Author : Catherine Harvey
Lexus have revealed their brand new IS F car that will challenge the new generation M3 when it comes on sale shortly It is the first in the breed of Lexus’s new F breed of performance cars where the F stands for Fuji Speedway in Japan, the country where Lexus test their new high performance cars
This division can be compared to BMW’s M division or Mercedes SLK The Lexus is going to be powered by a 5 0 litre V8 engine that is also seen in the LS series, whereas Mercedes have managed a 3 5 litre V8 It will propel the car to the 62 mph milestone in just 4 8 seconds that also eclipses the BMW M3 The engine features a very unique second air intake that allows a distinctive roar from the engine after the car hits the 3,600rpm range The top speed of this new beast is limited to 168mph which is 12 mph higher than the also limited M3 But the new IS F is capable of a much higher top speed but for some reason Lexus held back
The new IS F also features a special management system that allows the driver to experience close to the cars driving potential This system checks and manages all the power and stability control as well as braking allowing the car to keep pointing forwards and restricting the oversteer and understeer of the car during the cornering This is very clever as it will allow the car to keep very stable and agile even if it is chucked into the corner
The transmission on the new car is very advanced technologically Lexus have introduced the new 8 speed gearbox that connects to the very powerful V8 engine It features a very cool and sophisticated direct shift option as well as a full manual mode The power is delivered very smoothly and you are always in the power band due to the gears being spread out superbly The new gearbox has been tweaked by the Lexus boffins and can up-shift in an incredible 0 1 seconds in comparison a normal gearbox takes up to 0 5 to 1 second to change This allows for fast acceleration as the gear changes do not disrupt the cars speed
Downshifts are just as amazing as the new gearbox blips the throttle each time to allow for smoothness and synchronisation between gear changes In the full manual mode the car features paddle shifts on the steering wheel that offers the thrill and experience of a racing car like Ferrari have done in their latest models The paddle shifters also allow you to decide when to change gear
The brakes have also been updated on the new IS F due to the huge stopping speeds the car will need to handle with all the new power The huge 360mm discs and 6 pot callipers do not allow any fade even after repeatedly hard braking To test this theory Lexus have tested the brakes many times on the longest straight at the Fuji Speedway in many different conditions The results showed that the brakes worked excellently and that no fade occurred
The car will be priced around 51,000 pounds that puts it in direct competition with the BMW M3 and the Jaguar XKR The market is already very competitive and Lexus are making the market even more so by adding their effort After 1 or 2 years everyone will be able to see whether or not the new Lexus IS F will be a success like its main rivals or falter under pressure
Vehicle expert Catherine Harvey looks at how Lexus compare to other new car models.
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