[ putting on my flame suit ... ok, flame suit on ]

I'm getting sick of all the speculation about the IS-F and the lack of official information for the car. It was fun for a while, but it's getting really old now. I can't believe that it's almost October and there is still no "official" word regarding "estimated base price" or "specs".

The lack of official information isn't all that bothers me. Some recent posts about Lexus "limiting production" of the IS-F to some rediculously small number of units really bothers me. Apparently, dealers are putting out this information, probably as a ploy to take advantage of potential buyers. Where the F is Lexus? Maybe this is what the "F" should stand for in IS-F. Does Lexus even know about this site and the other ones like it? If a Lexus "Internet PR" person were here, wouldn't they step in and say the "limited production" rumour is false?

I am a member of several Lexus forums as well as a few other car forums. I visit this site and several others similar to it at least a couple of times a week awaiting more news. I get several different car magazines and consider myself to be a "car guy". I will be in the market for a new car soon, and may be willing to wait for the IS-F, but I'm not putting down my hard earned money on an IS-F deposit until Lexus releases more info.

It's cool that Lexus will have the IS-F at SEMA, but that is a long way off. I guess everyone will have to wait until SEMA before "independent" test drives are permitted and we can get unbiased first driving impressions of this car.

Why did Lexus put an IS-F on a dyno "for entertainment" and not let us know the numbers? That is just silly.

I work with several people who are interested in cars. When I mentioned the IS-F to them, they said they had never heard of it. Lexus is doing a poor job marketing this car.

If you work for Lexus, please pick up the ball!

That's the end of my rant.

 

heh...just chill man...all of us are still waiting...and some of us have put deposits down even though we don't know jack about it...heh...so take it ez and we will know soon...

 

kinda agree with you there. BMW and Mercedes all release specs long before launch, and i think its really annoying what they are doing. same with the 2009 GTR. The car has been awaited since 2001 and yet they still are not releasing much. i read in a mag that 2009 gtr took way to long to launch that its 450-480 hp car will be not much of a phenom when it comes out.

 

Now it's reported the the GT-R beats a Porsche turbo around the ring (7:38 vs. 7:40). That's not a phenom for $55k base to $95k for V-Spec?

 

i said it wrong. although the car will be all that is touted to be, it would have been more amazing had the car was launched 2-3 years ago. soon after GTR goes on sale the new CTS-V and Corvette will launch which will have 600 and 700 bhp, respectively. the GTR's 450-480 (480-530 for Evo version) bhp will make it seem a much less of a performance car. what im saying is the car was anticipated for 8 years or so but the numbers aren't through the roof.

 

I am so fed up I am pulling my deposit Monday. I am so frustrated I no longer want the car. Lexus needs to grow up and stop the infantile games.

 

This is called a "teaser trailer" just like a movie (i.e. Spiderman, Transformers) will tease you for two years with trailers. Why release the information before the actual item comes out? Isn't Lexus getting much more press with guessers than if they just came out and released the information. I just did my Taste of Lexus event today and I test drove the IS350 twice and I thought it was wickedly fast and handled great. I then try to imagine that experience with a 400+hp car instead of a 300hp car and my brain starts spinning.

IS350 + bigger engine + bigger brakes + better tuning = IS+F = F'n FUN !!!!

If it were not for the size (I have two kids, who from test driving the IS today, I know will not fit comfortably) I would jump on the IS-F with it's estimated ($50K) price anyday. Honestly, with M3 and C-AMG being in $60K+ range, I'd believe even $58K for the IS-F would be acceptable.

 

You all are party poopers who can't wait, lexus is doing a freakin awesome job at keeping the info a secret . . . Doing the dyno run like 3 times yesterday made me want the car even more, and trust me, the 350 was a rocket around the course with its handling, the isf will be even better. Im sure their making their final tweaks to the car, i.e. the engine cover. Just hold your horses . . . why pull the deposit from your dealer, its refundable at any time . . . I wouldnt even care if it came out in march or april, ill wait, i dont want salt on my new baby or snow

 

i always wondered why no one said anything about this. i just figured that it spoke of the target demographic.

building hype is one thing. lexus has a lot to prove here if they're charging in the $60k range as some of their PMs suggested (iirc from the test drive events) strapping the car on the dyno is not the way to go about things. actual drives, sure, but not this. Given their actions and this price point theyve killed all excuses if the car isn't all its expected to be.

the gt-r should be left out of discussion. when asked, nissan said what their target was. its not like they said they're targeting the 2001 911turbo. They said the 911 turbo was the target, and today they're testing it against the CURRENT model. There's no reason to believe the gt-r won't perform. Contrary to what's been posted before, there's no evo model or vspec. Pricing has been released and they're all about $70k give or take a couple grand for different options (wheels+tires and bose being the largest options). ultimately though, the IS-F and GT-R aren't in the same class.

 

All car makers have done this/do this. There is speculation and a few have the real specs. Then the official press release is made.

On top of that, Lexus is very conservative. They also know they CANNOT screw this up.

 

I am very close to losing interest in the is-f myself, I hope there is info soon and it is good news... I could care less about a hp number though, I just want it to perform. I ran a 13.50 at the track in my 350. I need it to run at least a second faster in the 1/4 mile to justify the extra $15,000+ its gonna cost.

 

^if you want it to "perform" then i think you should get something else.. i don't think isf going to "perform" better than the m3

 

Why does nobody consider the RS4 for a base price of 66K. I mean that is a proven performer that hauls ***. With a few mods you are doing over a g on the skid and would annihilate almost anything on the autocross course, not to mention it does 0-60 in 4.3-4.5 range with exhaust. I know from the S4 I had and how well it handled compared to the IS that the RS4 would be leaps and bounds a better handling car.

 

I think the only way Lexus will be able to sell them is if they price it around $57K fully fully loaded with a base around 53K or 54K.

 

I was really really really stoked on getting and IS-F until I started reading more and more about the GT-R. Forget "ricer" forget "fanboy" etc. I'm about performance and daily driving. I'll take a TT 3.8 v6 with possible future mods. I'll take a 7:35 at the ring*. It actually dethrones the Z06 for performance/price!!! Plus, I can slap on some snow tires if need be and drive it all winter long. And, being AWD, I can probalby get awesome launches at the drag strip w/o even drag radials! Oh, it is under 60K and 480 HP and 0-60 at 3.9 seconds!!!! I don't have to hear this crap about "over 400 hp and under 4.9 seconds" anymore.

THE ONLY THING that will stop me from getting one is if I can't fit my golf clubs in the trunk.