It's listed on Lexus Canada that the new IS will have Drag Coefficient of 0.274. Does anyone else think this is amazing? How can it be so low with those side mirrors sticking out?

Will gas mileage be better since the drag is so low?

I was looking at my 98 SC400 official catalog and the drag on my car is 0.31 (I have the rear spoiler) 0.32 without the spoiler. My car has 290hp @ 6000 RPM, 300 lb-ft Torque. Mileage quoted as 19/25 City/Hwy. 0-60 is 6.3 sec.


Per Canada Lexus:
New IS 350 quoted at 310hp @ 6400 RPM, 280 lb-ft Torque

So what do you think about this low drag on the new IS? Is this low drag important or doesn't really matter? Why would Lexus go to extreme to make it this low?

A lower drag means higher top speed, better fuel mileage, and more importantly for a Lexus car, a quieter cabin. I'm glad Lexus has always made low drag a priority, even sometimes at the cost of blander styling.

The new IS's drag coefficient of 0.274 Cd is awesome. Heck it's even lower than the ES330's 0.28 Cd!

That is low. Its still shocking the giant LS 430 has a cd of .25.

Lexus has always been about building the TOTAL car. They were the first company to truly take low drag serious on EVERY car, not just sports cars. You say it will help gas mileage. Your damn right

Air is one of the biggest enemies to a car with weight. At low speeds, under 100mph (low lol) its more about weight. As speeds increase, you need less drag to help go faster.

That is why you should keep your car clean. Less dirt=less drag.

On top of better fuel economy, you get a much quieter car with less wind noise. We all know Lexus maybe the quietest BRAND in the world. Drag creates noise. A simple example is drive 60mph with the windows up, then drive the same speed with a window down! That is why engineers say its better and more fuel efficient to drive wtih the windows up with the A/C on instead of down with the A/C off. The drag hurts worse that the A/C

Its also a goal for engineers. It is very, very challenging to create lower drag. The C5/C6 Vette has drag under cd .30 but some are still not used to that flat but rear. The G35 sedan has some low drag but it requires the aero kit to help.

If you notice on thing about Lexus cars, they are not shaped like coke bottles like many cars. They are shaped in a TEARDROP, which is the most aerodynamic shape (taken from nature).

Its hard to see this shape from the side, front or rear. But looking from the top of a Lexus, you will see the front(Hood) is wider than the rear (trunk). Its very small but it is a teardrop.

The other thing is frontal area, that hurts drag.
The first-generation LS400 was quite respectable in its ability to move through the air, obtaining a drag coefficient of 0.29. The second-generation improved its Cd value to 0.28. The latest LS has attained a remarkable coefficient of 0.25. The key to the exceptional coefficient is underfloor airflow management. Toyota has devised a methodology whereby underfloor drag characteristics can be isolated from those of the whole car. Toyota's aerodynamicists are jealously guarding this measurement technology. For wind noise reduction, Toyota used the Japanese Railways (JR) advanced wind tunnel, whose background noise level is the lowest. (JR's famous "Bullet Express" train series is developed and tested in this tunnel.) All together, more than 400 h were spent in the tunnels for the LS430 aero-dynamic development, according to Toyota.

You guys are great, thanks

Another reason why I am excited about this car. So that means this car will be quiter than the ES, that is just amazing to think about that. I'm glad Lexus pay attention to this little details. So many little details all add up to an amazing machine when they finally put it all together & give the public a great vehicle.

I think with this quiet cabin Lexus is known for & this hp on the IS350, will make a perfect combination.

Slow down, XanaduSC. Wind noise is only a small part of the equation of a quiet cabin. Many other factors including sound-insulation materials, engine tuning and tire choice will also greatly affect the quietness of a cabin.

The ES will most likely always be quieter than the IS, though I see no problem for the IS to be the quietest among compact sport sedans.

The LS430 UL with air suspension is still the best of all with 0.25 coeff. of drag

yeah, lexus have really good drag coeff, that's one reason why they are so quiet at high speed. but the gs and the is with coeff from 0.27 to 0.29 that's ok

like others have said, the ls430 with coeff of 0.25, now call that a real art

SC430 has coeff.of drag of only 0.30, not bad at all, but not too good for a Lexus

Wow, 0.27 very nice...just like the 2006 GS.

Excellent indeed.

i think that would be a failure already, hehehe

Just for comparison purpose, the coefficient of drag for :

2005 BMW 3 series - 0.31
2005 BMW 645 - 0.30
2005 BMW 545 - 0.29
2003 Porsche 911 -0.34
2005 Porsche 911 - 0.28
2005 Mercedes SL500 - 0.29
2005 Mercedes CL500 - 0.28
2005 Mercedes S500 - 0.27
2005 Audi A8 - 0.27
Ferrari F360 Modena - 0.33
Ferrari F430 - 0.33
2005 Acura NSX - 0.30
2004 Aston Martin Vanquish - 0.35
2004 Aston Martin DB9 - 0.34
2005 Jaguar XKR - 0.35
2005 Cadillac XLR - 0.31
2005 Nissan 350Z - 0.30
2005 Infiniti G35 coupe - 0.28, 0.29 without aero
2005 Infiniti G35 sedan - 0.27

Wow the LS totally owns compared to the other cars. Now I want an LS430 just because of the Drag Coefficient. And all the other perks.

When I saw the commercials where they turn the car over and show the dimples on the underbody, I was in awe. Now that's detail. The commercial was cool as well in concept.

not bad. i guess the gs and is are kinda in line with other cars in the industry right now

the LS..... it's definitely in antoher class man

Why would the Infiniti sedan be lower drag than the coupe?

Seems the new IS has this over the 3 series. 0.274 vs 0.31 THAT IS A BIG DIFF.

That's the 05 BMW 330, the new 06 330 is slightly better, with a cd of 0.30