Another Positive Review of the IS-F

Conventional wisdom would dictate that the growling, 416-hp IS-F signals some kind of directional change for the silky and mellow Lexus brand, but let us explain why this car does no such thing. One of the pillars of the Toyota Way is "No Waste," expressed in everything from its just-in-time supply chain to its legendary mandate that company executives sharpen their pencils all the way down to the erasers. And to Toyota, there are few things more wasteful than a car that doesn't sell. "No Waste" is why Toyota has made itself better than anyone at researching and testing and analyzing the widest band of customer preference in each segment, better at giving the people exactly what they want. Unlike most other carmakers, which are guided by internal engineering compasses and house style, Toyota is mainly a reactive enterprise, finding hot spots in the market and chasing after them like a terrier after a Grand Am. (Of course, Toyota being Japanese, there is a countervailing impulse, a Yang to the Yin - calculated risks like the Prius and the FJ Cruiser and the Scion brand. But these examples sit on the roadside of Toyota's march toward world domination, categories unto themselves.)

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zorbeeze - 10/31/2007 12:38:43 PM

-2 Boost

Good review. This car has surprised me, but there`s still something about the exterior that pushes me away.

esrar322 - 10/31/2007 1:22:18 PM

+2 Boost

Good article. Excellent photos in this article. I also liked the article by Road & Track.

As for the car, it sounds like a great car. Lexus, I think, did an excellent job overall with the IS-F, especially since this is Lexus's first attempt at creating a super (compact) sedan.

The M3, C63, and the RS4 are all great cars as well. But as a Japanese car fan, I would go with the IS-F even though I know that I will get beaten by M3 at the stop lights. But at 4.6 sec to 60 mph, it is still a very fast car.

I am disappointed, however, with the fake exhaust pipes. Lexus did not need to do that. They could have just created two nice looking round or oval pipes instead of the quad stacked setup they have now.

Anyway, I would buy the IS-F in Metador red. With black window tinting, the IS-F would look really nice. (But I must admit that the front end of the IS350 looks nicer.) I like the factory wheels of the IS-F, but hope Lexus offers more wheel options.

Wonder whether Infiniti will join this super hot segment by creating a super G35 sedan.

Ingenieur - 10/31/2007 1:41:05 PM

+2 Boost

esrar322,

Yes, I agree. Lexus hit the mark on their first attempt at this segment. At a minimum, they are competitive to the established brands. It should be able to keep pace with the M3 in a straigtline and on the track, judging from the reviews, it just might have an advantage. We shall see.

Regarding the G35, I heard rumors of a twin turbo version. Also, there was a video clip somewhere where an engineer was asked if Infiniti was planning to release a challenger to the M and AMG series and he declined to comment. I guess we'll just have to wait and see.

STJ88 - 10/31/2007 3:18:26 PM

+3 Boost

@MidEngine

What about the chaser tourer V, markII tourer V and the new markX supercharged. Toyota has had lot of super sedan's only we never got them.

enthusiastx11 - 10/31/2007 8:54:40 PM

-4 Boost

where's the 'review?'

this guy basically went to a press release and got to drive the car around the block. he doesn't even have his own data...he's quoting performance numbers from other sources.

Will_ - 10/31/2007 10:45:27 PM

+3 Boost

Most reviews are done at press events where automotive journalists get to spend a day or two with the car. This review is based off of his impressions when he actually DROVE an IS-F, which is more than most of us have done here.