rominl

iTrader: (4)

hahha cool, bimmer wins

should try to consider how many toyota crowns used as taxi in hong kong

biker

That's what I mentioned earlier - it will be the first in its class to offer an interface screen standard. It would be nice if the aux input for the audio would be extended to the video as well - plug in your portable device and voila, in car video.

Nas

The Insturment Cluster has the Lexus Opitron Touch, but the design looks like it came out of a BMW

jrock65

I think this IS definitely has the best exterior AND interior design of all the cars in its class, although the triangular foglights are going to take some getting used to.

BTW, will this car be sold as a Toyota Altezza in Japan, or as the Lexus IS?

Gojirra99

Lexus will be introduced as it's own seperate brand from Toyota this year in Japan, so the new IS & GS will be a Lexus there, with no Toyota equivalent.

spwolf

Unfortunatly, DVD nav screen will not be the same as base screen, obviously...

biker

Why not? Most other cars that have a screen standard, use the same screen when you get the NAV option. The only thing that sometimes happens is you get a bigger screen with NAV, but once you get a screen you can use it for just about anything.

From the pics so far of the IS220d and IS250, one would deduce that all IS models will have some sort of screen standard. Heck, to save on costs, it might even be the same screen as the one in the GS. Lexus is the somewhat rare maker that is sticking with the more expensive touch screen, wheareas most other makers are going to a regular screen with a ****/joystick as the input device. Come to think of it, while the touch screen itself might be more expensive, by the time you add the **** and all of the wiring to a regular screen the net cost might be the same. The thing that I like best about the touch screen idea is not the screen itself, but the fact that there's no wasted space for the controller ****. The German implementations of the controller take up space where a cup holder would be and the other Asian ones (RL, M) have it high on the center stack that cluter the space that an interface screen is supposed to clean up.

Vladi

Screen will remain the same just less buttons. Just like in GS

If this interior stays unchanged after realease we can expect some serious upgrades in GS for 2007 .. which is almost 2 years from now.

GFerg

Where are these people getting their info from? First Autoweek says IS350 will have 245hp, which seems like a typing mistake. Now Edmunds is reporting a IS250/IS300 combo. IS250 with the 205 hp and the IS300 with 252 hp from the GS300. They also claim that the IS350 will be some sort of high performance model a la M3/S4 with 310 hp. What is going on. I'm hearing to many different things right now. No one really knows. Lexus keeps their plans in hiding for to long. Honestly, I'm just going to say that there is no IS300/350 for now until I see some real numbers. This is rediculous.

Rockville, Flip. Opinions???

GFerg

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/d...ticleId=104840#

2006 Lexus IS 300 Revealed
Date Posted 03-01-2005

New IS 300 will take on the BMW 3-Series packing a 252-hp V6.
GENEVA, Switzerland — Call it the clash of the titans: Lexus vs. BMW. Toyota's luxury division Lexus unveiled a new sport sedan at the Geneva motor show intended to challenge the BMW 3 Series, which also made its worldwide auto show debut here. This is the second generation of the IS and the most powerful with a 252-hp V6.

The new IS represents a full redesign from bumper to bumper, but remains rear-wheel drive. It is based on a shortened version of the new GS platform and its styling bears a family resemblance to the new GS sedans, which go on sale this year.

In Geneva, Lexus showed the IS 250 with a 2.5-liter direct-injection V6, which replaces the previous inline six. It also introduced a new super-eco 2.2-liter, four-cylinder diesel, the first-ever diesel from Lexus, which will go in the IS as well as future Lexus models.

The U.S. will not get the diesel version. Instead, a bigger 3.0-liter version of the new V6 engine, rated at 252 horsepower, will go in the IS 300. And Japan's rumor mill has it that an even higher-performance version, the IS 350, is on tap with a reworked version of the 3.5-liter V6 from the new Toyota Avalon, producing a stronger 310 hp.

The IS features a six-speed manual transmission or a dual-mode automatic with paddle-shift controls.

A convertible could be in the IS lineup by 2006 as well.

What it means to you: Lexus is giving us what appears to be a worthy alternative to the BMW 3 Series with the new IS.

Gojirra99

Oh, so the 252 hp is for a new IS300 which I haven't heard of until yesterday, I haven't heard Liz/Flip/Rockville mentioned about a new IS300 , it was all IS250/350 + a diesel for Europe before So is it the IS250/300 this fall first, & then the 300+ hp IS350 even later ?

GFerg

I dunno. Ive given up trying to make sense out of all of this. Its just IS250 for me right now.

BrickHead

That must be a modified version of the 3.0 V6 from the GS300?? It kind of makes sense... because there is a big difference in HP between IS250 and IS350. IS300 would fill that gap nicely and provides another home for the new 3.0 V6. Oh well, who knows..

XeroK00L

Cool...this confirms my previous suspicion of an IS300 as a gap filler.
It'll surely compete quite favorably against the new 330i and the IS350 will beat it for good.

Gojirra99

Great If IS350 is 300+ hp, but the next M3 will be a V8 . . .