I believe they do. But it starts from the ground up. Lexus was limited to the constraints of the IS. Although they eluded to the fact the "rogue" engineers could do whatever they wanted. The reality is they could not or they would have designed an entirely new car. They did a good job for what they had to work with.

 

Fingers crossed and hope pricing would be "low" as well.

 

Doesn't Lexus say this on every new model they introduce?? Well, for that matter, just about every manufacturer claims this when introducing a new model.

 

From what I've seen here, people will also flock to the IS-F because of brand image. People are going nuts over it, and it hasn't even been released yet.

...which is a cop-out. They know that they still have to make it a Lexus, which means softer suspension, less feel, less noise making its way into the cabin.

Compared to a Corolla or Camry, sure. But compared to its competition, it handles poorly. Again, soft suspension, lack of feedback to the driver, and too much weight.

I'm afraid, for Lexus' sake, that the rules they break will result in a car that won't be classified as a performance car.

 

compared to which competition cause the new 335i is a bloated pig. And btw the Corvette outsells the 335i.

that's the difference between enthusiasts who want a sports car, and poseurs who care what Car and Driver tells them.

 

LeftLane News
Lexus will price the 2008 IS-F sports car somewhere around $50,000, according to Lexus insiders contacted by Edmunds. A price in this range would make the IS-F only slightly more expensive than the soon-to-be-replaced $48,900 BMW M3.

Lexus might be attempt to undercut the next-generation M3, which rumors have suggested will be considerably more expensive. However, a report in August suggested BMW was eyeing a $53,975 price tag for the next M3, which is a small premium over the old model than originally anticipated.

 

The Corvette better outsells the 335i, because 335 just came out in like what, October or November of 2006? I don't even know why you bring up the Corvette because it's in a totally different genre.

How many Vette owners out there who has the Vette as their only car? There are enthusiasts out there who have to make compromise, e.g., can only own one car, need rear seat space, need a real trunk, etc. The 335i is probably the best answer to those who need to compromise.

 

the bmw 335i may be a bloated pig, but BMW sure knows how to match its weight with the right suspension and balance. Weight is an issue if the suspension cannot back it up. Still a good reason why a BMW M5 outpeforms the Lexus GS430 in handling, despite it's weight

 

LOL.. the 335I is a bloated pig?? Perhaps, someone here has never driven a 335I That pig can sure handle with finess and flair compared to the Is350. I do like the IS350 a great deal, but it reallly does not feel like a solid piece of granite compared to the 335i.. Nubergring vids of the IS350 & 335I in action is somewhere in web world

 

The Enzo comes in a nicer red than the IS350 does. So what.

The 335 is a bloated pig, I agree. But at least BMW knows how to suspend the thing so it still handles well.

 

I forgot you are a prophet and can predict the future.

 

This is type of the tone/comment that just got me banned from the forum for 2 weeks.

If you read my comment again, you'll see that I didn't state anything as fact. So I'm not sure what you're upset about.

 

Actually it was because of "that tone" in many many posts, along with ignoring moderators requests.

I will ask Hameed to please keep it impersonal when making his response to your comment

 

Compared to its competition? What exactly is its competition? Audi S4? Nope, IS out handles it. Infinity G? Nope, IS out handles it. MBZ C? Nope, IS out handles it. Jaguar S Type? Nope, IS out handles it. Acura TL? Nope, IS out handles it. What are the competitors that you speak of that put the IS in it's place??

 

LOL!!

That's a bold statement right there. Are you referring to the IS-F and if so where did you get this information? Or are you referring to the IS350? If so... well, I'd love to see what info you're basing this on... and please don't just give me skidpad ratings as that is not in the least an effective standalone measurement of handling, especially with the varied test setups and conditions out there.