Great write-up and nice pics Mike. PBIR is definitely a fun high-speed track to go to. I experienced that track at both a Lexus and Audi sponsored event and loved it!

I'm very surprised that you didn't opt for the F-Sport version with all the work Lexus had put into that model and based off your other track toys that you own. Well, if you're looking at bringing the IS350 for more track days, perhaps you'd be interested in installing TRD suspension parts that's available to the Japanese market:

http://wot.motortrend.com/trd-offers...an-368885.html

I'm not sure if anyone here has installed these parts on U.S. spec ISx50s yet but I'm very curious to hear how that TRD-tuned suspension system performs.

 

awesome write up, really almost puts us in the car with you! great job
and thanks for taking the time to write it up

 

Thanks fellas.

Regarding not getting the FSport...that's a tough one. In some ways I regret not getting it.

At the time I was thinking that it didnt lower the car so i would end up doing a suspension change regardless so why pay the money? I also had a personal preference for the looks of the regular cars lower front bumper with where it flares to the brake duct area versus how the FSport is shaped in that area. Totally personal preference but I though the regular one looks more clean.

I ordered a set of HTech springs and I have been eyeing the TRD sways but I cant justify $1000 for swaybars if HR or Eibach comes out with a set for $450 in the next few months. I'm hoping they do.

My biggest deal is waiting to find some darn track wheels that will fit. I want to run a square 255 setup on R compound but I dont know what wheels/offsets will fit. I'm going to try putting the rear wheels up front to see if they fit. If they do i'll grab another set of OEM rears.

What do you guys think on that?

Mike

 

I feel the same way about the TRD stuff...lol. and i also debated the f-sport trim like you did. i was going to change everything anyway but what sold me was the gauge. i also have track settings in mind, but i fear i might have gone to aggressive...now i need to do some fender work =/ but anyways to answer your question...

I'm running 18x10s +39 all around. its too aggressive for the front BUT i am running the stock rear tires in the front. 255/35/18 bridgestones. i was originally going to run 265/35/18 toyo R1Rs in the front (what i run in the rear) but i think if you dont go any bigger than a 9inch in the front and keep the offset high youd be ok with the 255 r compound in the front.

as far as wheels go, go for something lighter if youre going to buy wheels. These stocks come close to 30lbs each. im just under 20lbs each at the moment. just something to think about =)

 

Thanks for that information. It's nice knowing I may be able to fit some decent square fitments. For the other cars I have owned it's been easy finding wheels. For this car, tirerack has nothing at this time. I looked on the element wheels website and found some TSW wheels but I dont know if that website has accurate fitments. I'm guessing if I went with an 18x8.5" or 18.9" all around in an ET32 to ET?? I will be ok?

Thanks again.

Mike

 

yea theres not a lot of info for this car out there yet. i had to guess/play with the fitment unfortunately. But you should be more than ok with that setup.

Im waiting on Tababe or whoever to get on their game and start offering more braces. i have their underbrace right now but i definitely need new sway bars...the stock rear is especially dinky... =/

 

Thoroughly enjoyed your writeup!

 

If you're trying to correct under steer than your best bet is to start off with trying better tires. Once you get off the stock tires and get a decent pair of tires than you should feel more confident turning off traction control. Those two changes alone should be a big difference in the under steer you are feeling. Traction control is better in the 3IS than it was in the 2IS but it still gets in the way.

Surprised you are tracking after only two weeks with the car. From the way you described how you drove it, I'm not surprised the car beeped at you. You can't drive this car like a Boxster or Miata. Not saying you are trying to but with only 2 weeks with the car, old habits are hard to break. This car spikes hard downshifting into 2nd. When you get more time tracking the car I think you will see what I mean.

Personally I would wait for H&R or Eibach instead of TRD. Though I would still start off with tires and turning traction control off. Once you start messing the 3 main suspension (sways, springs and shocks) components it will take some tweeking to get the suspension just right. There is definitely a difference between modding out the suspension and tuning it for tracking. I could be wrong but I would say 99% of the modders here aren't tracking their car.

I love the AVS in the F-Sport but I'm not sure how much of a difference it would actually make on the track. I would actually have to test both back to back because I'm just not sold my F-Sport would have less body roll and under steer than your Non-F-Sport. I like the AVS because it brings life to the way the car drives.

 

I would of loved to see this thing run.

 

did my track session at MSR Houston today. Drives a heck of a lot better than when I went with the 2IS, better in the turns than the 2IS with F sport sways. I kept traction control on, kept me out of trouble a few times. I had the same instructor when I went with the 2IS, who happens to own a 08 ISF. He said the 3IS felt better in everyway than the 2IS. Said he wanted to stay away from teh car afterwards because it might give him the itch. He loved the interior a lot. I started off driving it in Sport+ but still in D, later on I went to M mode. I experienced the auto upshift annoyance too, it would basically get 2 upshifts because me and the car decided to go up a gear at about the same time. The 8spd tranny had a lot better punch than the 6spd especially around gear 2 and 3. Stock tires had better grip than I expected but Im not too fond of them. Once they are worn I will go with better tires. I normally drive with the OEM low dust front brake pads but I swapped in the F Sport pads before going to the track

Temperature starting off was mid-high 60s with overcast. Later in the day went up to 78deg and sunny. Had no issues with high fluid temperatures.

 

 

Mike, are you running stock tire pressures? Check your tire pressure at the end of a few laps. You might get some handling improvements if you make some adjustments.

BTW I have the exact same car in atomic silver. Lovin it.

 

i did stock pressures, highest the tires got on the track was 40 psi

 

My tire pressures varied obviously. They increased about 10psi after 15 minutes on the track. I saw pressures as high as 50psi but of course lowered it. I had to keep the pressures up pretty high because I was wearing all the way up to the tread blocks. As it is the front tires are about toast now. I had to keep it about 46psi hot which was about 36psi cold.

 

I know this is an old thread, but I just bought my IS 350 F-Sport, and I was curious to see if there were any reviews from the track. It's been a long time since I've done track events, as most of my experience over the past 25 years of racing has been in the RallyCross world.


Hoping to get to one of the local NorCal tracks in the near future. As much as I like to daydream about wheel/tire upgrades, I'll probably run the stock tires and see how they fare. At worst, I'll use them up and buy some Pilots.