The Lexus ISF has finally added passion to a brand long sold on logic, says Michael McAleer,Motoring editor
IT'S A DREAM come true, at least for Yukihiko Yaguchi, chief engineer of the ISF project. This latest addition to the IS range is the progeny of 10 years of long and painstaking work by Yaguchi and his colleagues. Their efforts were not confined to creating the car; much of their work revolved around cajoling and coaxing senior managers to approve its production. By all accounts there were plenty of dead ends along the way before the ISF found the open road.
From its initial days, the attraction of the Lexus brand has been largely logical: a quality Japanese car with a high standard specification. Experience with parent company Toyota meant staff at the premium division is already well versed in the principles of its legendary production system. In hindsight there was never really any doubt they could build top quality premium cars. The question mark always arose over whether these well-built cars could instil as much love as logic.
The brand's first nod towards the emotional side of motoring came courtesy of the new family design language. The end result - L-finesse - is a strong distinctive look that is turning heads.
Now it's time to add some passion and get the pulses racing a little. That's where the ISF comes in - a car that hopefully heralds a family of F-badged animals. For now, Lexus has offered up a model that speaks to the heart as much as the head. You take for granted the reliability and quality finish. Likewise you are not really considering the family practicality of the car, though it remains a four-door saloon with two adequate - if relatively tight - back seats and a decent boot.
In terms of design, it fits the bill for stealth performance cars. To those who don't know one car from the next, there will be little sign that it's anything special. To those with even a fleeting interest, the low grumble, side fins, eyecatching dark alloys and four tailpipes will cause them to look twice. To those in the know, however, it will provoke whiplash and catcalls. It's subtle, but only up to a point.
The exterior look is chunky and muscular, while inside the racing seats cosset every occupant. Then you hit the start button. Suddenly that price tag for an IS starts to make sense. What you have here is the heart-pounding, salivating, aural porn of a V8 in full song in a car that's glued to the road. That's normally the preserve of Germans or Italians.
The good news is that the ISF, while not surpassing its esteemed rivals, puts up a very credible challenge. It has earned the right to be considered in their company. That's an incredible feat.
There are several facets to its success. The first and arguably most important is that Lexus didn't simply stick the largest engine it could find into the front nose, setting it on big alloys and stiffening the suspension. Do all this and you get the rodeo style responses from cars that skit and jump all over the road because they simply can't transfer all that power to the tarmac.
The key facet of a premium stealth car is to take this phenomenal power - in the region of 400bhp-plus these days - and get it all on to the ground smoothly but with incredible punch.
While Yaguchi takes the top prize, part of the credit must go to the engineers who crafted the eight-speed automatic transmission that can also be controlled using wheel-mounted paddles. Not only is it one of the smoothest gearboxes around, but we had the chance to see its inner workings and it's truly a piece of art. It makes up for the lack of a manual option.
It's not just smooth and well-crafted; it also manages to help the 416bhp 5-litre V8 deliver a very impressive 505Nm of torque through the back wheels. That's superior to the 400Nm torque output of the M3, if not quite up there with the phenomenal 600Nm from the C63 AMG.
So this is the barnstormer from the Japanese brand, if not quite as jaw-droppingly powerful as rivals like the C63 AMG. It's also incredibly stable on the road, thanks to impressive weight balance, though it still lacks the Audi RS4's ability to defy physics in tight corners.
Instead the ISF has a tendency to gradually oversteer, rescued in the more extreme instances by the advanced stability control system, or VDIM as Lexus call it. This system has a sports mode that allows greater freedom to the driver to push the car to its limits. At the extreme, the VDIM can be switched off entirely. On public roads switching it off would be slightly insane, but we did find leaving it in Sports mode meant a far more responsive drive and ironically a more composed ride over bumps. It bedded down into the road better in this mode.
Prior to last week's road test in the car, most of our driving time in the ISF was on race tracks. There it showed its mettle, but more importantly its forgiveness.
The rear shimmies out when pushed, particularly with the stability system (VDIM) completely turned off, but it's not the violent whip you get from some of its rivals.
This is a car that wants to be fun, not frightening.
Lexus clearly knew the Jekyll and Hyde lifestyles of performance cars when developing the engine note for the ISF as well. While you get the deep-throttle gurgle from the moment you hit the start button, it's only when you cross the 4,000rpm barrier that the real racer is revealed. Suddenly the engine note explodes into full voice and the acceleration becomes less gradual and more rocket-like.
Not surprisingly, the ride can be rather choppy, particularly as the fetching 19-inch forged alloys are shod with a minimalist strip of Bridgestone Potenza rubber. However, while it's a little jarring at times, it's not as back-breaking as a host of other sports cars in its price range.
Tradition and reputation run deep in the premium market, and nowhere is that stronger than among the devoted car fans who splash out on stealth models like the M3 and its ilk.These people are known for their appreciation of cars and they are brand ambassadors to tens if not hundreds of others. That's why, from a business point of view, Lexus needs more F models.
So we come to the weekly word on Vehicle Registration Tax (VRT). If you're overly concerned about the tax take, then it's unlikely you are in the market for a €107,500 car in the first place. That said, if you are in this market, you probably know about saving a few euro in tax. So, put simply, this car - and indeed all the other supercars and performance versions - must be bought by July 1st. Given that it is now May, the clock is ticking. By registering your 5-litre petrol V8 this month or next, you will save not only on the price of the car, but also on the annual road tax.
Come July 1st, the VRT will rise by 6 per cent to 36 per cent while annual road tax will go up by €509. It's a no-brainer.
The fact the Lexus comes in with a higher price than the M3 or C63 AMG is a little disconcerting. It's good but not the best in class, so therefore it's harder to justify the extra spend.
The ISF is a viable competitor with the German giants in this performance game. It's a fantastic first attempt.
Perhaps it could have been a little more raw and unforgiving, to show there is a real racing heart beating within the Lexus brand. That may well come in due course. Pitching the ISF as an equal to the established models - albeit one that is more forgiving of the driver - is exactly what the brand needed to show that Lexus offers more than logic. Well done, Yaguchi.
FACTFILE
Engine:4969cc V8 petrol engine 32-valve with eight-speed automatic transmission putting out 416bhp @ 6,600rpm and 505Nm of torque @ 5,200rpm
Specification:Stability control (VDIM); 19" alloys; leather interior trim; Sat-Nav; Mark Levinson stereo; dual front and side airbags; dual front knee airbags; pelvis airbags; whiplash injury lessening front seats; rain-sensing wipers; parking sensors
L/100km (mpg):urban - 16.8 (16.8); extra-urban - 8.3 (34.0); combined - 11.4 (24.8)
CO2 emissions:270 g/km
Tax: Pre-July:30 per cent VRT; €1,491 annual road tax; from July 1st: 36 per cent VRT; €2,000 annual road tax
Price:€107,500