Lexus IS-F 2008 Lexus – hardly a car badge you would brag about but trust us you should be, especially if you’ve landed yourself an IS-F! You can finish the sentence for yourself but it may go something like this: IS-Fast as hell! Why the big revelation? Lexus have made plenty of quick, respectable cars before but not ones that will make everybody jump out of their office chairs and crowd at the window! Well you will this April when the IS-F arrives. Okay so the design work isn`t ground breaking; there`s the usual deep air dams, low front apron, slice-you-like-mincemeat alloys and a very succulent behind. A familiar formula perhaps but it’s enough to make you want a taste. This is the car that proves there is much more to Lexus than generic luxury and a honest build. This is the brand`s secret ego, the car that begs you to power out of the car park leaving your tyre prints burnt into the tarmac and the echo of a crazily revved 5.0-litre V8 engine. You won`t need sparkling conversation in the office any longer as your super saloon status will preceed you.
But what about those Germans? They’ve already made the T-bone steak of super saloons so why would you buy a Lexus especially as it’s priced at £51,000? Well for a start BMW’s top contenders only have Seven gears, the Lexus has eight and with the new software it’s claimed it’s the quickest shifting transmission too. Their Sports Direct-Shift gearbox changes ratio in only one-tenth of a second and the automatic function even controls the throttle in down changes. You however have full reign of the steering wheel mounted paddles which is like trying to beat the master at chess.
The IS-F also has an uprated suspension system and considering it hasn’t entered this top-of-the-range performance market before, its tautened chassis and dampers have all the trappings of experience. The steering is also weighted just so and despite the V8 weighing down the front end, you can bet its behaviour won`t be at all erratic unless you really don`t kill the speed when flying in to corner. Nudge it in to sports mode and it will police your steering, braking and throttle inputs. Like all marques Lexus has their own name for its traction aids and in this instance its called a Vehicle Dynamics Inte-grated Management (VDIM) which is highly recommended at least while you’re warming up.
And what about the engine – hasn’t it just been nicked out of the LS 600h? Essentially, yes but as well as being blessed with direct port injection, Yamaha has had a bit of a fiddle with its cylinder head so the new figures stand at 417bhp and 371lb ft of torque. To put this in perspective, this licks the Audi RS4 and BMW’s M3 and even heckles Merc’s more meaty C63 AMG with its 6.2-litre engine and extra 30bhp. This is because it really knows how to make a drama out of what it’s got. The 4 exhausts too make us very aware of their presence whereas most other Lexus’ try to disguise the bits that aren’t so green. In it’s class however the IS-F is still quite saintly with its emissions of 270g/km.
Perhaps the interior materials are green too; the mock carbon fibre trim certainly looks recycled. In fairness though the dials are made for the racetrack and so are the longer paddles and drilled aluminium pedals. The seats also pack you in snugly and the 14 speaker Mark Levinson premium surround audio system will drown out the screams from the rear seats. Satellite Navigation and a rear park assist monitor are part of the package as are ten airbags, Pre-crash Safety (PCS) and Adaptive Cruise Control (ACC).
To think we all sniggered when ‘Harry Enfield’s ‘Tim Nice but Dim’ character drove a Lexus in the famous comedy sketch. Yep they’re quality cars but they have about as much charisma as a rusty old nail, we thought to ourselves. How the tide turns, eh? The IS-F will be the next big names-dropper!
Verdict
FOR: Eight speed gearbox with lightning quick changes, smooth, earnest engine, Lexus’ most delectable look, plenty of standard kit, still quite green and very well made.
AGAINST: Only that the others have been in the game far longer.
CONCLUSION: Ignore the badge and let the drive make a name for itself!
Spec
ENGINE: 5.0-litre V8
Co2 (g/km)/tax: 270
POWER: 417bhp @ 6600rpm
TORQUE (lb/ft): 371lb ft @ 5200rpm
0-60mph (sec): 4.9 (claimed)
TOP SPEED: 168mph (limited)
TRANSMISSION: Eight speed DSG gearbox
BRAKES: 360mm ventilated and drilled six piston front and 345mm two piston rear disc brakes developed by Lexus and Brembo
PRICE: £51,000
RIVALS: BMW M3, Audi RS4 and Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG
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