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2008 Lexus IS F Road Test

“Say what?” While initially dumbfounded that Lexus was taking on M, AMG and RS,

Lexus throws a fastball into the high-performance arena dominated by the Germans with the IS F. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

not to mention V and SRT, I immediately followed that comment with, “Well, it's about time.”

It makes sense that Lexus change its staid, conservative, luxury-biased image with something racy, despite enjoying tremendous success in the comfort-oriented arena since entering North America's premium market in 1989. Truly, though, this image management process has been going on for some time, with the first GS attempting to take on the 5 and E, then the sporty IS 300 that followed looking to upset the 3 and C. More recently the wickedly quick GS 450h has spun a few more heads in Lexus' direction, a well mannered hybrid that rudely blasts past most rivals' gasoline-powered midsize entries without even saying sayonara, and finally the IS 350 turned the compact sport-luxury segment on its ear, having changed the way Germans look at horsepower by annihilating the top non-tuner BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi when it debuted. Yes, Lexus has been on a literal charge, but nothing like the IS F has ever left the brand's Tahara factory before.

Even parked the IS F looks intimidating, a rabid Kai inu ready to sink its teeth into any Dobermann Pinscher or Rottweiler that comes into view. The

Stacked exhaust pipes indicate that this is no ordinary Lexus. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

car's blue on black, or black and blue launch color schemes add to its Machiavellian nature (you can get it in additional colors too), strengthened by more black chrome, overzealous ducts and over-the-top aero add-ons than ever used by anything boasting the stylized “L” before. Clearly Lexus didn't want anyone mistaking the IS F for a regular IS, as this car appears as much a mission statement for the brand on the whole as it does a serious contender in the OEM tuner segment.

Immediately upon announcement, pundits started comparing the car to the top contenders in the field, which was exactly what Lexus wanted. Once the opportunity came to drive it, real live comparos took place, and while the Japanese brand no doubt would have liked to have seen its IS F slaughter the M3 and C63 AMG it went up against in Motor Trend's back to back shootout, it must've at least felt good to be included in the same company.

My initial reaction is identical to Motor Trend's analysis, placing the BMW first, the Merc second, and the Lexus last in a personal roster of top performers, but that doesn't tell the entire story. First of all, Audi's RS4 wasn't even included in that magazine's comparison. Why? They don't say, but I can assume it's because it would be tagging along at the tail end of this pack as soon as the turns tightened up... it understeers something fierce when its tires lose grip. The IS F certainly doesn't do that, but rather wags its tail like a happy Kai inu, especially apparent in the deluge of rain we suffered through during our test week on the West Coast. With only patches of dry pavement available amidst days of spotty showers, bridling all 416 horsepower through the first half of the week was an exercise in smelting steely nerves, as it steps out more often than Adam Carolla and Julianne Hough doing the foxtrot. This is more fun than watching Dancing with the Stars, mind you, as dancing with the IS F raises the heartbeat to an entirely new level.

Giant fender slash helps to keep the IS F cool. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Yes, the IS F is ruddy brilliant at inciting the adrenal glands, so rather than do a straight-up comparo to its arch rivals from Stuttgart, Munich and Ingolstadt, it makes more sense to judge the car on its own merits alone. The weather dried as the weekend approached, always a good thing, giving me opportunity to test Lexus' new wunderkid out on two of my favorite stretches of road. I call them track one and track two, mostly because they're often so deserted of traffic that they serve my testing purposes well, and safely. Up the first course, a mountain road I often speak about that switchbacks its way up to a local ski resort, the IS F is wickedly fast, putting power down to the rear tires so ferociously that it prompted a mischievous giggle, more of a heh, heh than a ha, ha. The engine is insanely fun, and sounds sensational after its dual-path intake system kicks in and opens up the secondary exhaust to bark out a sinful blat that's easily more NASCAR than F1.

But that's OK with me, as a meaty 5.0-liter V8 is much more tractable in the real world than a small displacement engine that revs to 19,000 rpm. The IS F's engine will rev to 6,600, and somewhere around 3,300 it changes its personality from skilled athlete to steroid enhanced super sedan. Like the C63, the IS F makes do with a regular automatic transmission, instead of a dual-clutch sequential manual, like that in the RS4 and M3. But is it all that regular? Compared to the already impressively quick IS 350 gearbox, up-shifts in the F are shortened by a full second, from 1.3 (0.7 seconds to initiate and 0.6 seconds to change ratios) to a mere 0.3 seconds (0.2 seconds to initiate plus 0.1 seconds to shift). The key difference between the Lexus and Mercedes gearboxes are those lickety-split shift increments and an additional top gear for a total of eight. And what's this sport-oriented eight-speed box – a revision of the transmission used in Lexus' supersized LS 460 – like to drive? Fabulous! It feels almost as quick through the gears as its sequential manual rivals, and I wouldn't doubt quicker than

If you thought the IS 350 was fast, it's got nothing on this. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

first-generation SMG gearboxes, without the harsh edginess such racing inspired transmissions were once known for. Gearing down from high-speed, it revs the engine to perfectly match its intended cog, feeling every bit as racing as any of its peers when set to “Sport” mode, which puts such a solid whack into your back with every shift that you'd think it was an early Ferrari F1 gear changer. It'll kick the rear wheels out a bit if shifting during a tight curve under full throttle, adding to the car's raw and edgy appeal, yet it always seems to maintain absolute control over its environment. Contrarily, slip the transmission into drive with the setting defaulted to normal mode, and it's as serene as the eight-speed in its bigger brother, sliding from gear to gear in near effortless continuity, almost like it was a CVT.

