Motor Trend on IS500......Latest issue

I thought it said a smaller version of the 4.6.......
Whatever.

The Toy/Lex might have 400hp, but there's no denying it's still a hodgepodge of ugliness.

Worst taillights in 2007 award.

^ ye the taillights look like they were made in the 90's

Other reports have said that the whole IS 500 project has been scrapped. If it does come out, it will probably be the IS 460.

Will,

Actually I always thought the new 3 Series taillight design resembled the Daewoo Lanos. Google it sometime ;)

yea, what ever...

Lexus needs this car so they can effectively have a true sports sedan. It will the brand image and as the IS as a whole. You know maybe some people will rebadge their IS 250's to IS 500's ;)

the Toyota IS500 may have a lot of power, but it will still be less fun to drive than the competition. More power does not mean more fun.
For example, compare the G35 with the 325i. The G35 has 298 HP, the 325i has 215 HP. Yet the BMW is more fun to drive.

The IS will not be able to keep up with the new M3, RS4, or the C 55 AMG.

Forget about the IS500, when is Toyota coming out with the wagon version?

Anyone remember that Alteeza wagon and how strange lookin' it was?

hahahahahahaha...

Will, good one bro! have not read a good post like that for a long time; that should him up for awhile.

EL34, ah...ha...ha...ha...ha..

The IS500 is going give the M3, RS4 and MB C-class AMG a run for their money for sure. The Lexus IS500 definitely making all the German auto manufactured and their fans swelling. If I were the German auto fan I will be nervous because the Lexus IS500 is going to be one brutal to mess with.

Lexus

Can you smell............what Lexus is Cookin, read above post and find out. Ah...ha..ha,..ha..ha,,ha,....ha...

Lexus for Life...

correction "shut him up"
"

correction again, "it Sweating" not swelling

Lexus

Audirevolution,

"The IS will not be able to keep up with the new M3, RS4, or the C 55 AMG."

I don't know about the M3 and RS4, but Edmunds claim that the IS350 is already as fast as the Mercedes C55 AMG. The IS500 is sure to give the M3 and RS4 a run for their money.

In some years ago, TLC's series Rides have featured a tricked out old IS planted with a bigger, more powerful engine from 4300 cc GS. I believed race legend Rod Millens (Millen Works) was handed this project. It’s even featured on the Detroit auto show later on the same year. If not mistaken, from the legend’s stand point, he said the car planted with a more powerful engine was a blast.

Perhaps that project was the origin of the upcoming IS 500. I can only imagine, when the new ride have come out, it’s going to be a sick ride. It’ll have a stiffer chassis, upgraded shocks, and of course better engine.

We’ll just have to wait, if the new IS 500 will smoke its competitors, as they (MB, BMW, Audi, and perhaps Infiniti and Acura) too are upgrading their cars. Nevertheless, IS 500 will bring a good competition in a small luxury sport sedan. Guess who’s going to benefit from it all? It is us, the consumers. Yes, we’re gonna have a headache choosing our favorite rides.

Bring on the competitions!

the IS will definately have more power than its competitors, im sure lexus will make sure of it. As for the C55? thats old new...wait and see the new C63

I just thought of something.

Who is going to buy a 400BHP+ Lexus 'sports sedan'?

Isn't that some sort of a contradiction?

You have a Lexus IS. Then you take out all the things that makes it a Lexus, the comfortable suspension, the soft seats, the lack of engine noise, and the understated styling, what happens then?

You put in all the things that makes people buy the RS4 or M3.

But still it has a Lexus badge on it.

The elderly will be too scared to come into Lexus showrooms because their once friendly luxury sedan is now going to bite their head off.

Gee, one button did all that?

Those Motoring journos, huh? How shallow of them.

it amazes me that people on here are saying that the IS500 will beat the M3, RS4, C55. News flash, the IS350 has not been able to beat the current bmw 330 in any comparison test that I have seen. How exactly is the Lexus IS500 going to be able to compete with the BMW M3 or the Audi RS4, which are argueably 2 of the best overall perfomance cars on the market?

when will they bring out the wagon version of the IS?
and bmw4me4ever, i don't think anyone here has said that. they have said it will give them a run for their money, but won't "beat" them.
everyone knows it's a c63 amg competitor.

The IS500 is a Lexus. Lexus isn't about sport but luxury. The IS350 is the sportiest Lexus out there, and even it can't match the BMW 3-Series in driving dynamics.

So. What can we deduct here?

The IS500 will be an AMG competitor. The focus is on luxury and comfort with some sport and power. Enough said. IS500 vs C55 AMG are the duels. Keep the M3 and S4 out of this.

On Brit Topgear show, the test driver get exactly same lap time out of M3, Z350, and RX8. That's how good a much cheaper Japan car can be.

Owning both 3 series and G35, no doubt BMW does 'feel' better via great handling and harsh suspension, but it cannot perform better. BMW is easier to approach the limit, thus you see all the people thinking this car is so good or they really know something about car. But, if you know how to properly sliding your rear wheel and approach a car/tire's limit, due to the nature of horsepower difference, G35 get higher exit speed and have always won the lap time test on the mountain road near my home.

So, feel or performance?

What about the $$ then?

Your call.