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2014 Lexus IS Test Drive Reviews...!!! Photos & Videos from Media and Press

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Old 03-14-13, 12:05 PM
  #16  
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Originally Posted by rominl
Great event and so awesome of Lexus to host such an exclusive test drive. Definitely hope they continue this trend!!!
Its a press day no? Exclusive to the entire press and non lexus owners it seems
 
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Old 03-14-13, 12:05 PM
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There are at least a dozen 2014 IS's at this Media / Press Event....




Originally Posted by Appleman
What color is the 2nd from the top? it almost looks like matte black.
^^^ The one you mentioned is for sure "Nebula Gray Pearl"...

Check the below out as well..

Originally Posted by Joe Z
First Look: 2014 Lexus IS colors (updated with known US Spec names)

Pearl White (077)
Ultra White (083)
Nebula Gray Pearl (1H9)
Silver Lining Metallic (1J4)
Sonic Titanium (1J7)
Obsidian Black (212)
Stargazer Black Metallic (217)
Matador Red Mica (3R1)
Ultrasonic Blue Mica (8U1)
Deep Sea Mica (8V3)





2014 Lexus IS250 / IS350 / IS300h Interior Options




~ Joe Z
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Old 03-14-13, 12:15 PM
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Originally Posted by Blueprint
Its a press day no? Exclusive to the entire press and non lexus owners it seems
yes, and it is great that clublexus, my.is, and tle are all invited as well. it's great way for lexus to reach out to more people. a good detail review should be on its way given this opportunity
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Old 03-14-13, 12:18 PM
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while at it, here are few pics posted on clublexus fb page (likely by flipside)





Last edited by rominl; 03-14-13 at 12:24 PM.
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Old 03-14-13, 01:09 PM
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Deep Sea Mica looks so sweet!!

Can't wait to read all these reviews.
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Old 03-14-13, 01:45 PM
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Originally Posted by rominl
yes, and it is great that clublexus, my.is, and tle are all invited as well. it's great way for lexus to reach out to more people. a good detail review should be on its way given this opportunity
Yeah I texted them all......
 
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Old 03-14-13, 01:56 PM
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So correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like this picture above of f sport interior has no ML, no cooled ventilated seats and no luxury pkg (no buttons to the left of steering to indicate sunshade etc..) I wonder if this is an indication of what we will most likely see at dealers lots.

Can you provide an interior shot of the deep sea blue mica in the first row, it appears to have front parking sensors (which is indication of lux pkg, what color interior, it looks like a non f sport 250 or 350?
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Old 03-14-13, 02:46 PM
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Originally Posted by Xanadu350
So correct me if I'm wrong but it looks like this picture above of f sport interior has no ML, no cooled ventilated seats and no luxury pkg (no buttons to the left of steering to indicate sunshade etc..) I wonder if this is an indication of what we will most likely see at dealers lots.

Can you provide an interior shot of the deep sea blue mica in the first row, it appears to have front parking sensors (which is indication of lux pkg, what color interior, it looks like a non f sport 250 or 350?
I can assure you within 10 days we will be bombarded with "First Drive", "First Impressions", "Official Reviews" and "World's First...." in Magazines, Articles, Websites.. etc...etc....

Tons of Write-ups, Photos & Videos are being processed as we speak....

~ Joe Z
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Old 03-14-13, 04:44 PM
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Very nice Joe.

I was able to sit in the 3IS at Lexus HQ in Torrance several weeks ago. But, glad to see they have started the test drives now for media.
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Old 03-14-13, 05:18 PM
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Whoa! This is awesome. Can't wait to read the review.

I'm eyeing the Neb. gray (mercury?)/USB/Midnight blue

Originally Posted by Blueprint
Interesting...looks like I need to just take my name off the buying list..... thanks Lexus
Can you explain this???? Me don't get it
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Old 03-14-13, 07:20 PM
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nice joe, thanks for sharing!!!
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Old 03-14-13, 09:33 PM
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Originally Posted by bitkahuna
nice joe, thanks for sharing!!!
No problem...!!! "Sharing is caring"

The "TLE" mentions the press reviews are Embargoed till 3/25/13

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Old 03-15-13, 01:27 AM
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Originally Posted by Blueprint
Interesting...looks like I need to just take my name off the buying list..... thanks Lexus
I'm a bit slow. Did you see something in those photos that were a deal-breaker in terms of buying the new IS?
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Old 03-15-13, 10:18 AM
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Here is a couple of quick views of the Track location in Austin & different possibe lay outs...











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Old 03-15-13, 10:55 AM
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Thumbs up Lexus' “Drive Meister”
Several media outlets also mentioned having a Lexus "Driver Meister" on hand at the event giving Hot Laps...

