Lexus to debut IS-F @ 2007 NAIAS.

[zerinVR6]

TOKYO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp.'s high-end Lexus brand will launch a performance brand late next year to compete with Mercedes-Benz's AMG and BMW's M divisions, industry paper Automotive News reported on Monday. The offensive will start with the IS sedan, which will get a retuned version of the LS600h's hybrid engine, the paper said, citing dealer sources.

The car, to be called IS-F, with F standing for "fast", will debut at an auto show next month in Detroit and go on sale in December 2007, the paper said. The 425-horsepower car will be priced in the low $50,000 range, it said.
A Toyota spokeswoman declined to comment on the report, saying the company would announce plans for the Detroit auto show in the coming days.

Automotive News quoted a dealer as saying Lexus will likely follow the IS-F with a GS-F sedan and IS-F coupe.
Japan's top auto maker filed a stylised "F" logo on Oct. 9 and a trademark for IS-F on Nov. 8 and with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

[OneArmedScissor]

TOKYO, Dec 4 (Reuters) - Toyota Motor Corp.'s high-end Lexus brand will launch a performance brand late next year to compete with Mercedes-Benz's AMG and BMW's M divisions, industry paper Automotive News reported on Monday. The offensive will start with the IS sedan, which will get a retuned version of the LS600h's hybrid engine, the paper said, citing dealer sources.

The car, to be called IS-F, with F standing for "fast", will debut at an auto show next month in Detroit and go on sale in December 2007, the paper said. The 425-horsepower car will be priced in the low $50,000 range, it said.
A Toyota spokeswoman declined to comment on the report, saying the company would announce plans for the Detroit auto show in the coming days.

Automotive News quoted a dealer as saying Lexus will likely follow the IS-F with a GS-F sedan and IS-F coupe.
Japan's top auto maker filed a stylised "F" logo on Oct. 9 and a trademark for IS-F on Nov. 8 and with the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office.

it's already been spotted testing on the nurburgring.

the info's been public here for a little while now.

[al]

one out of the thousands of reasons the GT-R should have been badged an Infiniti

[zerinVR6]

Yes, but names, specs and an official launch date have all been speculation up until this point.

it's already been spotted testing on the nurburgring.

the info's been public here for a little while now.

[myst1c_dr3amz]

NICE!! i cant wait how this thing would look

[yourmom25]

can't wait.

[zerinVR6]

http://www.speedsportlife.com/photopost/data/1087/IS-F_teaser.jpg

[eN_2_Oh]

fckn sex.

is it going to be RWD or AWD?

[88MK3Supra]

very nice

[Badman Forever]

glad i didn't supe up the is350. :eek9:

[t0t4lly5up3r]

hooray for lackluster names. I dunno. the "F" just doesn't sound that great.
ironic that it's for "fast" even though it will probably have the economy "F" heads. Thought it would be awesome of toyota teamed up with Yamaha again to make another set of "G" heads.

it'll probably be another heartless toyota. . . . with an automatic. or a CVT. how bland.

[atxsbigwalt]

one out of the thousands of reasons the GT-R should have been badged an Infiniti

why?? i like the fact that the GT-R name is staying with Nissan, it just wouldn't be right naming it an Infinity, it'd be like giving them the Z brand too. specially with the fact that every where else in the world its being released as a Nissan.

[VIParisto]

It about time ...finallyyy!!

[Lucius]

this will make up for the 1st gen IS never coming out with the IS430

[Renaissanceman]

looks like i just found my next new car

[LeXusRaCiN]

Nice, although they could have come up with something other than "fast."

[al]

why?? i like the fact that the GT-R name is staying with Nissan, it just wouldn't be right naming it an Infinity, it'd be like giving them the Z brand too. specially with the fact that every where else in the world its being released as a Nissan.

I don't want to deviate too far from the topic at hand, but Nissan North America leaves something to be desired, and their customer service is lackluster. I don't expect them to do a halfway decent job servicing the demanding customers who are willing to pay $70k for a GT-R.

If you want to remain nostalgic, nevermind the fact this GT-R gets a V6 aluminum block and nevermind the fact that it will now come in LHD. I won't mind any changes if it's for the consumer's benefit.

Now that Lexus is coming out with a beefed up vehicle, are we to expect Infiniti to come out with something that will overlap the Nissan GT-R? No, Lexus made a niche for itself by pulling this move. I think your average joe might prefer the Lexus brand name over Nissan. Sweet move, Lexus.

[einhan]

I don't want to deviate too far from the topic at hand, but Nissan North America leaves something to be desired, and their customer service is lackluster. I don't expect them to do a halfway decent job servicing the demanding customers who are willing to pay $70k for a GT-R.

If you want to remain nostalgic, nevermind the fact this GT-R gets a V6 aluminum block and nevermind the fact that it will now come in LHD. I won't mind any changes if it's for the consumer's benefit.