The IS F's ride is livable too; where some in this class punish with the intensity of an inflamed dominatrix, this racy Lexus only bucks a little over rough pavement. Just the same, I could drive this car every day and not feel the worse for wear, but when the commute is over and the road begins to coil, this little Lexus has the inherent talent to run away from just about anything else on wheels. Sure it's 3,781-pound curb

Interior shows that despite its wild side, the IS F is still very civilized. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

weight works against its 225/40R19 front and 255/35R19 Bridgestone Potenza RE050As causing the car to push out laterally in tight corners, but they bite into the tarmac with surprising tenacity just the same, aided by Lexus' Sport Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (Sport VDIM), with an off button no less, as well as Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) and Traction Control (TRAC). Unlike previous stability control setups from Lexus, this system isn't as overbearing, and there's no annoying beep-beep-beep every time its tires lose grip. Rather, together with the car's aggressively tuned double-wishbone and multilink suspension setup, front and rear, it delivers the safety and security such systems have brought to the table in recent years, giving intermediate drivers the confidence to push a car more than ever before, without ruining all the fun. Likewise the IS F's electric power rack and pinion steering setup is strangely connective, allowing for a surprising amount of feedback, although not as much feel as say, the M3. Then again, its progressive weighting gives it a substantive, meaty feel.

And as expected with 416-horsepower under foot, speed ramps up quickly; 0 to 60 mph in 4.6 seconds, incidentally, a

Fire through eight forward gears with the world's fastest-shifting automatic transmission. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

hair quicker than the M3 but not as silly fast as the 475 hp C63 AMG that does the deed in 4.3. And unlike the more commonplace IS 350, that tends to get floaty when approaching the nether-regions of legality, Lexus' engineers have integrated underbody panels that work in harmony with those extroverted rear spoilers, ducts and wings, enhancing the aerodynamics and reducing lift.

Getting on the Jumbo Frisbee-sized cross-drilled Brembos, 14.2 inches up front and 13.6 in the rear, brings the IS F to a controlled stop no matter what speed you're at when stomping on the pedal, although get ready for some nose dive that can unsettle the suspension if getting back on the throttle mid-turn. The beefy brakes are backed up with Electronic Brake Force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist (BA) and ABS, of course.

The IS F is the epitome of a Jekyll and Hyde personality, and at no time is that more obvious than when climbing into its ultra-comfortable yet superbly supportive driver's seat and taking in the luxurious cabin. It's a serious contrast to the go-fast, boy racer styling treatment on the outside, although suitably sporting accoutrements abound. It's just that Lexus didn't forget to include chrome trim, matte-finish aluminized composite surfaces, extremely high-grade plastics, top-tier switchgear, and sumptuous perforated leather. Even the intricate weave decorating the lower console and door trim isn't the usual dark and foreboding gloss black carbon fiber affair, but rather an airier cream colored fiberglass woven deep beneath a high-gloss lacquer, very unusual and very nice, balancing perfectly on that sport-luxury theme that permeates the entire car.

Nestled into the dash is a circular “START” button, adding to the racy look but really more about total convenience, as it's connected to Lexus' proximity sensing SmartAccess key system that lets you into the car and start up the engine without the need to fumble with a remote.

F stands for Fuji, the race track it was honed to perfection on. It could also very well stand for Fast, something which the IS F is. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

Its competitors boast of similar systems, and such can be found on more entry-level cars, but it's a feature I like so much I can't help but mention it. Those body-forming seats are adjustable times ten, with three-position memory that brings the seats, mirrors and steering wheel to preferred settings after climbing aboard, while dual-side climate control system incorporating a pollen filter and smog detector is part of the package too. A power moonroof comes standard, another sign that Lexus isn't worried its customers would rather go without to reduce weight and lower the car's center of gravity. Leave that kind of silliness to M3 groupies, after all. It features one-touch open and close capability, plus will stay open in seven different positions. Lexus takes the time to point out that all side windows are one-touch up and down too, but really, this kind of feature has been standard with VW's commonplace Jetta for at least a decade, and should be as expected in the IS F's class as its powered tilt and telescoping steering column, also standard. Automatic dimming mirrors are expected fare, again, although the car's rain sensing wipers aren't, and they actually work quite well unless the rain is more of a light misting, common in the Northwest. All in all, the IS F strikes that balance of sport and luxury in every respect.

Germans beware. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

OK, to be honest there's one item that Lexus kind of went halfway on, the seat divider in the rear. The what? For some reason the product planners thought it would be a good idea to turn the five-seat IS into a four-seat IS F, reducing its functionality for a sportier pretense. Great idea, along the lines of the second-generation M5 that offered something similar as an option, but the execution in the F is a bit lackluster. After all, they could have taken the opportunity to slip something truly interesting between the seats, like a fixed center console covered in that beautiful woven trim from up front, a leather-clad armrest and some controls for massaging seat vibrators or the like. Rather, there's just a slab of hard plastic separating the two seats. I'll take the regular three-place seat, thanks. And that's about it for negatives, because other than this oddity the car's ruddy brilliant.

I could go on describing all of the details that make the IS F special ad nauseam (heck, I haven't even mentioned the 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system yet), but I'd rather take it out on the road for one more drive before I have to turn it back. You see, cars like this don't come along very often, and when the opportunity arises, it's simply wrong not to take advantage.

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