350 Vs. Isf

[HSK]

Just thought I would share this with my fellow IS owners. So I dropped by the dealership today for my first 1k service. I had about an hour to kill, so I looked around the showroom and the lot and saw some IS 250/350 09's. Very minal changes and all seemed to be cosmetic. Then I went to take a closer look at the ISF. I ended up running into the manager that sold me my car and after chatting briefly, I asked him if it would be possible to test drive an IS-F just for comparison. He gladly got the keys and off we went.

I must say that the difference between the 350 and the ISF is night and day. When you start the car, the car rumbles and growls. Very masculine. We took it onto a long strip (1/2-3/4 miles) and then the manager told me to floor it as hard as I could. I gladly complied with his instructions. The torque was incredible and the car was very responsive. It felt like I was being thrust forward. The transmission shifts were seemless and very smooth. When the car opens up at the higher end of the RPM range, it really opens up and growls. The notes from the engine and the exhaust were very deep, throaty, pronounced yet very pleasant, non-overbearing, and very masculine sounding. We took a few corners and handling was quite crisp and responsive. The suspension was definitely stiffer than the 250/350. The recaro seats grip the driver much tighter and it definitely helps considering how much power is under the hood. The best part of the car is that when you drive normally, the car drives and behaves exactly like what you would expect from any Lexus vehicle, but when you need to be aggressive, the attitude of the car completly changes and shows you that this is no ordinary Lexus. The best anology I can think of to describe it would be Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

At the end of the drive I asked the manager if he had sold many of these and he said that they have basically been selling as soon as they come on the lot. He also mentioned that they don't let just anyone test drive the ISF and that they screen for serious customers before letting the ISF off the lot. He said it wasn't a problem for me though since I just bought a car from him not too long ago (my sis also bought her 400H from their dealership too). He then asked if I was thinking about upgrading and then we both looked at each other and laughed! All in all, the ISF is an awesome kick-!Removed! machine and the experience of driving one was quite thrilling and memorable. I am sure whoever buys/owns one will love it, however I am happy that I do not own one as the potential for tickets is limitless...lol!

[dallaslexus]

Was this a manual or automatic? I just wondered if they improved on the responsiveness of the paddle shifters.

[rishithen7]

Just thought I would share this with my fellow IS owners. So I dropped by the dealership today for my first 1k service. I had about an hour to kill, so I looked around the showroom and the lot and saw some IS 250/350 09's. Very minal changes and all seemed to be cosmetic. Then I went to take a closer look at the ISF. I ended up running into the manager that sold me my car and after chatting briefly, I asked him if it would be possible to test drive an IS-F just for comparison. He gladly got the keys and off we went.

I must say that the difference between the 350 and the ISF is night and day. When you start the car, the car rumbles and growls. Very masculine. We took it onto a long strip (1/2-3/4 miles) and then the manager told me to floor it as hard as I could. I gladly complied with his instructions. The torque was incredible and the car was very responsive. It felt like I was being thrust forward. The transmission shifts were seemless and very smooth. When the car opens up at the higher end of the RPM range, it really opens up and growls. The notes from the engine and the exhaust were very deep, throaty, pronounced yet very pleasant, non-overbearing, and very masculine sounding. We took a few corners and handling was quite crisp and responsive. The suspension was definitely stiffer than the 250/350. The recaro seats grip the driver much tighter and it definitely helps considering how much power is under the hood. The best part of the car is that when you drive normally, the car drives and behaves exactly like what you would expect from any Lexus vehicle, but when you need to be aggressive, the attitude of the car completly changes and shows you that this is no ordinary Lexus. The best anology I can think of to describe it would be Dr Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.

At the end of the drive I asked the manager if he had sold many of these and he said that they have basically been selling as soon as they come on the lot. He also mentioned that they don't let just anyone test drive the ISF and that they screen for serious customers before letting the ISF off the lot. He said it wasn't a problem for me though since I just bought a car from him not too long ago (my sis also bought her 400H from their dealership too). He then asked if I was thinking about upgrading and then we both looked at each other and laughed! All in all, the ISF is an awesome kick-!Removed! machine and the experience of driving one was quite thrilling and memorable. I am sure whoever buys/owns one will love it, however I am happy that I do not own one as the potential for tickets is limitless...lol!

That's crazy man. Great description I can picture it in my head.

[HSK]

Was this a manual or automatic? I just wondered if they improved on the responsiveness of the paddle shifters.

I believe the ISF only comes in an 8 speed automatic transmission with manual paddle shifters. Driving the car in auto mode was better for straight line acceleration, but the paddle shifters were responsive as well. I can see the paddle shifters being more useful in situations where there are more turns/cornering involved(mainly for holding a specific gear). Overall the auto mode was faster and almost intuitive if you will, and it seemed ready for anything you could throw at it. Smooth and seemless really is the best way to describe the shifting.

That's crazy man. Great description I can picture it in my head.

Sharing is caring...lol! Plus I couldn't keep down the excitement after the test drive so I figured I would share it here with my fellow IS owners. If anyone has the opportunity to test drive one, I definitely recommend doing it cuz the car is Bad-!Removed!!!!