Lexus Scores Top Mark with High-Performance F
By Greg Rubenstein
The 2008 Lexus IS F performance sedan embodies everything that is so right—and wrong—with the world’s second-largest automaker.
Based on the sleek, handsome, and sporty IS 250/350 sport sedan introduced in 2005 as an ’06 model, the IS F was stretched three inches to accommodate a 5.0-liter V8. The transformation produced Lexus’s first pure performance machine—and parent company Toyota’s first real GT contender—since the Supra Twin Turbo, last seen in dealer showrooms in 2002.
Yet the IS F represents more than a one-off model designed to give Lexus a much-needed image boost. It is the first product in a new niche brand that Lexus hopes will one day be the equal to the ultra-high-performance tuning divisions of Mercedes-Benz (AMG), BMW (M), Audi (S) or Cadillac (V).
Incidentally, if you’re wondering what the F means as compared to M or S or V, each brand has its own story of how it arrived at its “letter”—or letters, in the case of AMG. For Lexus, a Circle-F insignia was Toyota’s original internal code for what would become the Lexus Division, which launched in 1989 with the company’s flagship (hence the F) car, the LS400.
From a driver’s perspective, the IS F is an unquestionably powerful, agile, and fun-to-drive luxury sedan. The category, however, is filled with exceptionally competent vehicles. Stacked up against the best in class, this Lexus emerges as an admirable freshman effort that foreshadows a promising potential. Ultimately, however, it falls short. This F earns only an A-minus.
Fortunately for Lexus, its initial sales goals of about 3,000 IS Fs per year are quite modest. It’s priced starting at $56,000, so there should be little problem hitting this target, thanks to buyers who must have the latest toy or to the loyal cadre of Lexus enthusiasts who have long been waiting for the rebirth of a superperformance vehicle from Toyota.
For those who aren’t early adopters or brand enthusiasts, the IS F may be just a bit off the mark, with too much engine noise and with suspension tuning that delivers an overly stiff ride. With 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque, you might think performance wouldn’t be an issue, but as strong as this engine may be, it’s not powerful enough to propel the F to head-of-class status.
Flowing through an eight-speed auto-manual transmission, power is delivered smoothly, but low-end torque is sorely lacking. No matter what gear you may have selected, unless you have the V8 spun up to more than 3000 rpm, you’re going nowhere fast. Once three grand hits, however, the IS F produces a thrust rush that gently pushes you back into the seat, though that thrust comes at the cost of cabin noise.
Lexus engineers created a trick air intake that opens a secondary shorter airflow bypass at 3600 rpm. Under that threshold, the cabin is muted and the prevalent sounds are from tires and the mildly throaty exhaust. Open, the bypass creates an obnoxious roar that is at first entertaining but quickly becomes distracting and eventually an annoying drone—and there is no way to turn off this feature.
The otherwise taut, tidy, and superbly fit and finished interior is hampered by seats with too little padding, though achieving a comfortable driving position is easy, thanks to ten-way power adjustments and a power tilt-and-telescope steering wheel and column. You’re going to need that comfort, too, to deal with the stiff IS F suspension.
While the best German sport sedans smoothly soak up small bumps and lane markers with a muted thump and no noticeable chassis movement, the IS F harshly transmits every road imperfection with both resonating whacks and unsettled handling. The difference may be attributed to the divergent philosophies used to create their superperformance vehicles. Teutonic manufacturers build for high-speed stability, a natural desire for vehicles coming from a country where sections of highway have no speed limits. This type of suspension translates well to the United States, and earns the Germans their well-deserved high regard for superb chassis tuning.
Japanese manufacturers have a shorter history of high-performance hardware, and their approach is to mate a stiff suspension with a rigid chassis. This technique makes for vehicles that are very fast when driven on smooth roads (like a racetrack), but it takes a buyer who is willing to put up with harshness to live with this setup on a daily basis.
The enhanced, more aggressive IS F styling and gorgeous BBS wheels may be enough to bring potential buyers into the Lexus showroom, but you’ll have to experience its personality firsthand to know if this hot ride is right for you.