GFerg

This IS the future


Confucius says, man who drinks tea with Lexus must fight through corporate claptrap

Lexus is playing a very big hand right now. Stuck in the shadow of Europe's main players for over a decade, the brand traditionally slighted as the poor man's Mercedes was ripe for reinvention.

It opened the bidding with the all-new GS this summer, but compact saloons are where the stakes are highest. Time to throw down the trump card, the new IS.

The push is further away from parent company Toyota and directly towards not just the luxury of Mercedes, but also BMW's hallowed reputation for driving dynamics.

While that's a big ask of anyone, the fact that Lexus is backed by the world's most successful car conglomerate means big budget and access to plenty of know-how.

The proof of how seriously Lexus is meeting the challenge stretches beyond a radical new look for the IS. This time - and for the first time ever for a Lexus - there's a fleet-focused diesel in the line-up, plus a lengthy period of ride and handling development at the notoriously demanding Nürburgring.

The new Lexus design philosophy entitled 'L-Finesse' is at the heart of the restyled and re-engineered IS. The old car was originally penned as the Japan-only Toyota Altezza, but the next generation comes out of an entirely separate design division.

Managing Officer of Lexus Global Design, Wahei Hirai, describes, "a journey to refocus Lexus design based on two factors that we believe define both the history and future of Lexus: the intensity of being at the 'leading edge' and the depth of 'finesse'."

Which adds up, in the alternate universe that is car designer speak, to L-Finesse, a subject on which Mr Hirai can wax lyrical: "L-Finesse is the philosophy that has driven the change in Lexus design towards a more contemporary, dynamic position in the premium market. Drawing from Japanese aesthetic values, we have created a new dynamism based on the visual contrast between simplicity and elegance."

If that doesn't get anyone much closer to exactly what L-Finesse is all about, some practical examples may help.........

The rest of the article is found HERE.

maz

Nice article. Is that an LED light in the engine bay?

encore888

Thx for the link...

...the article is very reflective and seems to portend good news for the IS.

Vladi

IS250 Sport will also be available sometime next year in Europe.

It should have VDIM, Sport Tuned Suspension and Paddle Shifters.

flipside909

Yes it is. Illuminates when you open the hood. This was briefly mentioned to us during our time with the car. Obviously we couldn't see it during the bright daylight when they popped the hood.

Gojirra99

Just read that article on the newstand the other day, it's more of a preview. I think there's another article (or is it another Euro mag. CAR ?) about how Lexus is getting big in Russia too . . .

XeroK00L

220bhp eh... Now that's 5 more bhp than the 325i's 215bhp. I wonder if it's really tuned differently than in the other markets or is it just because of a different measurement method?

Richie

Can't wait to get a drive in one.

bscottj

The headlights on that silver IS250 look sweet at that angle, almost as if the light sockets are not chrome anymore, but some kind of black chrome. It's beatiful with the silver paint!

ilitig8

DIN probably means 3 more HP in Europe plus they may put the cats farther from the engine (some marques put them closer in the USA for quicker firing) which may be 3-10 more HP.