Lexus IS F Drag Races a Kia Stinger, BMW M340i
Despite being much older, the Lexus IS F puts up a fight against the newer Stinger GT and M340i.
New and Old
By now, the Lexus IS F is getting a bit long in the tooth, particularly when we compare it to more modern performance sedans. But this is to be expected for a vehicle that was last seen nearly a decade ago, to be fair. Regardless, the fact that the IS F is still held in high regard by enthusiasts and is still getting compared to new vehicles, well, that just speaks to its long-lasting appeal. In fact, its latest appearance comes to us from Sam CarLegion, who recently pitted an IS F against the Kia Stinger GT and BMW M340i in a drag race.
Modified Stinger
There is, however, one big catch to this particular race - the vehicles here aren't totally stock. The owner of this Stinger GT has had it tuned by JB4 Performance, and it now produces a healthy 400 horsepower and 380 pound-feet of torque, though it tips the scales at around 4,179 pounds.
Stock Bunch
The Lexus IS F, on the other hand, is a 2012 model, and it tips the scales at a lighter 3,778 pounds, but its naturally-aspirated V8 is stock in this case, meaning that it makes 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. The same goes for the BMW, which gets by with a turbocharged inline-six generating 382 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque with just under 4,000 pounds to move around.
Rubber to Road
The biggest caveat here is that the Lexus is the only rear-wheel-drive vehicle of the trio, while the BMW and Kia enjoy the superior traction (and added weight) of all-wheel-drive. However, as most are well aware, none of this matters once the rubber hits the road, and once that happens in the first dig race, it does produce a few surprises.
Dig Race
The M340i needs just 12.21 seconds to complete the quarter-mile on this particular day, which is good enough to secure it the first win. The more powerful Stinger GT nabs second place with a 12.9-second result, while the 10+-year-old IS F is behind it at 13.5 seconds.
Close One
Next up, the team tests these cars in a roll race that starts at 31 mph, and here, the Kia makes up for its hefty weight in a big way. It and the BMW are pretty much neck and neck from the start, and the Stinger GT manages to beat it out by just a nose this time around, while the IS F hangs in as best as it can.