Now that Lexus is coming out with a beefed up vehicle, are we to expect Infiniti to come out with something that will overlap the Nissan GT-R? No, Lexus made a niche for itself by pulling this move. I think your average joe might prefer the Lexus brand name over Nissan. Sweet move, Lexus.
+1

[atxsbigwalt]

I think your average joe might prefer the Lexus brand name over Nissan. Sweet move, Lexus.

true... but we're not your average joe, for the most part everyone here is a car enthusiast. but u make a good point, I saw this debate go on for pages when it first came out

[al]

We make up a small portion of the demographic who have the means to buy the IS-F and the GT-R. Our opinions will certainly differ from theirs.

[TurboFlip]

photochopped to show the whole back end :)

http://www.chromatism.com/uploader/userfiles/Orion025/lexus-ISF.jpg

[AaronSpecV]

Nice!

[VolksFaggin]

Sweet, I cant wait to see more.

[TurboFlip]

photoshopped even more for improved lower valance
http://www.chromatism.com/uploader/userfiles/Orion025/lexus-ISF-copy.jpg

[al]

dahs verr nahs! I like Euro-style license plates

[greenlsvtec]

nice

[Justin]

way to go Lexus! :thumb:

[zerinVR6]

I wonder if it'll be as incredibly boring and numb to drive as the IS350. They've isolated road feel from the driver more in the IS350 than almost anything else I've tested. It is very much NOT a drivers car. At all.

[Badman Forever]

i don't know about you.. but the is250/is350 suspension has been perfected for the right blend of daily driving w/ just enough road feel to keep 'most' happy. personally i (and probably most regular commuters) don't want to drive a go-kart every day to work and back.. especially through the sh*tty city roads and lovely construction. 99.9+% of the cars are made for public use, not track.

as for being a drivers car.. try also comparing the is250/is350 to the rest of the lexus lineup. i still wonder why you don't hear people complaining about the suspension/road feel on the es, gs, sc, or ls series lexus'.. now those cars are blatantly disconnected from the road.

since i've personally put 50k miles on a 1st gen is300, 44k miles on a g35 coupe, and 15k miles on the is350.. i can say from my experience that the is350 has about 90-95% of the connected road feel / handling in comparison to the is300. when compared to the g35 coupe, the is350 matches about 85-90% of that.

i am going to make a well educated guess that the is-f will have an upgraded suspension (call it a far-fetched hunch). i can't wait to see the comparison videos of the is-f vs the new m3.. and the is-f vs the rs4. the next few yrs will be very exciting..

[BIGmack786]

hot sex! i hope it comes out fast enough so my girl can get it...

[VH_Supra26]

i was told its goin to called the is500 here in the states, and something about it bein a couple

[zerinVR6]

My complaints don't lie with the suspension so much as they do with the rest of the car. The steering feel leaves you detached, the brakes give you no idea what they are doing, and the traction control nanny won't even let you make use of the suspension unless you put in the top secret Contra 30 free men code to disable it every time. The transmission is sloppy and hunts for gears all over the place when driving through the twisties. Believe me, I wanted to like the IS350, I really did...but it left me extremely disappointed. I think most of the autojournalists I've spoken to have expressed the same thing. Toyota was simply too conservative with the car.



i don't know about you.. but the is250/is350 suspension has been perfected for the right blend of daily driving w/ just enough road feel to keep 'most' happy. personally i (and probably most regular commuters) don't want to drive a go-kart every day to work and back.. especially through the sh*tty city roads and lovely construction. 99.9+% of the cars are made for public use, not track.

as for being a drivers car.. try also comparing the is250/is350 to the rest of the lexus lineup. i still wonder why you don't hear people complaining about the suspension/road feel on the es, gs, sc, or ls series lexus'.. now those cars are blatantly disconnected from the road.

since i've personally put 50k miles on a 1st gen is300, 44k miles on a g35 coupe, and 15k miles on the is350.. i can say from my experience that the is350 has about 90-95% of the connected road feel / handling in comparison to the is300. when compared to the g35 coupe, the is350 matches about 85-90% of that.

i am going to make a well educated guess that the is-f will have an upgraded suspension (call it a far-fetched hunch). i can't wait to see the comparison videos of the is-f vs the new m3.. and the is-f vs the rs4. the next few yrs will be very exciting..

[Renaissanceman]

i talked to my salesman at northside lexus and it is going to be called the IS F not the IS500 and it is to be going on sale late 2007 and then the GS will follow and he told me the price on the IS is going to be mid to high 50's

[Dorian]

and the traction control nanny won't even let you make use of the suspension unless you put in the top secret Contra 30 free men code to disable it every time. :rofl:

[atxsbigwalt]

up up down down left right left right B A

[CoLdFiRE]

up up down down left right left right B A
+ start

[tha_W]

up up down down left right left right B A


isnt that like the code to get lara croft naked

[Badman Forever]

the konami code applies to only the 2006 model lexus'. for 2007 models, lexus specifically added a traction/vsc permanent defeat button just to make the 'journalists' happy (you can smile now zerin). practically all of the actual owners & drivers of the 2is don't care about that redone feature. i do not promote reckless driving on public roads.. nor promote driving any car to it's absolute limits on the streets. in our reality, there should not be a big difference in the steering and driving capabilities of, for instance, an awd audi, a rwd lexus w/ stability, or a fwd acura w/ stability. we have posted speed limits on straight roads & turns, stop lights, police officers, and don't forget the never ending rush hour that won't let you get anywhere. toyota has reached the top by listening and selling to the masses (aka the conservative drivers). but now since they have money to throw around, they started listening to the enthusiasts again and don't mind satisfying that very small percentage of hardcore drivers (and wannabe pro racers). but for those that can't wait for the lexus f-edition vehicles to drop in price 5 yrs from the initial release, there is always the aftermarket / custom tuners that can turn your stock lex into a precision handling road gripping rocket. :adriormand:

[zerinVR6]

Have you driven an Audi or BMW at its limits vs. your car? And I'm talking about at a track. There IS a huge difference (no pun intended).

