aznxenon

I think you should get the Q50 Redsport 👍, new is always better according to Barney Stinson

ISFpowered

Almost fell out of my chair when I read this. I’ve watched all seasons twice of “How I met your mother” and will never get tired of Barney Stinson. He is right though new is better.

MileHIFcar

Go test drive one, see if the transmission is something you can live with? Don't think it shifts as quick as the ISF/GSF/RCF transmissions.....a lot of people were hoping that Infinity would put in a dual clutch mated to that motor to exploit the power delivery properly

ISFpowered

I did test drive one. Honestly for stock it’s surprisingly fast! It shifts quick in paddle mode. To me the shifts felt just as fast as the ISF. I did a few parts comparison to see how much cheaper it is. For example our two piece rotors are $1000 for a front or rear set. For the q50 it’s $500 for a set. Full race down pipes are $800 while headers for us is pretty much $2000. RT or Pure turbo upgrade is about $3000 which is not bad at all. Our SC kit is 10k.

MileHIFcar

Most definitely sounds cheaper to modify because they are more abundant than the F cars and turbocharged motors from the factory are indeed cheaper to modify and pull more power out of for sure. They are good looking cars, every time I see one I comment how nice they look! If you go that route I hope you don't have any sellers remorse like many others have had when they sold their F.

That being said if your okay with the 7 speed transmission shifting algorithm and it pairs well with the power delivery of the twin turbo motor then keep us updated if you buy one and good luck....also do some research on how well the transmission holds power/reliability after you start pushing more boost if your going that route.

Jwconeil

The red sport can run 10s relatively easy, while we fight and most fail to see 11s in our cars. The cumulative data on boosting an ISF is mixed. Some will not like reading this... but some of these engines fail with boost. We can chuck it up to maybe tracking it sometime in the past and getting hot oil, but we might as well jump in a hypothetical argument machine. One member had good compression and his still let go. Some have boosted with no issues.

At the end of the day, our pistons are a weak point and are not garanteed to hold the power. If you boost an ISF, you may have to build the engine. I’ve talked to some members that had their engine built, and the price was eye watering. I can’t for the life of me figure out why a simple build with forged pistons costs what it does other than the Lexus tax. If your not comfortable building your own engine, you’ll be north of 20k with the supercharger and engine build.

Even boosted, these cars struggle to run 10s, and most don’t make it there.

If you want straight line speed, the ISF is just a hard car to make competitive. I’d take that same 20k, sell the isf, and go buy a GTR if I wanted straight line speed.

The red sport is capable, just not my personal cup of tea. They can be very quick though. Reliability is yet to be known, especially with high power.

winterturb

Way cheaper to modify but things let go sooner so cost wise it’s a wash. It’s which car do you like driving better and if it’s the infinity go buy one. Only you can make up your mind. Our opinions should have no bearing on your decision.

the only real pro to the ISF is reliability. The market didn’t like as they didn’t sell many. The market much prefers Infinity.

James7

I thought about the GTR for a few years now, but you're right, I would still want some mild modding and just when we thought our parts were expensive .. lol , so I'm sticking with this. That Infinity is nice though

ISFpowered

It’s not an easy decision. I’ve spent so much on my car already and I’m simply FBO with tune. I just desire more power. SC it just doesn’t really seem like a path I want to take for 550whp. That same 20k with q50 I would be at 600whp and have 10k left over lol. The engine is cheap to. Pistons and rods are sold for a great price by AMS. Don’t get me wrong though I love my ISF. Just feels outdated on the inside. Gtr is a definite no go for me. If I’m going to spend that kind of money I might as well mustang and build it up to 1000whp and bet I haven’t spent half of what someone who bought a gtr will for FBO. I just wish the ISF parts were cheaper. I’m sure if RR racing and figs had more competition they would have to give better prices to stay competitive.

Jwconeil

I won’t ever sell my ISF, because all around it’s the best car IMO... but that’s at many things. If your sole goal is straight line speed, it can’t compete on that front. But for an overall car, it’s still the best car. The parts are very expensive. What’s your overall goal? Power hungry people always want more power, it’s only natural.

So with that in mind, buy the most power capable platform.

Im somehow content with roughly 500 crank hp.... but I’m seeking better handling now, and looking at 6600 dollar coilovers.

I said the price of them out loud the other day and actually felt stupid haha.

LexusfanVA

iTrader: (1)

I had a couple of Infiniti G's and loved them, but Q50 lost my interest. I went with ISF, and a couple of my G buddies got the 3.7's or 3.0t's. IMO, Infiniti is still chasing BMW, only now with 10 year old tech. The same 7 speed, the same chassis, same brakes, and nearly same interior. The 3.0t power potential is great, and the depreciation makes the 16-17 models very interesting, but that's it. If you wanted a quick "cheap" daily sedan, it's a great choice, but it's not a car aimed at the M3/AMG's. It's more of fancier Evo X, than a 4 door GTR. My buddy had a 16 RS and popped 2 belts, each time stranded over an hour from home. They eat turbo's and when running right, they still sound and handle like a rental car with boost turned to the max. Join the FB Q pages to see issues every week.

I also wouldn't go SC on such a high mile F, hell I wouldn't do it on a low mile F. No one I know with a boosted F daily drives their car. They consider it reliable, but put 5-8k a year on it, if that, and there's more than a few who have had issues needing an engine rebuild. IMO, going boost negates the whole point of buying a Lexus in the first place. If I were you(and I was last summer) I'd look into a newer, better optioned ISF both for the new factor, as well as that you can swap your parts over and essentially have the same car you love with upgraded tech and possibly in a better color combo. Perhaps even RCF/GSF to really get the "new" feel.

But if you want more power, get the MK5 or 911 something German or V8, and get a lifted GX to play with as a daily. There's only so fast/reliable/comfortable you can be, and I really think the ISF is the best choice under $40k.

ISFpowered

My goal is more power but I still want reliability. Reason why I stay away from German cars. I know exactly what coilovers your talking about...Ohlins TTX coilovers. The price make me cringe now really thinking about it. I heard Nissan fixed the belt issue I believed starting with the 17’s and newer. Rcf is a no go because I need the four doors. Gsf is just to heavy. I’ve raced FBO gsf’s and walk them badly in my FBO isf. I have thought about buying a newer isf and swapping everything over but dam would that be a hassle.

vraa

iTrader: (2)

Quite a few stories/examples

Apparently even version 2 of the catch can is leaking as well..... just a lot of weirdness

ISFpowered

To fix the leaking catch can I used brass fittings with Teflon tape. I also swapped out the hoses to oil resistant Samco hoses. Not a single leak since then. As far as the durability of the kit idk since I don’t have one but I do know some who have had issues with the bearings in the SC, tensioner for the SC belt, along with other miscellaneous things. This is from people who hardly drive their isf or only track them so very little mileage on the kit as a whole.

Jwconeil

My ideal fun car is an ISF that is lighter and a track monster. I’m not sure if your into road course racing, but the ISF is very, very capable in that context, and punches well above its weight with the right mods. It also looks pretty sweet when set up like a GT3 car. You also can maintain your reliability, as 500 crank hp is sufficient. With proper skill, you can keep up with many cars.

I don’t have said skill, but have seen what it is capable off.