Perhaps as a way to counterbalance his incredibly glowing editorial of the Lexus LS 460 last year, Arthur St. Antoine took some time in this month’s Motor Trend to badmouth the LS 600hL:

For many buyers, a hybrid car is nothing more than the four-wheeled equivalent of a yellow LiveStrong wristband-a conspicuous, self-satisfying, effort-free membership card into the “I Care” club.

…how can you justify paying almost 50 percent more-some $33,000-for the hybrid LS when it nets you only a 15-percent gain in output (438 gas/electric horsepower for the 600hL versus 380 horses for the 460L) and almost no improvement in fuel efficiency (20/22 city/highway mpg for the hybrid versus 16/24 mpg for the 460L)?

You can’t. In a revealing lux-sedan comparison last December, the LS 600hL finished fourth out of four, the test drivers (I was one) docking points for its compromised trunk (much of the space is eaten up by hybrid bits), a hugely complex powerplant that overheated when we charged up our mountain loop, and real-world fuel economy barely 15-percent better than the average posted by the rivals from Jaguar, Mercedes-Benz, and Maserati-each of which happily romped all day.

The limitations of the LS 600hL are well-documented, but using that fairly uneven super-sedan comparison as the basis of proof is rather suspect. Also, and I find it surprising that it wasn’t mentioned, the LS 600hL has several unique features (particularly the all-wheel drive) that cut into the $33,000 price difference versus the LS 460. This isn’t just a case of pointless hybrid markup, no matter how often it’s repeated.

***

As a sidenote, the buying public sure isn’t phased by the negativity — Lexus was only expecting to sell 2,000 LS 600hL’s in 2008, and the car is currently moving 1,000 units a month.

Not content to present information on the Lexus LX 570 in a normal sort of way, The Driver’s Seat decided to spice up their video with an overwhelming amount of text and strobe effects:

I actually had to turn away while watching, though I stuck it out just to hear what Charles Hubbard had to say.

Car Magazine has posted their review of the IS-F, and it turns out to be a remarkably positive affair, with a very small dose of complaints and a full course of compliments:

The F also rides with a fluency and poise that will leave most M3 and C63 drivers green with envy. There are no trick adjustable dampers or active anti-roll bars, but the firmly tied down ride rarely feels brittle or harsh, and some might even find it too soft for such a performance package – the back end can really squirm about if you get on the power early out of tighter corners, but for around town and on regular commutes – arguably where the F will spend most of its time, the compliant ride quality is spot on.

With a razor sharp blip of its screaming V8, the F single-handedly alters Lexus’ image. It makes Lexus interesting, injecting a welcome and much needed dose of character into the brand. Despite its lack of motorsport heritage and track-based pedigree it looks, feels, goes and stops like a bespoke model rather than a go-faster version of an existing model. It’s a very credible gatecrasher to the German super saloon party and effectively breaks their stranglehold on small fast executives.

Like I said, this review is decidedly on the positive side of the ledger, especially in its comparisons with the IS-F’s competitors. It’s entirely true that this is a car that changes Lexus’ image, and it’s going to be interesting to see how the company builds on it.

This video review of the Lexus IS-F by MyRideTV has to have the highest video quality I’ve seen online yet, it’s just full of great footage. The opening sequence from the driver’s perspective is especially nice:

I don’t know why all video reviews can’t look this good.

Top Gear Magazine has posted up their review of the Lexus IS-F, and it’s just as sharply written and clever as you would expect. Most of their praise is a double-edged sword, as every compliment is balanced with a swipe at the rest of Lexus’ lineup:

Where my keep-it-simple plan falls apart, is when a company like Lexus, which has only ever made brilliantly built but dull cars, produces something like the IS-F. It ruins the whole generalization game and forces you to be specific. Now, whenever anyone asks me about Lexus I’m going to be forced to say they’re all OK, but the IS-F is the very definition of exceptional. Anything else would be wrong, because that’s precisely what it is.

Only exceptional really describes accurately what it is, because the rest of the range is as interesting as a blank sheet of paper next to the IS-F. This car is very interesting indeed.

In the same way the company studied microscopically, then re-invented the luxury car market, creating a car it felt matched or bettered all the competition in every key area, it’s now done the exact same thing with the luxury performance saloon space.

And, for the first time, it’s created a car with more spirit than a distillery. It’s like it’s poured the M3, C63 and RS4 into a blender, given them a good mix and come up with its own blend of tyre-shredding über sports saloon.

The reviewer noted some rather uncharacteristic faults with the IS-F, including squeaks from the dash and a faulty trunk release, but thought it a decent enough tradeoff considering the overall package, and suggested that the faults on purpose, to give the car even more character.

I have to appreciate The Truth about Cars review of the Lexus IS-F. Sure, it’s critical, but the writing is superb and full of character:

Given a long, empty ribbon of road, the IS-F again reveals a sharply split personality. Flexing your right foot rips away the layers of Lexus fluff. At WOT, acceleration is torrential and torque-soaked. Lexus claims 0-60 in “under 4.9 seconds.” Any attempt to prove them right/wrong and the V8’s murmur turns to a frenzied howl, courtesy of a secondary air intake that opens at 3,600 rpm. You might as well be pulling its head out from underwater, so dramatic is the shift in its voice.

There’s a predictable downside to the F’s binary nature: Mr. Hyde only comes out to play above safe, legal velocities. The chassis boasts tasty balance at the limit, and the steering enlivens somewhat under load. But given the tires’ immense grip, you’d be nuts to sample either trait on your morning commute. So you back off, the engine fades to Muzak and Toyota’s patented anesthetic drips back into the primary controls.

This touches on a primary point of this car, the excessive performance may be inline with its competitors, but tapping into it creates an awkward break between what’s expected from a Lexus and what’s expected from a super-sedan.