Lexus sets sights on M3 and RS4 with V8-powered IS-F
Newswheel staff :: 11 January 2007 :: Filed under Saloon, Lexus, Lexus IS, Europe & UK, US
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Battle of the bent-eights
If the LF-A supercar is a taste of what Lexus is planning for the future, the IS-F is the first tangible example of the brand’s effort to establish serious performance car cred. Based on the BMW 3 Series-sized IS saloon, the IS-F packs a 400bhp, 5-litre V8 and a whole raft of rather tasty chassis and drivetrain mods…
Bonnet bulges, flared arches and V8 grunt. Lexus takes the fight to Audi and BMW (manhandle your mouse for larger images)
Based on the latest Lexus V8 as seen in the LS 460, the IS-F’s powerplant has new heads and a two-stage inlet manifold. The result is 350lb/ft of torque – enough both to crack the sprint to 60mph in less than 4.9 seconds and very probably keep BMW’s highly anticipated new V8-powered M3, due out later this year, honest.
But while the V8 lump will no doubt grab the headlines, it’s actually the fine details of the IS-F’s tech spec that make for the most interesting reading. First up is the eight-speed gearbox. Notably, it’s essentially the same torque-converter slushbox as found in the LS 460 rather than a fancy robotised manual solution. Superficially, that may seem like a poor choice for a performance saloon, but Lexus has modded the box with a new torque-converter lock-up control allowing for “for a very direct, crisp gear change through the constant lock-up of the torque converter in second through eighth gears.” On paper, it promises to combine the smooth pick up of a conventional slushbox with the responsiveness of a robot manual cog-swapper. If it works, it could just make the VW’s group’s expensive and heavy dual-clutch robot box look like overkill.
Lexus aims for the Max Power generation: Quad-pipe detailing looks a little after-market
Chassis wise, the IS-F receives monstrous 14.2-inch cross-drilled Brembo anchors clamped by six-piston calipers up front, with 13.6-inch rotors at the rear. Wheels are custom BBS-built 19-inch items. Overall, the ‘F’ rides an inch lower than other IS models and sports flared front wheel arches and a wider track. Lexus has also strapped on a new bonnet, necessary to provide both clearance and cooling for the massive V8 mill.
Intriguingly, Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager Bob Carter reckons the IS-F was not part of the overall Lexus masterplan, but rather a result of the work of a group of maverick engineers. “Rather than being the product of a carefully plotted and approved corporate plan, this car is, in the best tradition of the factory-based hotrod, the result of an effort by a ‘Skunk Works’ team, a covert operation populated by a team of, well, rogue engineers. These are free-thinking performance freaks who developed their own vision for a Lexus performance car, a carefully planned and engineered vehicle that was not part of our carefully planned corporate program.” It’s a nice idea, but Carter also emphasised that the new ‘F’ programme of high performance vehicles, which includes the upcoming LF-A supercar, is a key part of Lexus’s future strategy. Go figure.
The IS-F goes on sale early next year in the US and is expected to eventually be offered in coupe form. No word as yet on UK availability or pricing.
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