This Lexus Japan Drive Meister is Yoshiaki Ito..!!

His most recent work involves the 2013 GS as well...

Originally Posted by Lexus Magazine October 2011



Question: Does the 2013 Lexus GS, with its LFA-inspired design cues, drive like it looks?

Recently, I traveled to the Shibetsu Proving Ground in Japan with Lexus Drive Meister Yoshiaki Ito to find out, as well as do a little personal, unofficial comparison between the new GS 350 and its hybrid counterpart, the new GS 450h.

This Lexus testing track is going to give me a feel for the models’ new performance modes, SPORT S (enhanced powertrain) and optional SPORT S+ (enhanced powertrain plus enhanced adaptive variable suspension, steering system, and vehicle stability control), as well as the cars’ behavior in long, foot-to-floor straights, fast double-lane changes, and high-speed S-turns.

TAKE-OFF/ACCELERATION: Blasting off first in the GS 350, in SPORT S+ mode, the response from the GS 350’s engine is instant and smooth, accompanied by a deep roar and a throaty burble that, frankly, I’ve not heard in the previous model.



Ito explains: “The new GS 350’s exhaust note is a natural, dynamic response, but it’s also optimized. For the first time, we’ve enhanced engine and exhaust notes via the air intake and exhaust systems.”

The GS 450h take-off, though, with its V6 engine, is a revelation. The previous GS Hybrid had a pretty seamless pick-up from a standstill, but this is altogether more raw, more primal, as if the car had a much bigger engine under the hood.

As with the gas model, I’m in Sport S+, the instrument panel glows red, and as the hybrid builds speed, I can feel the G-forces pushing me deep into the driver’s seat. Ito points out that Lexus purposely spent much time working with the hybrid’s two-motor system “to create a far richer feel.”

RAPID DECELERATION, FAST CORNERING: The hybrid offers fine times with its manual-style paddle shifters and heightened responsiveness in SPORT S mode. But I confess to enjoying the gas version slightly—only slightly—more in this section.

On this part of the track, I begin by engaging the car in SPORT S+ mode along a 90-plus mph straight before dropping to 50 and then 40 in the apex of a corner. The vehicle holds firm right through the bend, no auto upshift or downshift to spoil the fun.

It gets better. In a second time through, I select the manual paddle-shift control, like a race driver. As I power into the corner, I give the right paddle a gentle pull, the car downshifts with a throaty growl, aka “blip,” and the car decelerates under engine-braking into the corner. It’s a thrill. Likewise with the super-quick upshifts.

“This is technology that shows what we’re trying to achieve with the new GS,” Ito tells me. “It’s a new kind of dynamism, heightened responsiveness, more enjoyment.”

HIGH-SPEED S-TURNS: In this section of the track, I keep both vehicles in SPORT S+ mode and approach the track’s S-turns at around 85 mph. In both cars, and in equal measure, my line holds true as I sweep through the bends. Crucially, I can “feel” the road through each car’s steering wheel. I’m connected, but it’s quiet. Very Lexus.

“The Electronic Power Steering helps to ensure this sense of directness and security,” Ito explains. “Greater body strength also plays a part. The new GS is 14 percent more rigid, and we used human senses, via test-driving, to determine the ideal rigidity for the best driver experience. We’ve also maximized the effectiveness of the Adaptive Variable Suspension while also making progress with the articulation index [the ability to hear speech in the car], thanks to a new A-pillar design and revised door seals.”

DOUBLE-LANE CHANGE: Here, the hybrid is the most memorable for me. Driving the GS 450h down the track, I switch to normal mode, drop my speed to 45 mph and then power up to 90. Acceleration is again impressive. Then it’s into a series of fast but well-controlled double-lane changes. The turn in is sharp but smooth, with well-poised body control. Another lap, this time in SPORT S+ mode, and the sense of precision is even better.

Again, Ito provides the back story: “‘Passing acceleration’ in the GS Hybrid wipes away any idea that eco means compromised performance. In the U.S., passing acceleration is measured between 30 to 50 mph, which the GS Hybrid dispatches in 3 seconds.”

HIGH-SPEED STRAIGHT: My take on this section of the course was pretty simple: Accelerating through the track’s long straightaway, both the GS 350 and GS 450h show exceptional control as I power up to 110 mph to test out what Ito calls Lexus’ concept of “aerodynamic handling.”

“We’ve worked ‘with’ the wind,” Ito explains. “You can see it in the sculpted lines of both cars’ exteriors but also sense it through their road-hugging drives and quiet cabins at high speeds, thanks to their aerodynamic underbodies and special stabilizing fins.”
Enjoy,

~ Joe Z
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