REVIEW: Lexus IS-F's New LSD Helps Closing The Gap Between M3?

Lexus’ BMW-bating IS F heads into 2010 with a raft of small but worthwhile changes and something this magazine has asked for right from the start: a proper limited slip differential.

It’s a desirable sports package, the IS F, with that brilliant wuffly 5.0-litre V8, fine body control, good style, plenty of speed and impressive all-round refinement. For all that, one relative weak point has been the car’s electronically-controlled open diff. In high speed corners, the transition from tailside back into line could be smoother, we felt, and traction improved too.

The arrival of a Torsen LSD as standard kit is the answer. Lexus claims that traction and high speed stability are now vastly enhanced, to the point where the IS F is now two seconds a lap faster around Fuji Speedway, the ISF’s home track.....



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kpaxx - 11/3/2009 8:20:56 AM

-2 Boost

Two seconds faster is a gain but not substantial, still not impressed!

Ambient temperature can affect a gain or loss as much as 5 seconds!

agent507 - 11/3/2009 8:49:20 AM

0 Boost

Closing the gap? Uhm, Nope.

Narrowing the gap? Maybe.

pennfootball - 11/3/2009 11:01:01 AM

+2 Boost

2 second improvement is nice but unless they bring an M3 there and time them it's impossible to compare.

answer - 11/3/2009 11:03:07 AM

+5 Boost

Even if you have nightly wet dreams of an M3, is it really that hard to give credit to Lexus for the ISF being so good as a first attempt??

r15mohd - 11/3/2009 11:12:11 AM

0 Boost

it's like talking to wall...they'll just stand their and be dumb-founded.

the next gen IS-F will surely impress, yet again...learn from the mistakes and improve. No company does it better than Lexus/Toyota!

LexSucks - 11/3/2009 11:55:02 AM

-3 Boost

It isn’t a first attempt. It’s just another failed attempt. Lexus failed at beating out anyone with the IS350 (which was supposed to beat out the BMW 3-series, not to mention the IS300 which also fell short). What do they do next? They create an IS-F that had a “gap” to the M3 from day one. You’d figure that after three failed attempts to beat BMW lexus would gear up and come up with better solutions, but what do they do instead? They go after Ferrari and Lamborghini with the LF-A. Good Luck!

LexSucks - 11/3/2009 11:57:04 AM

-1 Boost

"No company does it better than Lexus/Toyota!"

- And your saying that other folks are "dumfounded"? LOL!!
I'd rather be that than dillutional.

LexusKindaGuy12 - 11/3/2009 11:16:44 AM

0 Boost

almost useless review, which took 1 minute to read and didnt give much about the LSD

LexSucks - 11/3/2009 11:47:03 AM

0 Boost

Wasn't the IS-F supposed to be better than the M3? Now were talking about "closing the gap". LOL!

Before the IS-F was released they were Lexus fanboys claiming that it would detroy the M3 (keep dreaming). Where are the fanboys now?

Same thing is going to happen with the LF-A. As with all lexuses, when it comes to performance they always fall short of the mark. As much as the Fanboys pray for this; Lexus will never be the Benchmark of performance.

LexusKindaGuy12 - 11/3/2009 3:31:53 PM

+2 Boost

enter LFA lol.

but in all honestly, nobody truly thought the ISF was going to beat the M3 which has been the leader in the segment for the past what? 15 years? give lexus a break with its first model

lexusrox123 - 11/3/2009 6:09:01 PM

+1 Boost

In addition to that, he has a Lexus logo for a profile pic. SHouldnt it be crossed out or something?