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What’s New: Outside

If you happen to catch the 2008 Lexus IS F whistling by at its top speed of 170 mph, there’s little likelihood that you’ll notice the visual cues that distinguish it from the IS 250 and IS 350. You’ll need to find one at rest to pick up on the F badges; 19-inch BBS forged-aluminum wheels rolling on 225/40 and 255/35 rubber front and rear, respectively; flared rocker panels; and a more pronounced rear spoiler, below which are vertically-stacked quad exhaust tips. But those modifications are relatively subtle compared to what’s been done up front. To accommodate the F’s larger engine, the hood features a noticeable bulge and the fenders have been widened to give the sedan a much more aggressive appearance while making room for upsized vents directly behind the front wheels. At the heart of the styling tweaks is an F-specific face that employs a larger grille with mesh inserts, a more pronounced bumper, and gaping lower air intakes with round fog lights serving as bookends.

Inside

In contrast to the exterior, the IS F’s interior is treated to less obvious modifications. Unlike the IS 250 and IS 350, the F version is dubbed a four-passenger sedan, a designation deemed appropriate thanks to a rear console that makes the center hump wholly unsuitable for even the plumpest of derrieres. Up front are sport seats featuring more substantial bracing and padding along with F badges on the outer edges and embroidered into the head restraints. Unique instrumentation includes gauges with blue LED illumination, while the sportiness factor is upgraded with aluminum pedals, blue stitching that complements the backlighting, and aluminum composite (read: fake) trim decorating the center dash.

Under the Hood

Lexus may be new to the world of luxury hot rod sedans, but even this newbie understands the bare essentials – lots of power, an intoxicating engine growl and exhaust note, and stout hardware designed to keep the whole package in line. To that end, the rear-drive IS F packs a 5.0-liter, 32-valve V-8 with direct injection pushing 416 horses at 6,600 rpm and 371 lb.-ft. of torque at 5,200 rpm. Redline is achieved at 6,800 rpm, and the EPA suggests drivers will record 16 mpg in they city and 23 mpg on the highway. Those are decent numbers provided in part by an eight-speed automatic transmission sporting a manual mode and paddle shifters. Backing up the powertrain are double wishbones up front and a multi-link setup under the rear, each with high-rate coil springs and upsized stabilizer bars. The speed-sensitive steering can be switched into sport mode for even more responsiveness; Brembo drilled rotors, about an inch larger than the stock discs found on the IS 350, work with high-friction pads that aim to bring the 19-inch alloys to a quick and sure stop.

Safety

When the needle’s pegged at 170 mph, you want to make sure you’re in a car packed with every conceivable safety feature. The IS F comes close with front-side airbags, knee airbags, side-curtain airbags, a tire pressure monitor, and a host of other technologies such as traction control, stability control, antilock brakes with electronic brake force distribution and electronic brake assistance, and Lexus’ Vehicle Dynamic Integrated Management (VDIM) system, which works with all of these components to keep the IS F on the road. Also available is the optional pre-collision system. The regular IS, on which the IS F is based, has received top marks from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.