Lexus IS-F

Road Test

Your Say

Test date 26 March 2008 Price as tested £51,000

For Engine note, chassis balance, strong brakes, high spec

AgainstLack of proper limited-slip diff, hesitant gearbox, flat seats, fidgety ride

The IS-F is the first sports Lexus model to make production. It was the idea of two Lexus engineers, Yaguchi-san and Sakamoto-san, but it is not the first IS model to undergo a little light fettling. In 2003 the same engineers experimented with the previous-generation IS300 — normally fitted with a 3.0-litre straight six — to create the IS430 project car, with a 340bhp V8, adjustable dampers and a six-speed manual transmission.

But from here on you must forget what you know about traditional Lexus values – comfort, refinement and so on – because this new model has its priorities in an entirely different place. With petrol V8s and hybrids that deliver mountain-moving torque from idle, Lexus’s existing range isn’t exactly slovenly, but this, the IS-F, is the firm’s first stab at a fully paid-up sports saloon.

The ‘F’ stands for Fuji Motor Speedway, the Japanese track owned by Toyota and the venue for the car’s development. If any doubt remains, one look at the IS-F’s mechanical specification gives a clear indication of its market positioning.

A naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 producing over 400bhp and driven solely through the rear wheels is a strikingly familiar layout; both BMW and Mercedes have recently launched products that, give or take the odd cubic centimetre or brake horsepower, match the Lexus blow for blow.

And the £51,000 Lexus is charging for the IS-F places it neatly between the £49,310 M3 saloon and the £51,317 C63 AMG. That’s tough competition by any measure, but especially so when it’s your first effort.