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I came across this YouTube video below. Thought I’d create a thread for this. I didn’t know much about the ISF except it’s the original F car and has a slightly less powerful 2UR-GSE.
How many encounters do you personally see in the wild with our F brethren? I assume they are equally rare to see in the wild as our RC Fs. Since I got my RC F, I’ve only seen 2 ISFs in the wild, no GSF sightings yet. The first ISF I saw I gave a friendly honk. The second ISF pulled up next to me and gave me a big thumbs up
Also some interesting drag runs below of the F cars.
PS-If you are wondering about the stadium in the background in the drag runs, it no longer exists
Oh geez! Why do we need to have such threads pitting one Lexus against another? This is an age old topic. Back in the old days, when RCF was new, there was lots of ISF and RCF comparison threads, You can search for those. They all are great in their own ways and have their own pros and cons.
They all have their strengths., ISF is 10 years older than RCF and was a skunkworks car so it had to be built on an existing 2IS platform that was already around since early-2000s. RCF had a big R&D budget so the 2UR-GSE was completely re-worked and gained a high-revving nature with 12 percent more power (and 5 percent more weight). RCF also is the one with the highest peak handling numbers at 0.99GSF is a much bigger car (and about 120 lbs heavier than the RCF). The 4GS chassis is older than the 3IS chassis and shortened version of it.
Yes, I have driven an ISF extensively. Also, I have run a few ISFs in my F meets. It all depends on the state of the car. If the ISF is modded more than me then it would be a close race. If I have more or equal mods then I would win.
ISF has the most well developed aftermarket and ISF owners seem to be heavily into drag racing with some crazy setups like JLSSystems who has a heavily modified ISF. He runs low 11s on the dragstrip. Us RCF owners are not into drag racing nearly as much as the ISF guys. RCF seems to be most preferred car for people doing competitive time attacks, Touge and racing around Fuji in Japan, GT3 racing and people like David Yansens and *** from Best Motoring as RCFs are most common on the race track with lots of youtubers putting their timed lap videos up. GSF is the most practical car with the most space, most comfort and pracitcality. Suspension is also more compliant on the GSF
This guy Louie Z posted a drag race video against that RCF as well
i can make a very wordy comparison but to keep it simple.
ISF: More raw. Nice skunkworks backstory. Suspension will break your back (I had an 08). Can fit two adults in the back if they are no larger than 5’8”. Wolf in sheep clothing. Get approached by car guys like “wow that’s a V8 huh? that’s the first F car”. In its time it was close to the E92 M3 especially after the 2010 LSD models. Hardly competitive now but it gets a good amount of respect from retro car guys. Only 5,000 produced on NA so very rare unless you live in So Cal.
RCF: More comfy. Better top end. More modern. Heavier. Can fit two midgets and possibly a hamster in the back. Turns heads for the right and wrong reasons. Get approached by car guys like “wow, you know an M4 is faster right?”. The haterade on this car is real. Still one in a few with a N/A V8 not named Mustang, Camaro, Corvette, LC500, or IS500. Rare-ish.
Similar drivetrains but they behave differently. I like them both. I grew up on high reving Japanese cars and now my cars resemble what I’ve grown up to…fatter, doesn’t rev as high, and cost more to run 😂
I’ve seen one GSF in the two+ years since owning my RCF. I’ve seen a few ISFs and RCFs as well. On the few occasion that I go to local cars and coffee now that my daughter is very into the late 90s/early 2000s Japanese cars I haven’t seen any F cars or LC/IS 500.
Here’s the GSF I saw at the mall..pulling in my daughter said jokingly “Look! Another RCF!” lol
@SideOfRice Great picture, and another Molten Pearl to boot
It hits me that the GSF doesn’t have a factory hood scoop. Quite odd Lexus didn’t give it a hood scoop. Which makes the RC F unique in that F way.
Being a 10th ed owner, I am aware the GSF 10th ed got additional blue in the back seat leather and an additional F 10th ed badge by the shift lever. GSF 10th ed MSRP was a couple extra grand higher than 10th ed RC F MSRP as well.
If I had a need to haul things or people, a GSF is a great proposition. I always point out how BMW just does a better marketing job than Lexus. The GSF has been discontinued with MY2020 being the last year. Yet BMW keeps trucking by offering the M3 and M5 performance luxury sedans, which were some of the GSF competitors.
@SideOfRice Great picture, and another Molten Pearl to boot
It hits me that the GSF doesn’t have a factory hood scoop. Quite odd Lexus didn’t give it a hood scoop. Which makes the RC F unique in that F way.
Being a 10th ed owner, I am aware the GSF 10th ed got additional blue in the back seat leather and an additional F 10th ed badge by the shift lever. GSF 10th ed MSRP was a couple extra grand higher than 10th ed RC F MSRP as well.
If I had a need to haul things or people, a GSF is a great proposition. I always point out how BMW just does a better marketing job than Lexus. The GSF has been discontinued with MY2020 being the last year. Yet BMW keeps trucking by offering the M3 and M5 performance luxury sedans, which were some of the GSF competitors.
Thanks and I agree the GSF deserves a hood vent like the RCF to standout a bit. I’ve seen some GSFs on IG that has aftermarket hood with the hood vent and it looks way better.
I wasn’t aware the GSF received the 10th anniversary edition, good to know! I don’t know much about the M line from BMW but I would imagine as time went on the GSF stayed the same on paper while the BMW continued to improve on performance wise.
Regardless on what’s better on paper number and price wise I am happy with my RCF.
@SideOfRice Yeah that sounds about right what happened to the GSF, and same story applies to the RCF when comparing to BMW. That said, I feel the same. I’ve yet to test drive an M2/M4 and am extremely happy with my RC F.
Yes, 10th ed production for the US were 240 units for the RC F and 100 units for the GSF.
I like the interior in my GSF better than the RCF and IS500. Love the exterior styling of the RCF, I think it has the GS beat, there's just something odd about the front of the GS. Love the analog gauges in the ISF and the more classic looking interior, the exterior also looks good on the ISF, not a big fan of the tailpipes though. The IS500 might be my favorite for exterior styling, but I don't love that the IS500's features are more basic (I think some are missing the power adjustable steering wheel, memory seats, power folding mirrors, rear cross traffic alert, correct me if I'm wrong). The GSF seems to have the most luxury car features. The LC500 I think we can all agree has the best interior. It has to be the best interior of any car I've ever seen, definitely the best from Lexus.
All of them have a great engine. The LC500 was blessed with the 10 speed that I wish was on the RCF track edition or the IS500.
In any case all of the Lexus cars with the 2URGSE are fantastic in their own unique ways, and I'd take any of them (preferably all of them) in my driveway. Even being a GSF owner I think the main reason it gets as much praise as it does is purely because of the rarity factor. If the RCF was more rare than the GSF I think the RCF would get more praise than the GSF.
05-31-24, 02:38 PM
ISF/GSF pros/cons & in the wild encounters
