IS-F Test Drive - Whoa......
IS-F Test Drive - Whoa......
Definitely an interesting car, and quite schizophrenic in nature I thought (wonder if Tango would agree). Basically when you drive it around normally, at normal speeds it feels very much like an IS250, you really have no idea how much power is under the bonnet as it doesn't feel like it does. The exhaust note is slightly throatier, but it does just feel like an IS250 with a performance exhaust.
However get it over 3.5k revs and it suddenly turns into a completely different animal! The engine comes alive, actually sounds like you're in a different car it's so vastly different, and the thing takes off like nothing I've ever been in before (but I've never been in anything quite this quick before). And what really surprised me was the amount of traction, it was much harder than I expected to lose grip, I find it easier in the IS200 to set the TC off.
Had an absolute legend of a salesman take me out as well, he was an ex racing driver and took me out first. First thing he said was if you're not a nervous passenger I'll show you what this can do :w00t:
He absolutely floored it down some narrow country lanes and the roadholding was quite impressive, body roll being almost negligible which I wasn't expecting given the way it looks on track from the TV reviews. Also the ride is definitely not as harsh as reviews state, in fact I thought it didn't feel any harder than my IS.
He then went on to show me how effective the LSD was by circling a roundabout a few times with his foot right down - was a fantastic ride, I was actually slightly out of breath by the time I got behind the wheel!
Have to admit I was being a bit of a wimp behind the wheel, and didn't push it anywhere near as hard as I probably could have, and another test would need to be done if I became more serious about buying one. At one point he did actually I could drive it much harder, and he would tell me if I was getting silly and tell me to slow down!
Sorry been rambling on for a bit, but now the question is do I want one? Right now, I have to say I'm not sure. The jekyll and hyde nature of it is part of the reason I really liked it, but that's also a weakness. Yes there are times when I'd really appreciate having a car that can cruise quietly and comfortably without shouting at me all the time, but part of me just wants a car that's "full fat" all the time as I feel that now's the time to have a slightly insane car if I'm ever going to have one.
I'll have to have a think, and would like to have a go in an M3 and a C63 to see how they compare, but would highly recommend having a go in an IS-F if you get a chance as it really is a surprising car :thumbup1:
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Took an IS-F for a spin this morning, was in the ultra blue and looked stunning in the sun!
Definitely an interesting car, and quite schizophrenic in nature I thought (wonder if Tango would agree). Basically when you drive it around normally, at normal speeds it feels very much like an IS250, you really have no idea how much power is under the bonnet as it doesn't feel like it does. The exhaust note is slightly throatier, but it does just feel like an IS250 with a performance exhaust.
However get it over 3.5k revs and it suddenly turns into a completely different animal! The engine comes alive, actually sounds like you're in a different car it's so vastly different, and the thing takes off like nothing I've ever been in before (but I've never been in anything quite this quick before). And what really surprised me was the amount of traction, it was much harder than I expected to lose grip, I find it easier in the IS200 to set the TC off.
Had an absolute legend of a salesman take me out as well, he was an ex racing driver and took me out first. First thing he said was if you're not a nervous passenger I'll show you what this can do :w00t:
He absolutely floored it down some narrow country lanes and the roadholding was quite impressive, body roll being almost negligible which I wasn't expecting given the way it looks on track from the TV reviews. Also the ride is definitely not as harsh as reviews state, in fact I thought it didn't feel any harder than my IS.
He then went on to show me how effective the LSD was by circling a roundabout a few times with his foot right down - was a fantastic ride, I was actually slightly out of breath by the time I got behind the wheel!
Have to admit I was being a bit of a wimp behind the wheel, and didn't push it anywhere near as hard as I probably could have, and another test would need to be done if I became more serious about buying one. At one point he did actually I could drive it much harder, and he would tell me if I was getting silly and tell me to slow down!
Sorry been rambling on for a bit, but now the question is do I want one? Right now, I have to say I'm not sure. The jekyll and hyde nature of it is part of the reason I really liked it, but that's also a weakness. Yes there are times when I'd really appreciate having a car that can cruise quietly and comfortably without shouting at me all the time, but part of me just wants a car that's "full fat" all the time as I feel that now's the time to have a slightly insane car if I'm ever going to have one.
I'll have to have a think, and would like to have a go in an M3 and a C63 to see how they compare, but would highly recommend having a go in an IS-F if you get a chance as it really is a surprising car :thumbup1:
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
is300_dino
25-06-2017, 02:31 AM #2you know you want to party time for parhti perferably before september lol would look awaesome at jae :wink:
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Sparkystav
25-06-2017, 02:37 AM #4Sounds real exciting mate!
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Rabster Was that at woodford ?Yeah Woodford, dropped the car off for a service this morning so asked whether it would be ok to have a quick spin - ended up being almost an hour!
Sparkystav Sounds real exciting mate!The sound the engine makes above 3.5k revs is incredible, it really is. It's very muscle car like in sound, an immense V8 roar...... Plus the gearbox is an impressive bit of kit, the changes are almost instant, and the sound through downshifts.......:drool:
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2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Rabster Was that at woodford ?Yeah Woodford, dropped the car off for a service this morning so asked whether it would be ok to have a quick spin - ended up being almost an hour!
