise but what is the dyno reading?

Track times? No lexus will ever go to a track except in a review. I just did two days at thunderhill, with 100+ Porsches and BMWs, a few 'vettes, one Infinity, a few Lotus....and no lexus. Not really a suprise to anyone. Fine car but to me it's not a sportscar unless it is regularly seen at the track.

Audis are never seen at the track either, wjich is why the IFS and RS46 are both crap.

Your definitiion of a sport car being on a track lacks ALOT. Just cause you went to one track with all these other cars means they own the title to sports car. What a load of crap. The track just proves what the driver can do with one out many cars he could have picked. Automakers make sports cars, not the track.

Is "BenzW124" for real?

I think the IS350 is fast enough, atleast for me. This only steps it up a notch. Car looks fantastic in white, but i still cant get over that hood bulge, despite it subtle appearence in person. I wont say itll kill any competitors and vice verca. Why? Cause no one can throughly compared them yet.

Go ahead look at your local SCCA results for ANY autocross or ANY club racing event. I'm not talking about drifting (kinda intersting, but the slowest way around the track), and I am not talking about factory sponsored racing. I am talking about what kind of street cars people actually bring to the track anywhere on earth. Just do a search of the results and you'll find Lexus is pretty much a no show.

Lexus is a fine car, but puh-lease. At least so far in the history of the world Lexus is not really a popular actual sportscar that is driven competitively. It certainly seems like an interesting little world inside your mind. I wonder what other insights you can enlighten us with.

this is gonna be debating topic with no gorunds until the car is actually released and put to the tests.

somethign i have found interesting recently though is the buy in BMW offered to enthusiast to test out the new M3 ($5500 package, airfare not included)...whereas Lexus invited guests and covered their expenses.

just something note worthy in consumer appreciation.

lexus wasnt allowing the customers to take their car on a race track. It is one thing to have them come and see the car. It is a whole nother thing to have a customer take a car out on a race track to actually see how it drives.

I want the IF-S to have more power than all competitors, as in theory it should with its massive 5.0 V8, that should output at least 440 hps. But, trying to analyze what Lexus is doing by keep showing it without any confirmed numbers, I have a feeling it will have the least power or close to the M3.

If that would be the case, and hope not, then the IS-F will be a big disappointment to the Lexus fans and bad impression on Lexus.

So, with all of this time of teasing, Lexus better be serious about this car.

alec, the hood bulge is subtle compared to that of the M3 in my opinion...the hood on the IS-F flows consistently throughout, whereas the M3 is a stock 3-series hood with a dent in it to fit the intake manifold.

it should of been made to flow with the rest of the hood, however...the M3 is no real competition to me, the 335i is the beast out of Germany and i think BMW made a mistake engine wise when it came down to the 335i and the M3. hell, even the 535i with programs may topple the M3's. the M3 should of came witht he twin turbo setup, just so it held its reign in power compared to its siblings!

r15, I know the bulge is subtle. But its still looks strange to me. Plus those quad chrome tips are fake lol. Just my opinion. 335i is sexy, I must agree, seeing one with a lowered suspension dropped my jaw. The new M3 looks good too, but its' lost that subtle appearance from the last generation. Its like the M5 which screams out LOOK AT ME. Engine wise is so-so. I still like the old i-6. As you said give the twin turbo setup and refine the engine (made it lighter and such) it would be much better in my opinion.

more PR stunts.
no news here...again....

uhhh.... well you know when you drive your car your hood is down right? So thats opening a hood on a dyno has nothing to do with reliability.

I was at the taste of lexus event, and was in the hybrid drive section looking out to the IS-F Dyno Runs, and a guy next to me yelled out "430hp, and the guy didn't even let him reach redline!" I'm not sure whether that is at the wheels or at the crank...

Lots of smoke and mirrors...

I think Lexus is trying to get into the "Luxury Sports Car" space and this IS is the best they've made yet. Toyota has been racing for a while and is not new at this, but Toyota has never been in the LUXORY sports car arena... until now.

Fact is, Lexus (both in brand image and in product) has a LONG way to go to catch up with everyone else, including the Americans (eg, Cadilac!).

Until they can at least get some decent baseline 0-60 numbers on the board that are impressive, this will be nothing but BORING news except for those high school kids who can't even afford a used IS250 let alone one of these (like David989).