[xxgijojoxx]

oh man very nice

[Badman Forever]

i don't get it, jk. and yes i've had a chance to drive an older audi and bmw in the past.. but not on a race course. unfortunately, i've heard horrors stories from friends who previously had an audi or bmw.. so no go for me there.

anyhow, any well-informed car enthusiast knows that in 'stock-form' that the audis and bmws have pretty good road feel and handling out-of-the-box. but who races a bone-stock car on race course? amatuers and journalists do. from my observations, real race teams (the hardcore professional ones w/ monetary backing) completely modify their cars inside and out. so taking a stock car to a race track is somewhat irrevelant.. it's more for sh*ts n' giggles. i haven't met one person that buys a factory vehicle just so they can test it to the limits in stock form one time (or even just a few times) at a race course.. normal people buy a car to drive it. the safety, reliability, and performance of a vehicle is what matters the most. and the degree to which the car handles and responds is an added plus. your original statements on the 2is being 'incredibly boring and numb' and having 'isolated road feel' is very misleading. i hope you agree that the real world and the racetrack are two completely different driving environments. you should consider stating at the beginning of every review that your opinions are based on tests performed on a closed race track that may not reflect real-life driving situations. from my many yrs of driving experience in the 3rd largest city in the america (houston), i can accurately rate the 2is as one of the best 'driver's car' ever made by toyota/lexus. but on a race track, no.. i'm not going to bother aiming for the checkered flag in the stocker. every now and then, i may want to sh*t n' giggle.. so i may call you then? x1677 right :Ewave1:

ps - i've always wanted to write a novel.

[R.J.]

IS = Sex

[d0iMaKeUwEth0e]

lexus reliability ftw. guess i'll be trading in my car sooner than i thought.

[tha_W]

lexus reliability ftw. guess i'll be trading in my car sooner than i thought.


lol @ kimbo slice avatar

[Drink Tapioca]

Have you driven an Audi or BMW at its limits vs. your car? And I'm talking about at a track. There IS a huge difference (no pun intended).


wrd! hell of a difference. I loved my M3 as far as being a drivers car! and also my 5series. but when i jumped over to lexus, and got my gs300. its just a nice luxury car. and thats about it. Brakes arent that responsive, nor the transmission. but no big deal my girl drives it most of the time and when i drive it i just cruise to point A and B. Lexus or more of just a luxury feel car company. and thats bout it. Can't really see them building a car to compete of the "M" and "AMG" names.

[jlinky]

Have you driven an Audi or BMW at its limits vs. your car? And I'm talking about at a track. There IS a huge difference (no pun intended).


I think the Lexus IS350 is marketed more for daily driving, comfort, and dependabity. Handling wise, its a couple of steps behind an M3, Power is a tad less too. After 50k miles, I would rather keep the Lexus. (Maybe up to 150k-it's a Toyota). Interior is a little better than an M3 also. The metal does feel flimsy on the Lexus though. If it were up to me, I would get the lexus for the street/ a cheaper-dedicated stripped-caged car with teeth rattling suspension for the track/ and a ultra-high performance car for weekends.:thumb:

[atxsbigwalt]

hehe, "i would get", dont you already have all those.

[99'passat]

Looking good...

[reidlos]

I dont know if i Like it or Hate it,...but I Like My 1st Gen Much Better, i think this one look more of Unfinished....Look so Loose, something is wrong with it...Jus dont know what yet...oh yeah and the NOSE Look Damn Huge Like a STang or something...Has Lex Been Inspired by Shelby?, I guess i'll ve to blend in.....I dont think if this will produce expected Sell....

I like the color tho.

Did Lexus Engeneers Rushed into this Project or?,...meaning i Dont feel this car at All, may be if i get to see it in person...sooo damn disappointed.

Here are the Pictures of Our New IS-Fuh!


http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1239.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1235.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1230-1.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1230.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1228.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1226.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1225.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_9935.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_12581.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_12411.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_9933.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_9932.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_9931.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_9930-1.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1255.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1256.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_1262.jpg

http://i37.photobucket.com/albums/e64/LLBshirman/ISF/IMG_9929.jpg

[Sepultura]

id take it in white

[SpEeDxXxRaCeR]

Anyone have the means to find the color code on that IS-F? I want to paint my IS300 that color before it comes out.

-Trung

[PornItos]

i like it very clean.