Sparkystav Sounds real exciting mate!The sound the engine makes above 3.5k revs is incredible, it really is. It's very muscle car like in sound, an immense V8 roar...... Plus the gearbox is an impressive bit of kit, the changes are almost instant, and the sound through downshifts.......:drool:
you cant leave the fold!
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
I've had my IS-F for a few months now and in that time I've realised it's not just the engine that's different as although it's of similar shape to the 250 it's a totally different car that sits underneath.
If I have any niggles it's the fact that the fuel tank is the same size as the 250, and because of the vast difference in mpg I'm spending more time in petrol stations.
I hope you used the flappy paddles :laugh: they're a lot more effective and usable in the 'F' as the set up is completely different.
IS 200 Sport with a few mods, Standardish IS-F. The IS250 SE-L with a few mods has gone to a new home.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
You have concurred with what I said after I had a couple of test drives, and that is for probably 90% of the time I may as well be in my 250.
I've had my IS-F for a few months now and in that time I've realised it's not just the engine that's different as although it's of similar shape to the 250 it's a totally different car that sits underneath.
If I have any niggles it's the fact that the fuel tank is the same size as the 250, and because of the vast difference in mpg I'm spending more time in petrol stations.
I hope you used the flappy paddles :laugh: they're a lot more effective and usable in the 'F' as the set up is completely different.
IS 200 Sport with a few mods, Standardish IS-F. The IS250 SE-L with a few mods has gone to a new home.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
The gearbox is amazing - it really is unbelievable how quick it changes and how brutal the changes can be, in some ways I can't believe it's a full auto and not a sequential manual. I think if I had one I would be forever blipping down on the left paddle when slowing down as it sounds so good!
How are you doing with the mpg? The salesman said if you drive it normally you should get mid 20s, but also said they had them at goodwood and when he was driving it flat out he was getting 6.5mpg :biggrin:
I was surprised that servicing isn't really much more expensive than the 250 - does make it quite a sensible way to get some astonishing performance.
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Yeah it's a weird thing to describe, although I did say it feels like an IS250, that's just more to do with how sedentary it is but jumping straight from the IS-F into the IS250 loan car made the differences really obvious. It's definitely not an IS with a 5ltr engine under the bonnet, it is completely reworked, and you can feel it.
The gearbox is amazing - it really is unbelievable how quick it changes and how brutal the changes can be, in some ways I can't believe it's a full auto and not a sequential manual. I think if I had one I would be forever blipping down on the left paddle when slowing down as it sounds so good!
How are you doing with the mpg? The salesman said if you drive it normally you should get mid 20s, but also said they had them at goodwood and when he was driving it flat out he was getting 6.5mpg :biggrin:
I was surprised that servicing isn't really much more expensive than the 250 - does make it quite a sensible way to get some astonishing performance.
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
My tank average says 23.8mpg, but I could get it better than that if I stopped 'enjoying' the drive as much.
IS 200 Sport with a few mods, Standardish IS-F. The IS250 SE-L with a few mods has gone to a new home.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Salesman obviously wasn't trying, I 've managed an indicated 4.5mpg on our gliding club runway and peri track :biggrin:
My tank average says 23.8mpg, but I could get it better than that if I stopped 'enjoying' the drive as much.
IS 200 Sport with a few mods, Standardish IS-F. The IS250 SE-L with a few mods has gone to a new home.[SIGPIC][/SIGPIC]
Tango Salesman obviously wasn't trying, I 've managed an indicated 4.5mpg on our gliding club runway and peri track :biggrin:
My tank average says 23.8mpg, but I could get it better than that if I stopped 'enjoying' the drive as much.
Lol, clearly!
That's not bad at all, not far off what I'm averaging in the IS200 at the moment (according to the mileage app on my phone, I'm averaging 24.9 at the mo :Sulk
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
Tango Salesman obviously wasn't trying, I 've managed an indicated 4.5mpg on our gliding club runway and peri track :biggrin:
My tank average says 23.8mpg, but I could get it better than that if I stopped 'enjoying' the drive as much.
Lol, clearly!
That's not bad at all, not far off what I'm averaging in the IS200 at the moment (according to the mileage app on my phone, I'm averaging 24.9 at the mo :Sulk
2002 '02' IS200 SE Auto - DVD Satnav with Voice Activation - [COLOR="Blue"]Strathcaron Blue - Parking Sensors - 5000K HIDs with Anti-Glare Bulbs - PIAA 6500K Main Beams - LED Sidelights - Mirror/Sunroof Closure - TTE Styling Kit - 18" Styling Kit Alloys with nitrogen filled Goodyear Eagle F1 Asymmetric Tyres - Bluetouch Multimedia Kit - Gromaudio AUX in - Black painted calipers with silver Lexus decals - 12 LED Dome Light - 96 LED Boot Light - Stainless Steel Sport Sill Plates - PIAA Silicone Wipers[/COLOR]
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