Originally Posted by DaveGS4 (Post 2223499)

A Request and Message to ALL 2IS Forum Members:

Over the last few months the moderator team has noticed an issue with the 2IS forum.... while this forum has been growing rapidly both in members and post activity, it is not experiencing a similar growth in sense of community. What makes Club Lexus a special place is that our members nearly always are mature, we help each other out and work through their differences like adults. We forge friendships with those we've never met and those that we connect with at local CL meets.

Lately there has been an increase in unprovoked personal attacks, rude comments and a general lack of respect for one another in the 2nd Gen IS model forum.

These activities will not continue. We will regain our sense of community in the 2IS forum, starting now. If you want to post in order to simply flame other members or be an e-thug, it's time for you to find another forum.

HOW? We're going to accomplish this on in two ways...

Stop the bleeding
1) informing members of this request, asking for their help
2) increased moderator presence and attention in the 2IS forum
3) better education about our forum rules including personal attacks and response to comments ((click here to review them) and stricter enforcement via recorded 'infractions' for members who break them
4) use of temporary 24 hour or 1 week ban from the forum as cool off periods after ignoring warnings
5) permanent bans for continued offenses against our community rules where appropriate

Resuscitate the breathing
1) better communication on sense of community and of use of the search feature to new joiners in their welcome email
2) nomination of additional moderators to monitor the 2IS forum and help members
3) update of the 2IS FAQ forum to help cut down on any repetitive Q&A


WE NEED YOUR HELP

Help grow the sense of community by:

• Before you hit the 'post reply' button, consider if your reply is adding to the community or detracting from it. If it's purely negative, don't post.
• Thicken your skin, be 'better than that'. Don't respond angrily to a rude post. Rise above it, don't respond or use the 'report a post' https://www.clublexus.com/forums/ima...ons/report.gif button to notify moderators of an issue
• Pitch in to welcome and help recent joiners. Refer them to the FAQ or information they're looking for
• Contribute to the knowledgebase of the forum as you can through DIY posts and helping others

I'd also like to ask each and every one to stop telling new members to 'use search' without helping them search by also telling them what keywords to look for and giving them a couple of links to helpful threads. Welcome them.

If you get an infraction or a temporary 24 hour or one week ban, please take the warning seriously. Don't come back angry and complaining and don't pick up in the same thread doing the same thing. We're using this method to try and provide 'cooling off' time when needed. Warnings sent in private and public just don't seem to be doing enough to discourage some of the recent behaviour here... we will show some folks the door if they can't participate in a mature manner that enhances our community instead of destroying it.
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Thank you for taking the time to read this message. We'll accept feedback on this thread for a short while, then it will be pruned and left as a sticky in this forum for a period of time.

Originally Posted by vraa (Post 2220751)

I want to beat my face in.

BTW - the M3 was 54k$. The C32 was the same. Give or take a few grand. The C55 was a lot more, and the RS4 was similairly priced. I would be suprised if the ISF is 70k$ bone stock, but I imagine that price is final drive out. That would be wickedly badass.

Originally Posted by pearl350 (Post 2226125)

I rather spend $70k on a LEXUS instead of some broken down BMW. I hate BMW...or any Euro car for that matter. Not worth the hassle of maintenance and repairs...

Originally Posted by NotFatBoy (Post 2226852)

vraa, a couple of comments for you.

1) you say that porsche is a has been... have you driven the 997? The 997 is by far the best porsche ever made (even hardcore 993 proponents agree). While the Turbo has become increasingly heavy, the 997 S and especially the 997 GT3 are sports cars for the true enthusiast. I would take a 997 GT3 over a F430 in a heartbeat. Why?

I think the V8 Ferraris have gotten less and less desirable. I'd take an F355 Berlinetta 6spd over a 360 Modena Berlinetta 6spd over an F430 Berlinetta 6spd. First off, still no mass-produced V8 Ferrari sounds as good as the F355 with the Ti Tubi exhaust. Second, the V8 customer has really "grown apart" from the rest of the lineup in a way that wasn't true in the F355 years. I knew several people who owned F355's and 550's (or 575's)... some owning them at the same time. The new cars are not this way (except for a few 599 owners in the Trofeo series, I guess?). The V8 cars (and their owners) have, I think, become the second-class citizens of Ferrari... and that's a shame, since the V8 cars are the "gateway drug" of the brand, the path toward ownership of the proper cars with the twelve cylinders up front. The 911 is simply too competent, too good, too well-rounded, and doesn't need to try hard at all... meanwhile, the F430 tries so hard (even to the point of deleting those more frequent service appointments to help you love it), screams so loud, and still impresses no one. The GT3 sends all the right messages -- to the driver and to the lucky bystanders watching it fly by.

2) you mentioned "The problem with Audi's RS4 is that Audi as a brand name wasn't big because there was no previous solid A4/S4/RS4." This is incorrect. The first A4 (B5 chasis) debuted in 1996. The first S4 (C4 chasis) was produced from 1992-1994 and the second iteration (B5 chasis) came in late 1999 (I owned a 2001 B5 S4 and it was fantastic). The RS4 was produced in 2000 (B5 chasis) and 2001. The most current RS4 (B7 chasis) certainly has a devout following, building on the brilliance of the original B5 RS4. The B8s are around the corner

Also, in general (not directed to vraa), as far as the IS500 is concerned, it better be able to keep up with the new M3, as this is going to be one incredible machine. The RS4 surely trounces the e46 M3 but def has it's work cut out for it against the new one. The IS500 needs to come ready to play. I own an IS350 and while it is a great daily driver it does nothing to stir the soul... the porsche on the other hand..... wow