1sickreview- 2012 lexus is f
10-26-12, 01:44 PM
#16
The thing is the chassis of the FRS and GS (and even LFA to some extent) is begging for MORE POWER JIM!!! 
The IS F is a highly modified car to make it all work and you can tell the difference compared to the GS which clearly was engineered to offer best in class handling out the box. These new vehicles are so good they simply could use a higher power engine to truly make them mind blowing.
I understand in most cases most won't drive like that, its worse for MPG and they won't sell as much. I get that. I also get there are a small core group of nuts that need to be pleased as those people can drive a brand.
Heck it doesn't even need to be a V-8 I guess cause the GT-R makes like 550hp from a turbo V-6
The IS F is a highly modified car to make it all work and you can tell the difference compared to the GS which clearly was engineered to offer best in class handling out the box. These new vehicles are so good they simply could use a higher power engine to truly make them mind blowing.I understand in most cases most won't drive like that, its worse for MPG and they won't sell as much. I get that. I also get there are a small core group of nuts that need to be pleased as those people can drive a brand.
Heck it doesn't even need to be a V-8 I guess cause the GT-R makes like 550hp from a turbo V-6
when you have a good chassis, it makes everything else easier and it will inspire driving. drivers will feel more confident in pushing their cars. when you have a platform that's lacking, you can do a lot of things and tweaks to make it better, but it will still come with that feeling of "umm seems like it's at the edge already"
10-26-12, 05:22 PM
#17
recently had an opportunity to drive two IS-F's back-to-back: a MY2008 and a MY2010. i've driven other IS-F's before, but this was something a bit more unique. that, and i'm still looking for my next car.
or am i? oh, i digress.
the MY2008 variant seemed to respond to nearly every single road imperfection. the steering, while noticeably heavier than my IS350 (with and without the popular steering damper mod), was manageable, though it required a touch more grip to not allow the IS-F become a victim of bump steer.
jumping into the MY2010 variant, right away on the drive i could tell how much consideration the lexus engineers gave to the suspension. jarring bumps and uneven parts of the road weren't as rough. the chassis felt more solid, though it was still equally responsive to steering inputs.
straight line performance-wise, both cars were identical. casually driven, the IS-F's 5.0-liter V8 is silky smooth from idle to 3500 RPMs, and up-/downshifts in D were very smooth, though when i really paid attention i could tell that the IS-F was hunting for the right gear depending on how much throttle input i gave it. the fun comes in manual mode and above 3500 RPMs. transmission response was lightning fast and got you to the gear as fast as you could say "8-speed-auto-what?" the rev-matching downshifts were a blast: keep the RPM's rocketing back up past 3500 RPM's and the IS-F reminds you that it's got a big ol' honkin' V8 under the hood.
all the knocks on the IS-F are legitimate. yes, the interior seems dated. yes, the exterior styling isn't exactly subtle. yes, the IS-F is going on five years old, and the chassis it's on is going on seven. yes, it could use wider tires in the rear AND the front. yes, the suspension in the MY2008 IS-F is suitable for short daily commutes. and yes, maybe it does have one or two more gears than necessary.
but all of that kind of goes away when you mash the throttle and bring the 5.0-liter V-8 past 3500.
or am i? oh, i digress.
the MY2008 variant seemed to respond to nearly every single road imperfection. the steering, while noticeably heavier than my IS350 (with and without the popular steering damper mod), was manageable, though it required a touch more grip to not allow the IS-F become a victim of bump steer.
jumping into the MY2010 variant, right away on the drive i could tell how much consideration the lexus engineers gave to the suspension. jarring bumps and uneven parts of the road weren't as rough. the chassis felt more solid, though it was still equally responsive to steering inputs.
straight line performance-wise, both cars were identical. casually driven, the IS-F's 5.0-liter V8 is silky smooth from idle to 3500 RPMs, and up-/downshifts in D were very smooth, though when i really paid attention i could tell that the IS-F was hunting for the right gear depending on how much throttle input i gave it. the fun comes in manual mode and above 3500 RPMs. transmission response was lightning fast and got you to the gear as fast as you could say "8-speed-auto-what?" the rev-matching downshifts were a blast: keep the RPM's rocketing back up past 3500 RPM's and the IS-F reminds you that it's got a big ol' honkin' V8 under the hood.
all the knocks on the IS-F are legitimate. yes, the interior seems dated. yes, the exterior styling isn't exactly subtle. yes, the IS-F is going on five years old, and the chassis it's on is going on seven. yes, it could use wider tires in the rear AND the front. yes, the suspension in the MY2008 IS-F is suitable for short daily commutes. and yes, maybe it does have one or two more gears than necessary.
but all of that kind of goes away when you mash the throttle and bring the 5.0-liter V-8 past 3500.
10-27-12, 08:53 AM
#18
Lexus Fanatic
The IS-F is a cool car and has good performance numbers and is a nice upgrade over the a regular IS350.
On the other side of the coin, the IS is kinda old.
I can't wait to see what the next gen IS-F has in store.
On the other side of the coin, the IS is kinda old.
I can't wait to see what the next gen IS-F has in store.
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