Lexus IS-F: 1st Generation

David Booth, a columnist with Canada's National Post, has posted up his latest column comparing the Lexus IS-F with the Nissan GT-R, and it's just as expertly written and to the point as I've come to expect:

With the IS-F, you have time to prepare for the acceleration as the big 5.0-litre V8 gathers itself and builds up steam. If the Lexus feels like it's being pushed out of the way by a 130-kilogram NFL lineman on his way to get a fresh libation from a scantily clad Budweiser girl, the Nissan feels like said Budweiser girl is his girlfriend and he smacked you, full-force, upside the head with a telephone book because he thinks you're hitting on her.

It's not that the Lexus is slow. Au contraire; it's roughly as quick as BMW's M3, which is plenty quick. It's just that if you're going to play with the GT-R, you'd better have one of those new supercharged ZR1 Corvettes or the very latest, 560-hp Lamborghini Murcielago.

The IS-F is as sporty as Lexus can make it without sacrificing one iota of luxury; the GT-R is as luxurious as Nissan can engineer it without sacrificing even a bit of performance. The IS-F is a slightly softer competitor to BMW's M3; the GT-R is a stiffer, more committed alternative to Porsche's 911 Turbo.

With both of these cars coming out of Japan and retailing within the same ballpark, it's inevitable that comparisons be made. However, Booth's last paragraph there accurately sums up the real competition and keys directly into the bigger picture -- the Japanese have reset their eyes on performance, big time.

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.

In terms of sheer entertainment, this clip from Fifth Gear judging the Lexus IS-F and the BMW M3 by how high they get a woman's heartrate is pure dead brilliant:

A very enjoyable piece (and it's duly noted that Tiff has to cheat at the end to get the M3 above the IS-F).

Update: Didn't realize there was two parts to this comparison. Updated to reflect that.

UK's Car Magazine has put in their video vote in the Lexus IS-f/BMW M3/Mercedes C63 race, and it's probably the least qualitative comparison yet:

I'm all for a little character in car reviews, but not to this extent. The gimmicks and poor lap timing method detract from an otherwise enjoyable watch. Surely this isn't how they actually test cars...

Road & Track has dared to compare the Lexus IS-F, BMW M3, the Mercedes C63 and the Audi RS4 in the latest of the super sedan shootouts. As has often been the case, the Lexus IS-F put in a good showing but was still relegated to last place:

Nobody likes to finish off the podium, but it's not as bad as it might seem for the first Lexus to wear the stylized "F" — and the first Lexus capable of decidedly "non-Lexus" performance in the vein of the BMW M3. Its explosive 0–60 and quarter-mile times of 4.2 and 12.6 seconds put it second in the test, just a tick slower than the Mercedes. A slalom weave of 70.9 mph also puts it in second, behind the BMW.

So no flies in the ointment yet. Until you look at the IS F among the others. Said Dennis Simanaitis: "To me, the Lexus' oddly pugnacious snout detracts from its otherwise stylish lines." The tarted-up oval finishers for the exhaust do the car no aesthetic favors, and the side treatment makes the Lexus appear a little bottom-heavy. "It's as if the bodywork additions were made of wax," I wrote in my notes, "and then left under a heat lamp." Bornhop added, "It looks a bit reptilian."

Inside, the ergonomics and general layout are appealing, but the IS F deserves a much higher-quality dash pad; its contours are doughy, its surface texture indifferent and a gap was starting to appear between it and the top of the center-stack plastic.

The styling just isn't going over well with the American mainstream automotive media. Mechanically, it's more than keeping up, and the 8-speed auto transmission its getting a lot of positive attention.

[Source: Road & Track]

I am, it must be said, a very big fan of Top Gear, so it was with great interest to find a review of the Lexus IS-F by Richard Hammond, one of the show's presenters.

Like his Fifth Gear counterpart Tom Ford, Hammond was more than impressed:

And, like a penguin reincarnated as a lion with a machine gun, at times it gets giddy with the sheer joy it and cannot contain itself any longer, screaming with euphoria Needless to say, it was an engine I fell in love with. It lurks under the huge bonnet power-bulge that is only the start of the scattering of sporty tinsel and glamour that mean the hard-edged version of the otherwise pretty boring IS is yelling at you before you've even fired up the V8.

Slot the gear-lever into drive and take off. Flipping heck. Letting the V8 off the leash is like, well, doing exactly that - letting it off the leash to have a run around the park.

Seldom do I get the chance to really sit back in the driving seat and give in to genuine surprise. But here, at the wheel of a car from a manufacturer known best for durability and discreet reliability, I was flabbergasted as the IS-F took off and headed for the horizon.

Hammond does add some criticism of the ride quality, but compares the IS-F very favorably to the BMW M3 and Audi RS4.

It's strange, the most favorable reviews of the IS-F so far have come from Britain, and I wonder if it's due to how rare the car will be, with only 150 earmarked for sale in the UK. Next up, I hope, is a review from Jeremy Clarkson...