· Most of us know Lexus to be a beauty—soft, calm, luxurious, the best of the Japanese. With the introduction of the Lexus LFA, the face lifted IS F unveils the beauty within the beast. We come to see how the IS F competes against competitors such as Audi’s RS5 Coupé.
· Design & Engineering:
The “F” in IS F and in LFA stands for Japan’s Fuji Speedway—symbolizing power, speed, and unrivaled class. Unfortunately, the IS F looks almost indistinguishable from the base IS 250, albeit the protruding masculine curves, purely for aerodynamic function, the unmistakable 5-liter V8 bulge on the hood, along with the unmistakable “F” badges. The IS250 appears to be quite, even somewhat humble, whereas the IS F enunciates the word: ferocious. Lexus seems to have started their own trend of LED lights, now apparent on newer models, such as the LS, IS, and CT models. From the front, the larger bulges are sure to make the car in front of you flee. The side pretty much stays the same as the base IS, apart from whatever aerodynamic tweaks. The most obvious change might be the rims—separating dark from light. From the rear, the quad exhaust seems to be a misfit, due to the wannabe sport racer design. Overall, only few would be able to differentiate an IS F, from a standard IS.
· Interior
Not bad. The cabin marries the premium feel of high standard Japanese quality, with top notch fit and finish. The steering wheel displays two-tone colouring, F1 style flappy-paddles, once again with the proud “F” emblem. The dashboard displays only the necessary information, with the tachometer dominating most of the space. What one seems to notice is that the tachometer pushes all the way to 9000 revolutions, while the speedometer reaches a whopping 330km/h. The heavily bolstered two-tone, eight-way power seats with memory are standard Lexus treatment—which means that leather quality and stitching surpass all expectations. Like the LS, GS, and IS premium models, the IS F features a wide touch screen, along with a superb 14 speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system. At the rear though, the bench-style seating, strictly allows only two passengers to seat comfortably, while a sloping rear roof also restricts the headroom.
· Ride & Handling
Powered by a sophisticated power-packed V8, the IS F exudes Dr.Jekyl/Mr.Hyde personalities. Every time one hits the accelerator, a different sort of response is experienced—amazing. The growl that emits from the quad-exhausts, once the tachometer needle hits 3800 rpms, has the potential to stop traffic. The IS F dances around the tarmac, and is nimble yet responsive and alert. Being a Lexus, there are no sounds of loose fixtures or warning lights, even when the vehicle is pushed to its limits. A 417 BHP, 5-liter V8, mated to a creamy eight-speed transmission—as sweet as strawberry pavolas.
· Verdict
Loving the way it moves; not loving the way it looks.
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