LUXORY means what?

Which reminds me... Didn't the 1994 Supra Turbo get better 0-60 times than this?

Is that all Lexus (living vicariously through Toyota) can do with with FOURTEEN years of R&D produce is a repackaged IS350 with the same 0-60 numbers??

YAWN...

wake me when a real sports car comes by

The Tools that buy this car will be the same ones that will be camped out to see the "Fast and the Furious 4" a week before its debut.

What bmw can you even compare to this car? Such snobby comments , oh wait I get it your scared!!!

And therein lies the problem: Those tools can't afford this car; and if they were clever enough to make enough money, they'd be smart enough to buy a *real* luxory sports car.

OK Utahkid. Grab a Kleenex and wipe away the tears...Your rambling is so baseless I feel no need to defend myself. This is just an over-hyped car that TOOLS (I guess it's a 90's thing?) like you drool over, have fun driving your pathetic coffee-can mufflered civic....and get a hair cut....kid.

ronnsscooby doo: I'd take a 335i over this poser disLexus any time. Or an Audi S4.

If someone *gave* me this car, I'd sell it immediately and buy something else.

Your dumb ass has more money than brains. How and the hell can you people call yourself "car people". You buy way overpriced cars that cant perform. If you were really car people you would be for this new car. It has better performance and specs than anything close in its price range, yet I here "bmw", "audi". Please stop with this crap. The reason your cars are so overprised is status quo not performance or luxary. Now that something challanges and beats any of your trophys in its price range you pull out that bulls&^t that they must not have money. F&^k you Ill see you in the oc when I pass you like your sitting still and you silently envy my car.

^^ ^^
He's going to go into the garage & cry in his Lexus now.

I'm back.

bmw has 2 extra cylinders with a 5.0l :)

I betcha when this Lexus IS-F is release it will be very impressive like the Audi RS4. I heard rumor saying that this Lexus IS-F will have 475hp under it hood. But it just a rumor so I guess we have to wait and see.

Lexus has been really tight lip about the car spec because of the new Cadillac CTS-V and MB C-class AMG both has close 500hp. I think Lexus is secretly adding more horse power to Lexus IS-F before it being release.

Americans have nothing to be proud about concerning their own cars, so they find their confidence by cheering on the German makes and bandwagoning with Bavaria.

Reading Comprehension 101

Assuming that the 431 hp IS at the the wheels, and assuming an 18% drivetrain loss through the auto tranny, then the IS-F produces 525 hp at the crank.

Could it be possible that Lexus is pulling a fast one on us (no pun intended) by releasing those (more than 400 hp, more than 350 lb-ft) press release numbers to get us thinking low and then blowing us out of the water?

Can you clarify as to where the horsepower number was measured? Do you have any T numbers?

PS, that is pretty cool that you got up to 200 km/h on the track. Must have been fun.

Thank you. Over 500 horsepower? :|

so if some people claim its dyno's 431hp...then that means the release of actual hp will be higher (assuming they dyno'd to the wheels and not the crank)

but again, all speculations until Lexus/Toyota relase actual numbers and figures for the vehicle. the was developed to challenge the market, and thats what it will do...challenge those M/AMG/S;RS enthusiasts. whether it fails/succeeeds, we will soon see!

Well, let's see, Ronscooby doo, not only are your facts wrong, but you're attitude reeking a nasty reading on my smell-o-vision. Go back and do your research and when you have real, quanitifiable numbers to back up what you're saying, consider a post.

This car is a great stepo for Lexus, but in the overall space, it's NO LEADER in any category.

What in the hell are you talking about... I have an idea! You go ahead and keep your POS car, and I will wish you well as I blow your freakin doors off!! By the way my legacy spec B will spank anything that you think you have in the same price range.

Well thats nice... Anyway, no one can claim this is any better than its German rivals and vice verca. And all of you are judging this car purely by what is stated, NOT the ACTUAL feel of the car. So how will you know this car can perform? Or even handle? Im sure the german fanboys will just claim its a Lexus it cant handle blah blah blah. If Lexus really wanted to compete with top rivals, they wouldnt cheap out and take chances. Same goes for BMW, Audi and Merc. So please shut up when you cannot provide any fact this car will suck purely on your own speculation on viewing the cars pictures.

Do us a favor, stfu and quit embarrassing YOURself.