Wondering if anyone has any tips on how to find one of these. I take a look at Autotempest, Autotrader, Cargurus and local FB Marketplace posts. The annoying thing is that many of these search engines do not have a way to filter packages (and it's dependent on seller input), so I've taken to just putting in the VINs on Lexus Drivers to see what packages they have.

I just started looking, so I'm in no particular rush, given COVID I have no commute, but it does seem like they just don't pop up very much and it will inevitably be an out of state purchase. I'm in San Diego and the closest I've seen are a beautiful example that was sold in St. George, Utah and one currently for sale in Dallas, TX (though this one has an accident history which is why I'm not that interested).

I've not really seen any private sellers (except for our very own Gilmette selling his SE); it really does seem like they only pop up at dealers. All that being said, I'd love to hear from you all how to go about procuring a this lovely car that just doesn't exist in great numbers with a package that exists on even fewer!

 

For me I had a simple decision. I was tired of black interiors and wanted the Saddle interior and DRCC with PCS. No F sport was ever made with Saddle interiors (or DRCC, which is even rarer!). So, I found one (after searching for a year) with those options. I then retrofitted the fun F-Sport bits and then some (see signature for details).

This achieved 2 purposes. 1) I had the options and performance aspects that I wanted on my 350c. 2) ANY F-Sport would now have 10s of thousands of miles on it. By replacing all the suspension bits with new F-Sport stuff, I had a perfectly tuned/fresh driving experience without any wear.

I suggest you look into that route, as F-Sports are rare in general.

 

They are very rare in general. There were two limited F-Sport production builds in 2010 and 2011. It was around 100 units in 2010 and around 175 units in 2011. The F-Sport for 2010 came fully loaded with F-Sport accessories (exhaust, suspension, intake, engine cover, wheels, brakes, grille, blue F-Sport badging, etc.). For 2011 I'm not sure what it came with, but my favorite part was the two-toned black and red seats. All of the F-Sport models in the future years for this car are mostly trim based (like more modern Lexus').

Finding it is difficult, but I have seen the 2011 model on sale before (always out of state.... haha). I usually just Googled the special edition ISC for sale since they technically all come in the F-Sport trim.

I have the 2010 F-Sport edition, which I was fortunate enough to find in California, and it is definitely a very fun and comfortable daily. If you want to see the mods, my IG is @ischillin.

FYI for reference on limited editions:
For 2010 limited edition:
https://lexusenthusiast.com/2010/03/...eading-to-usa/

For 2011 limited edition:
https://lexusenthusiast.com/2011/02/...ecial-edition/


Instagram @ISCHILLIN F-Sport Limited Edition #63.

 

When I bought my ISC, I had a chance to buy instead a 2010 350C F Sport. I chose not to, because the normal one I bought was in better shape.

Although it would be nice to have an F Sport, here's what I honestly suggest:
1. Get the best condition, lowest mileage, newest year you can afford
2. Make sure it has full dealer service records and a clean carfax
3. Mod with F Sport OEM parts to your liking

Our cars arent track cars and convertibles are not track cars. That said, the ISC handles decently well for a covertible with proper performance tires. Mod with useful F Sport parts as you see fitting.

Personally, I'll be adding an F Sport intake soon and *maybe* an F Sport exhaust. Maybe an RR tune as well. I'd rather have sound and better straight line speed.

 

Thanks for the responses everyone. It's becoming clear that while the 350C with the F Sport package does exist, I'm struggling with the value proposition of buying one.

For example, there's a 2014 with the F Sport package for sale at a dealer - 21,064 miles for $36k.

There is also a 2013 in Ultrasonic Blue (which is probably my preferred color) with 65k miles for $23,500, but the service history is ehhh and it has an accident reported to the rear and side panel.

Back in 2018, I bought my CPO BMW m235i convertible with 13,500 miles for $29,500. Buying an older car with more miles for (potentially) more money is a tough pill to swallow - being that this is my first Lexus, I did not fully appreciate how slow the depreciation is! Maybe when I'm done with my IS 350C in 10 years I can get a 2021 LC 500

 

Wow, that's crazy those prices, I could sell my 2014 after 2 years, at a profit, lol.

I would suggest a F-Sport though esp if you come from a BMW (so do I). Unfortunately, in stock form, the ISC handles like a pig compared to a BMW. Overboosted no feel steering, it's sits too high so has a bad center of gravity and the body roll is almost criminal. With F-Sport bits though, it will be much more fun and have almost ZERO repair issues, forever. Hard to beat that!

 

I think I will just be patient. The used market is generally inflated right now. Saw another F Sport listed in Boise today - no accidents disclosed on the CarFax but checking the Lexus Drivers
maintenance history shows a rear accident that was causing uneven tire wear and a rattle. Just going to have to be patient to find a clean F Sport for a reasonable price!

 

Many other makes (BMW, Mercedes, Corvette) don’t have the build quality and dependability of Lexus.

I bought my 2010 IS350C Special Build because of this fact. A lot of the others have fatal flaws that may show up and ruin your ownership experience.

My F Sport responsiveness and turn-in is better than the stock seats can take. The upgrade I would do is adding seats with more bolstering. If I was keeping the car, I’d install seats from a newer F Sport Lexus. Also, the brakes are massively effective. It’s a great car.


Sample of F Sport front brakes. Massive 6 piston calipers manufactured by Stop Tech.

 

My 2010 may be for sale. White with 51k miles

 

Don’t be afraid of a car with an accident history. Lots of owners have car accidents and repair the car out of pocket. So you can be buying a car that has had an accident, but the owner didn’t tell you. If people are up front about it, I think that goes a long way and says they’re honest about the car.
Get a Pre-Purchase Inspection of any car whether or not it has had an accident. But don’t pass on cars you might buy. Investigate and research, and invest $150 for a PPI. Just my two cents.


What a great looking car. That Coupe shape, lowering springs and 19-inch wheels work really well together.

 

sent you a DM

 

the accident history doesn’t deter me as much as the distance - I’m in CA

 

When I ordered my 2014 350c, i wanted the F-sport package, but I also wanted the luxury package... Lexus did not offer BOTH.. you had to choose just one. So I went with the Lux package and figured I could bolt on the Fsport down the road if I wanted to... Never did, though. My thoughts are that most people who bought this car new were more interested in comfort and luxury than performance.

 

Yes, I suspect you are right. Did you ever look into the cost of adding the suspension, etc.? I still haven't bought a car and am eyeing just getting one with a luxury package and adding the important bits.

I was shopping 911s but I came back down to earth (and financial responsibility) heh.

 

When I did the F-Sport retrofit on mine, it was around 2700. I did the labor myself though. That included the entire F-Sport suspension, ISF -42 ECU and F sport intake. The suspension and ECU were probably the most important bits. The Intake gives a supposedly 3hp power bump (not noticeable), but it does sound a bit more throaty.

For me it made an enormous difference, esp. coming from BMWs and Porsches. But of course, still not as good of a driver as a BMW or Porsche, but about 7-8/10ths there. In stock form, it was around 4-5/10ths there.