The Lexus IS-F finally made its Top Gear appearance this weekend, competing against the BMW M3:

Also part of the episode was the Stig pushing the IS-F around the Top Gear track:

The results were a forgone conclusion, I can’t imagine anyone’s all that surprised that Jeremy Clarkson preferred the BMW M3 over the IS-F. However, the IS-F made a surprisingly good showing, Clarkson was genuinely impressed, and I certainly wasn’t expecting that.

As always, it’s a great video — but be sure to watch it quickly, as Top Gear clips don’t remain on Youtube for long.

(Thanks Hube!)

Car And Driver has posted a short and sweet review of the Lexus LX 570 which might very well sum up both the good and the bad:

Never has it been more politically incorrect to sing the praises of a passenger vehicle that weighs 6180 pounds, attains observed fuel economy of 14 mpg, and costs $75,465. Poor Toyota. A perfect trifecta of bad timing.

Which is a little embarrassing for us because every C/D editor who drove the new LX570 came back to the office, looked sheepishly at his shoes, then said in a small voice, “Holy crap, I love that thing.”

Drive solo in this behemoth and enviro-conscious citizens give you the stink eye, as if you’ve fired up an unfiltered Camel in the produce section of Whole Foods. Which is a shame because the LX570 may well be the most desirable SUV on the planet.

There’s no doubt that with the current oil crisis plus the economic climate, the LX dips alarmingly into the obscene. The fact that it’s so brilliantly executed certainly confuses the issue, but in all honesty, the LX as it exists now won’t be able to last. (Personally, I’m going to enjoy it for as long as I can.)

Youtube user bajabusta is back with another round of Lexus clips from Motorweek, this time a review of the then-newly released GS 400:

The last-gen GS is still a great looking car, but this video really demonstrates just how much the LCD screen improved the interior. The inside of the featured test-model doesn’t look much improved over the original LS interior, but add a touchscreen and the difference is astounding:

That’s a shot of the 2000 2001 GS interior, which looks modern even now, though the tendency nowadays is to have a much more gradual slope.

The latest issue of Winding Road magazine has a feature article that brings together the new class of Japanese performance cars for a test drive through Tokyo, and the Lexus IS-F is rewarded with a large helping of praise:

The IS-F is almost as striking as the GT-R. The bulbous nose that struggles to contain its 50-liter 416-horsepower V8 hasn’t won it any friends in Europe, but, when I see it, all I can think of is the bullet train that rolled under my hotel window at 5 a.m. this morning.

It’s a great read accompanied with a nice assortment of photos. I’m always impressed by the presentation of the monthly magazine, and this article is no exception.

Edmunds has went ahead and pitted the Lexus GS 350 against the brand new Hyundai Genesis, resulting in a mismatch that places far too much emphasis on the pricetag:

So the Genesis is a large, rear-drive luxury sedan that’s priced like a smaller front-drive one — at 195.6 inches long it’s just 2.4 inches shorter overall than Lexus’ flagship LS 460, but the $33,000 base price for the V6-powered Genesis is more than a grand cheaper than the base price of the entry-level ES 350. There isn’t really anything directly comparable to the Genesis at Lexus or, for that matter, at any other manufacturer.

As tested, the GS 350 came fully equipped at $49,670. The Genesis showed up with a $4,000 Technology package and a $42,000 sticker. That’s a thick $7,670 price difference, in case you haven’t already made the calculation yourself. Yet the Genesis essentially matched the Lexus luxury for luxury, gizmo for gizmo.

Basing a vehicle’s value entirely on the MSRP is faulty for so many reasons — consider the residual value, which will favor the Lexus heavily. If the Lexus maintains 50% of its value over three years, and the Hyundai only 40%, the initial price difference will be reduced by more than half.

Now factor in Lexus’ superior customer service, Hyundai’s unfamiliarity with luxury customers, and the better fuel efficiency of the GS 350’s V6 (5.3 mpg better). What’s left?

Motor Trend has wrapped up their year-long stay with the Lexus LS 460L, which had its share of ups and downs:

…our staffers lauded the interior’s rich ambiance and excellent ergonomics, the buttery V-8’s power and acceleration, and the first-rate bumper-to-bumper build quality. And with an eight-speed automatic transmission, it didn’t force us to visit the gas pump that frequently. Over its year stay, the LS delivered an impressive 18.7 mpg, highlighted by a best tank average of 30.2 mpg.

As we spent more time behind the LS’s wheel, however, our admiration shifted to dissatisfaction…Complaints ranged from minor grumbles (”Side mirrors are too small”) to major grievances (”If you’re a driver, you’ll just find the whole experience numb and uninvolving. There is no emotion to this car. None”), all of which made us wish Lexus had produced more of a driver’s car than a curtailed limousine. “Too soft” and “floaty” were common notebook entries, as was, “more wind noise than I expected.”

I always find myself bristling when I read complaints about “numb steering” and “uninvolved driving”, but then I remember that I’m reading a car magazine and that’s what they do. Nothing’s perfect, after all. (But seriously, new tires and brake pads at 20K? The car’s a limousine, not a track-star.)