Lexus Makes IS 200t, but What Other Cars Should Get the Turbo Treatment?
The Lexus NX 200t opened up a world of possibilities for Lexus. With a new 2.0-liter turbocharged engine in the family, Lexus can make lots of sportier and more affordable variants of its various cars. The first new model to make use of this powerful little turbocharged motor is the IS. Starting in 2016, the Lexus IS 250 is now dead, and it has been replaced with a new IS 200t. That means that you get Lexus’s sports sedan with 241 horsepower and 258 pound feet of torque, mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission and RWD.
But let’s be honest, the IS is not the car that really needed the turbocharged update. With all the models that Lexus currently produces, I think the CT 200h would be best suited for a power boost. But I have already beaten that dead horse, so why not have a new thought experiment?
Lexus competes head on with BMW in almost every segment, with one notable exception: the BMW Z4. Lexus has no sporty roadster, but it wouldn’t be hard to change that, and it all starts with that new engine. Toyota has already made a concept version for a convertible FR-S, so we know that platform can be stiff enough to go without a roof. Now think about having some sexy Lexus body work on that chassis, coupled with that potent little turbocharged motor. The result would be a beautiful and sporty roadster that should easily stand up to the Z4 in the showroom. Horsepower numbers are almost identical, and thanks to the already lightweight underpinnings of the FR-S, the Lexus should undercut the Z4 on weight by a solid margin.
What does Club Lexus think? Should Lexus try to make a Z4 fighter, or should they spend their time putting that new turbo motor in something else? What other 200t models would you like to see? Sound off in the forum, and let us know.
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