Finesse Becomes Fast ..

Lexus ISF

Turbo At Large:

Is the ISF a ‘real’ Performance Sedan? It certainly takes the company into new territory, being the first and most powerful version of the L insignia’s in-house designed, hand-built V8 . Thanks to Yamaha engine tweaks. The all-things-to-all-people brief looks a stretch, yet so far I’ve been impressed. Slightly surprised too, if I’m honest, it’s because I’ve doubted that the ISF could be a brutal, tar trampling performance car yet also unmistakably a Lexus sedan.







German rivals BMW, Mercedes and Audi roll out punishing V8-engined, sedans. Moreover, they all have bloodlines reaching back into the misty past – a heritage of horsepower – while for Lexus, life has consisted of a performance image flatter than Karoo road kill. The closest Lexus comes to performance is that the vehicles have two engines, one of which is electric ( that’s electric as in light bulb ) and then of course, at a push how green some of their models are - but then this is not a Greenpeace discussion either.



Now, fast forward a couple of years and tell me, can you really be blasé about a four-door sports car boasting 311kw? You can, but not for long, especially when it’s regarded as Lexus Chief engineer’s fifth symphony.


The IS-F’s styling makes as big a statement as its performance, with a clean roofline, accentuated by a confident, curvy flanks, the Lexus disguises its origins, and therefore its bulk, well. That is until you see the IS-F amongst normal traffic, at which point its epic scale becomes obvious.



The result of years of research is a luxury vehicle that can hit 100km in just over 4.5sec and run into the 200km per hour plus range with absurd ease. It’s a vocal engine. Customers accustomed to the gruntfest may find the new engine lacks thumping torque, but it remains a potent device. Lexus doesn’t quote an unrestricted top speed, but there’s little doubt it would touch 300km per hour.


Beneath the sharply executed skin lies the now- familiar high-tech combination of the Lexus Powershift eight speed automatic transmission, switchable sports suspension and vast 390mm front brakes, which gives greater pad area with better management of heat.


In keeping with the IS-F’s unlikely role of sexy cruiser and bruising high-performance vehicle, you can switch from ‘Comfort’ to ‘Sport’ and ‘Manual’ modes, which reduce the shift speed accordingly.


With four decent seats, there’s space to carry family or friends (although not perhaps as much rear leg room as you’d expect), while Toyota’s influence on the dynamics makes it an entertaining steer when you’re driving solo. If that ticks your boxes, the Lexus IS-F is a compelling proposition.