Is 350 On The Nürburgring

[Mr Bond]

[Stu]

Still not sure if i like this motor or not!

Stu

[Mr Morse]

Looks like a sick Vectra

[Parthiban]

Looks like they're doing all the right kind of testing :winky:

Have no idea why they attached the mirrors to the doors and not in front of the window where it normally is, looks like they forgot to put them on, and then thought, "oh c**p, put the mirrors on somewhere before anyone notices"

[Mr Singh]

That bonnet vent has well and trully put me off.

and the gaffer tape paint job

[MacRS200]

They usually stick all sorts of bits on with gaffer tape, glue etc so that when the motoring press get shots like these it's hard to tell what it actually looks like in the metal till they the manufacturers are ready to let us see :D

Don't worry have Lex made an ugly child yet

[Ravstar]

Where are the child seats in the back? :S

[d3fy]

<snip>

Don't worry have Lex made an ugly child yet 

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Yup, the new IS

[Kendo_Master]

Same for me what Mr Morse says - looks like a Vectra. And a bad one too....

[legendswraith]

gotto agree with the earlier post that has got bits stuck on and parts of it are masked off (i think the lights)

I used to live near MIRA and it wasn't uncommon to se all sorts of exotic motors with strange black boxes and bonnets gaffer taped on to stop anyone finding out what they were looking at (lots of money in automotive espionage )

[Mark D]

why keep the look secret? is it not just an IS250 body with a bigger engine?

Comparing the launch pics with those spy shots, it certianly seems to be the case.

There may be some differences in styling, but for the test car they could have made it up as a 250.

[star a]

why keep the look secret? is it not just an IS250 body with a bigger engine?

Comparing the launch pics with those spy shots, it certianly seems to be the case.

There may be some differences in styling, but for the test car they could have made it up as a 250.

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hot off the press, it is not an is300, it is in fact..........wait for it..........................

an is500

quote "the car will feature a 5litre v8 boasting 400bhp. insiders say it is a bored out version of the 350bhp 4.6 unit designed for the bigger lexus ls next yesr. expext a sub-six-second 0-60mph sprint, with top speed limited to 155mph. Unveiled in production trim at the geneva motor show last month, the all-new IS will go on sale in the uk later this year. At launch, a 2.5 v6 petrol and 2.2 diesel will be the only models available. developement of the V8 is ongoing. so it will not appear until 2006. But lexus bosses are not resting on their laurels, as they also plan to produce a mighty 500bhp version of the LS powered by a V8 hybrid unit. This LS600h is said to offer super-saloon pace with the economy of a V6."-autoxpress issue853

edit-noted that the autoexpress pics feature licenceplate SXK 457 not SXK 455 as in the above pics, same circuit and disguises though

[Ravstar]

why keep the look secret? is it not just an IS250 body with a bigger engine?

Comparing the launch pics with those spy shots, it certianly seems to be the case.

There may be some differences in styling, but for the test car they could have made it up as a 250.

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hot off the press, it is not an is300, it is in fact..........wait for it..........................

an is500

quote "the car will feature a 5litre v8 boasting 400bhp. insiders say it is a bored out version of the 350bhp 4.6 unit designed for the bigger lexus ls next yesr. expext a sub-six-second 0-60mph sprint, with top speed limited to 155mph. Unveiled in production trim at the geneva motor show last month, the all-new IS will go on sale in the uk later this year. At launch, a 2.5 v6 petrol and 2.2 diesel will be the only models available. developement of the V8 is ongoing. so it will not appear until 2006. But lexus bosses are not resting on their laurels, as they also plan to produce a mighty 500bhp version of the LS powered by a V8 hybrid unit. This LS600h is said to offer super-saloon pace with the economy of a V6."-autoxpress issue853

edit-noted that the autoexpress pics feature licenceplate SXK 457 not SXK 455 as in the above pics, same circuit and disguises though

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Hmm sounds interesting- I don't know how believable it is though, as some have said that lexus don't want to produce an IS with a very big engine due to previous low sales- they won't make a IS350 but a 5 litre version?! Odd...

[squarehead]

Think I saw a job lot of gaffer tape go off eBay the other day!

Are you sure it's not THE replacement Vectra anyway??

[legendswraith]

Think I saw a job lot of gaffer tape go off ebay the other day!

Are you sure it's not THE replacement Vectra anyway??

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can you imagine how impressed lexus would be to see loads of pugs and corsas with the new IS tail,headlights and grilles before they released it

I rest my case