Snowrydr01

Hear me out first.

I have an is350 f sport rwd and cant help but think its a bit bland. Not because of its performance, it clearly takes off ramps at or nearly the same pace as my RX8 did and certainly accelerates faster but it just doesn't FEEL fun. Now i know fun can be described different to everyone.

Ive tried a couple different things, got rid of the garbage summer tires that came on it, once a week i try to drive the whole commute in sport plus and manual mode, put a Joe Z exhaust on it for some theater but it still does have the feel.

Its going to sound nuts but it actually felt more fun once i put the skinny 225 winter tires on 7.5 width wheels since i had less grip then before and actually had to try a bit in twisties.

When in warms up ill be putting the RR Racing bushings on the front to try to gain a bit of steering feel and turn in.

Anyone else feel this way and how did you correct it?

dnasians

iTrader: (4)

I feel that the under-steer of this car really dampens the liveliness of 300+ HP and pulling out of a turn. To correct this, install a beefy REAR sway bar. On turns, it is really noticeable

Snowrydr01

What sway did you put in? It doesn't like like too easy of an install on this car without dropping most of the rear.

I love an aggressive turn in. I had a square 275 set up on the RX8 and i could point that thing anywhere. I also have a race Kart that I occasionally get to a track with in the summer.

Im dying to build a miata to just drive the hell out of any maybe turn into an exocet and then maybe keep the lexus as the old man car instead of trying to turn it into something its not.

dnasians

iTrader: (4)

i think tanabe is working on something... but currently, only OEM options are available.

either swap in a RC350 rear sway or a TRD one.

MWIS350

Get some Afe intake and PPE header. That will add about 20 HP.

dnasians

iTrader: (4)

20hp? that seems a little high

edit: i found the dyno of a guy that has headers, intake and exhaust on a 2IS he got aprox 12hp
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...e-headers.html

iSuxeL

iTrader: (21)

20 isn't high. It should actually be over

MWIS350

I though he said 12hp with intake, midepipe, exhaust.

Snowrydr01

i dont think power is the cars week point. Although it does make you work to find it. Adding 12-20hp somewhere in the 5krpm range wouldnt necessarily make the car more "fun" on a daily basis unless you kept the revs high constantly. Even if you did rev it like a mad man i doubt you would feel too much of a difference. Now if you were talking about 20 more lbs of torque at 2k rpm then that would definitely make it feel more fun but that is unrealistic

Snowrydr01

i think at the core of my problem is the age old question of would you rather drive a fast car slow or a slow car fast?

When i track my 15hp 100lb race kart that holds 2.5G in a turn its ***** out fun even though 0-60 takes forever since its single speed

When i drive my 300hp 3700lb is3500 90mph on the freeway might as well be as fun as a recliner.

(Although i would pay money to have 30 minutes to just site on a recliner anymore with 2 little kids)

redspencer

iTrader: (1)

It sounds like you already have an idea on what upgrades to do to the IS350 to make it more of a fun vehicle to drive. Though the Lexus IS platform isn't tuner friendly when it comes to power mods, you can do a lot to the handling to make it a blast to drive. Here's a few recommendations that you and a few others have already noted:

- Beefier sway bars- Aftermarket options are limited but do some research to see if the sway bars from the RC350/RC-F/GS-F are compatible with the 3IS, particularly the rear sway bar.

- Upgraded front LCA bushings/housing- FIGS and RRRacing offer proven upgrades to further improve the direct steering feel and feedback from the tires.

- Wider/Stickier summer tires- This will likely have the largest impact to lateral grip you can sustain compared to all the other mods. You can also go a step further with lighter/wider wheels to compliment the tires.

- Coilovers- Track-tuned coilovers are another avenue you can take if you don't mind losing the instant variable suspension settings offered from the F-Sport package.

-Limited Slip Differential- I heard Cusco is working on a LSD for the 3IS. The 2016 RC350 F-Sport now includes a Torsen limited slip differential so that's an OEM option to consider if it's compatible with the 3IS.

You definitely don't need a 500+ HP car to have fun. Hope this helps!

JM Auto Racing

iTrader: (1)

Hey buddy,
shoot me a PM when you get this or a number. There is a decent amount of things you can get for this through us without hurting your wallet.

~Joe

Snowrydr01

I just Put Conti DW summers on in the fall. I was torn between them and Michelin but ive had the Conti DWS on all of my wifes cars so i figured id try them.

Im REALY trying to not go down a rabbit hole with the car.

This is the first time in around 10 years im down to a single car so when i start looking at the price of modifications the cost/reward starts to get skewed with the option option of a $3k manual 99 miata that would absolutely be fun to drive and could tinker with.

Snowrydr01

Thanks, PM sent

redspencer

iTrader: (1)

Sounds like you should go for the upgraded LCA bushings and a beefier rear sway bar.