teezlr

I'm inheriting a 2006 is250 original owner with 43,000 miles, lady driven, lexus maintained etc. This car will be my daily driver but I will take it to a few HPDE when I have time. If you have track experience first hand, I would like to hear about the cars potential and your experience. I understand the straigh line performance is lacking but the handling seems to be competitive. Since that is mostly what matters on a small road course I would like to see how it stacks up against other more powerful cars at the track. The F-Sport is250 claims a 0-60 braking in 109ft, 71 mph slalom...

Chime in if you have experience!

P.S. I have some track days under my belt and have owned around 30 used cars of all types.

A_Grasso

iTrader: (13)

I haven't been to the track but from what people have said in the past, front and rear fsport sway bars will help a lot and you can't go wrong with lowering springs or coil overs. Sounds like a lot of fun! Hoping to go one day myself

Kurtz

iTrader: (1)

Yeah get these things (and in this order IMHO):


Good sticky tires.

F-sport sway bars.

Coilovers.

It'll handle very very well.

teezlr

Awesome. I'm excited to surprise a few guys on the track with the under powered car. What coilovers do you run? Any lexus guys have a preference? Thanks

A_Grasso

iTrader: (13)

I have the Megan LP coil overs with spring rates of 12k front and 8k rear, along with the fsport rear sway bar, tanabe front under brace, and hankook Venus v12 tires. It handles 10x better than stock. If you have the money, get kw v3 coil overs since they're great track coils. If your budget is around 1k, I'd personally get a set of BC racing coil overs with spring rates of 16k front and 14k rear. That's if you're going to track it a lot though

iRock

iTrader: (12)

After hancook tires heat up they loose grip a lot faster. I had this problem when I did auto cross with mine. A buddy of mine that test tires noticed the same thing. I certainly can't recommend them for tracking purposes. For everyday driving they are adequate. If you are going to try to track the IS sway bars are a must. Good luck

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

not yet, want to someday. Probably do the 1/4 before tracking though

kinglexus99

Does the sway bar make a noticeable difference for daily driving? Its only ~$150 from sewell w/ the CL discount. I don't plan on taking my car to the track but would get one for daily driving improvement if its noticeable.

heyarms

iTrader: (5)

Done it once at autocross. At the time, stock shocks, s-tech springs, and 19" MRR wheels (it's since drastically changed).

My results are here (along with other cars that ran the same track, and an IS350). I blew a shock though during this event (it leaked for a month until it finally gave out completely).

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/is-...-cel-code.html

azndriver

Best bet if you are thinking of tracking your IS

seeing you have some track experience, I was going to suggest track / race school but seems you may not need it


So to start off simple:

sticker tires (Dunlop Star Spec Direzza)

larger rear sway bar
This rear sway bar kit and is adjustable (comes with everything links, bushings and sway bar)
http://www.sikky.com/view_item.php?id=162&catid=14

But for the is250...seems as well brakes need to upgraded, from other member who took an is250 to the track, brakes was an issue

so stainless steel lines, better brake pads (Hawk HPS+), Blank Rotors and ATE Super blue fluid would be a great upgrade and get you too stop...

Performance Alignment would be great as well...

for insurance sake, redline water wetter to help with cooling, i find that these isx50 does run somewhat hot...

An option for performance, seeing every little bit helps, F-sport intake box, AFE Super dry air filter and Joe-z intake pipe, to get a little more power all though stock should be enough for the time being...

that should be a nice and simple enjoyable track setup

dyongg

iTrader: (1)

VERY noticeable. Not sure about the front as I only have the rear but it's very noticeable. I'm sure other members will vouch for its usefulness as well if you ask!

A_Grasso

iTrader: (13)

^ yup! The rear sway makes a huge difference. You'll really notice it in cornering and cutting through traffic at higher speeds

NoHoIS350

Oh man here we go, I & it seems myself only that have replied so far have taken my IS350 to the track & beat the crap out of it, Type Is350 Chuckwalla & buttonwillow at youtube i posted videos.

IS250 has been done at a track day but it's slow for a track day. I took my IS350 to Buttonwillow, Once pretty much stock only thing added was a F-Sport sway, went fine. Then to Fontana with coils, Rear Sway, Slotted rotors & EBC Red pads for less break fade, Better. Then 4 times at chuckwalla with Hoosier R6's. Those tires are amazing.
With the Hoosiers on I could hang & beat a lot of cars, WRX stock, Mustangs 5.0/ Bad drivers haha & yes a E92 M3 tried to hang but he spun in the desert trying, Why, he had street tires on & couldn't stow down enough to make the turn, He came up to me after the session & goes "Dude I was trying to keep up & when we entered turn 1 I didn't see your brake lights & was like holy crap no way" Haha I looked in my rear view & watched him spin into the desert. Again would not be possible without Hoosiers. I also pushed & 400WHP WRX for 6 laps. (His brakes caught fire trying to beat me)he would pull on me out of the turn & down the straight but I would catch back up in the turn, WHY you guessed it tires. Really thou the IS350 is fun but just way to heavy. If you miss your breaking point your gonna spin. I have done it twice. Once it goes it gone. There is no warning I mean you know your gonna go but once it goes your like F! then it's tryn not to hit anything. I was lucky never ht anything
It was fun but my next IS (Sold this car) it will strictly be a daily driver.
On another side note, SO MANY here say the car doesn't handle, Yes you can make it handle better but really for everyday driving it handles fine really. How fast really are you going to go a normal streets. Yeah do it if you do a track day or 2 but even that is kinda pointless for just a few track days, spending money for what, When it comes down to it we are only doing coils for looks & sway for your mind to be right. I own a 2012 Camery now,(Family man) needed a car with more room & slower so I stopped getting tickets haha..I take this turn in my stock Camery almost the same speed as I did in my IS350 with coils & sway. How much faster do i need to go if you get loose at any faster speeds your gonna hit something & that wont be good. Kills me when i hear so many say the IS doesn't handle, sure it does just gotta be on the gas. Once the *** end settles it will stick.
I to was like most here believed the Lexus propaganda, but really go beat it up, really the IS is fine. Unless you take it to a track you will never push it to it's limits & if you are on normal streets say like Canyon roads your dumb it's gonna catch up to ya. It always does!

NoHoIS350

Haha really! to funny...& your prob the guy I am like Stuid A-Hole...haha..Yes the Sway does help but from my experiences, most think they are "Good" drivers then you put them on a track & they are not. Really the sway helps that much to swerve in traffic, haha wow, My wife had a stock IS250 & I had a modded IS350 I would drive her car & can tell you right now from again experience with a modded IS to a stock IS you can swerve in traffic, (Key word traffic speeds are what 30-50) just the same with a sway or without stock sway, haha now for turns, The sway does help but really only at HIGH speeds like taking a turn at 85 screaming the tires. Again won't do that on normal everyday roads. It does help with body roll but again if your doing quick turns like on a track. I wish i had my wifes IS250 I'd say lets go to the track I bet i would hand with you. You really don't know it's limits until you push to it, Can't do it on normal everyday roads, If you do your gonna end up in the weeds to really now it's limits. Until you find that point you really have no clue. Everyone thinks they do as i did but you can push the ISX50 MUCH MUCH father than you think yes even stock. Do they make it to help sure but is it really needed nope. Yes he was talking about track days & helping yes it will but to say what you said made me laugh... You can hate on me all you want could care less, Have a good day & enjoy the traffic

A_Grasso

iTrader: (13)

I never said it'll make you a better driver haha. Anyways, no offense taken