Did It Make The Grade? IS-F Long-Term Road Test

Every so often, our long-term fleet acquires a special kind of car. Not a 10Best winner. Not a comparison-test winner. Rather, a car that changes its segment or signals a radical shift in its maker’s attitude. The IS F does both. It’s a Lexus with true enthusiast credentials. This is roughly equivalent to saying it’s a granny who writes in regularly to Penthouse Forum.

The F stands apart from Lexus’s sporty IS line of cars with its large fender flares, 19-inch BBS wheels with matching summer-only tires, and a hood with a serious power bulge. Beneath that bulge resides an immensely powerful 5.0-liter, direct- and port-injected V-8 that delivers 416 horsepower through a slick eight-speed automatic. This magic setup is accompanied by a thunderous exhaust soundtrack.


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2009 Frankfurt Auto Show Photo Gallery