Is-f Update - And Others!

[brandguru]

Hey guys, a little update. As some of you will know (of heard from ur spies) there has been much secret goings on at Lexus Eruo/GB. Well it has been going on at a secret location in Brussels at an old IBM building (built in the 70's - won awards - thats enough hints!) but lets just say there is security a plenty and the conference centre and is located deep in the woods. Should any photo people turn up...by accident.

However lots of DP's have been coming n going so should be near public knowledge - sorta - by now.

IS-F first. Well - it is brilliant. Better than brilliant actually (odd in LHD though). But being one of the only people to have driven the M3 it is not better - simply different, Typical Lexus perfection, it is a 'Jekyll n Hyde' car. M3 does one thing - go quick, with modest comfort. No fuss, just very fast. Mind you I have only driven it on Ascari's circuit so who knows on UK A n B roads. You will be pleased to know the IS-F - well the F should be FUN. It is not as quick, but with traction off, it is tail happy, lairy and honestly a lot more fun than the M3. While the M3 is like a laser guided missile the Lexus is like a designer mini-bar. Cool, efficient but capable of letting to get goofy, act stupid and embarrass yourself. IS-F has soul.

The IS-F is very very fast and LOUD (sounds better than the M3 too). What little it lacks in speed it more than makes up for in power slide, skreeechy make you feel like a legend. It feels leke BMW has engineered out the fun in the new M3 in comparison. 8 speed box is faster than the Fezza Sgag's too.

Best of all, in Sport it is composed and very quick - low down revs it is very quiet. It is all things to all men. I cant wait to have one to drive from Burgh to home in Devon and back. Relaxed - then brutal on the A303!! `I only had a couple of hours drive, but it is, as you would expect - PERFECT. Biggest problem is people will compare it to the RS4 and M3. I guarantee you cannot have as much fun in either German cars. Isn't fun the point though!?!

IS-C - stunning (only saw the clay) but nothing like the concept on the Lexus site.

New RX - with aggressive LS looking nose - this is like a Rangerover Sport type steroid enhanced RX - it looks F'in AMAZING!

YES - there is a C segment Lexus on the way Golf sized BUT - it is NOT the one soon to be launched in the USA. The Euro car is going to be RWD and a euro chassis - a complete new car.

Oh yeah. The F-Design bodykits, lower springs n wheels is soon to get rubber stamped for UK approval!

IS-F - demo's in February - orders taken in March.

Its back to Belgium for me - (if this does not get me the sack!)

[Dave-Ellen]

Interesting !

[Monster-Mat]

dint think the IS-F was anymore a secret i saw pics of it from Cologne a fair few months back, i take it when you say lexus euro/GB, you mean TMME cant see what imput LexusGB would have over the IS-F other than homologation for the UK market

i know TMG has had a considerable imput into the IS-F

hadnt heard anything on the C model...???

next time your on the 303 give me a nod...im near to it

[brandguru]

dint think the IS-F was anymore a secret i saw pics of it from Cologne a fair few months back, i take it when you say lexus euro/GB, you mean TMME cant see what imput LexusGB would have over the IS-F other than homologation for the UK market

i know TMG has had a considerable imput into the IS-F

hadnt heard anything on the C model...???

next time your on the 303 give me a nod...im near to it

Not the IS-F that is the secret, but the IC-C and the clay of the New RX is, and the fleet of IS-F's that are pre prod's so panel fit is not quite perfect. Lexus GB is gearing up for launch. That said you'd be amazed the clout the UK arm has. When you look at my old company BMW, the M-sport versions are only available in the UK, not Europe or world market. We are the hardest most focused market in the world. If it works here, and we like it - the world listens!

As for TMME - most of the talk is the impending prosecution of Audi over the Hybred at the Geneva show...(with a cell Battery with TMME still on it) Toyota own all the patents to the top hybred technology.

[Tango]

Not the IS-F that is the secret, but the IC-C and the Clay of the New RX is, and the fleet of IS-F's that are pre prod's so panel fit is not quite perfect. Lexus GB is gearing up for launch. That said you'd be amazed the clout the UK arm has. When you look at my old company BMW, the M-sport versions are only available in the UK, not Europe or world market. We are the hardest most focused market in the world. If it works here, and we like it - the world listens!

That's obviously why Lexus decided to launch the IS350 and IS250 AWD here too then??

[brandguru]

Not the IS-F that is the secret, but the IC-C and the Clay of the New RX is, and the fleet of IS-F's that are pre prod's so panel fit is not quite perfect. Lexus GB is gearing up for launch. That said you'd be amazed the clout the UK arm has. When you look at my old company BMW, the M-sport versions are only available in the UK, not Europe or world market. We are the hardest most focused market in the world. If it works here, and we like it - the world listens!

That's obviously why Lexus decided to launch the IS350 and IS250 AWD here too then??

Not saying for a second that our American brothers n sisters dont like a hard core car - you do. It is just that the US seem to like bigger cubic power over chassis dynamics. With longer, bigger and straight roads, cheap fuel and a drag culture - the big blocks swing it for you guys. Us Euro's like that tight, drifty RWD. Each to their own and all that. US have a AWD 5 series too - was never wanted or requested in Europe. Our roads are pretty unique hence the Ring is a bench mark. But the price of Petrol is enough to kill such mainstream cars in the UK.

[Tango]

Not saying for a second that our American brothers n sisters dont like a hard core car - you do. It is just that the US seem to like bigger cubic power over chassis dynamics. With longer, bigger and straight roads, cheap fuel and a drag culture - the big blocks swing it for you guys. Us Euro's like that tight, drifty RWD. Each to their own and all that. US have a AWD 5 series too - was never wanted or requested in Europe. Our roads are pretty unique hence the Ring is a bench mark. But the price of Petrol is enough to kill such mainstream cars in the UK.

I'm a Brit mate..live in the Cotswolds so pretty familiar with tight twisty roads :winky: . I was being ironic, the IS350 would have been welcomed here as it was in Japan and I'm sure our Scottish and Scandanavian cousins would have welcomed the AWD, if Scooby sales are anything to go by.

Anyway the IS-F has been in the States for a while as you no doubt know and has been driven by many Americans on the tour circuit. I first saw it at the Houston Autoshow, unfortunately parked not too far away from a rather lovely Audi RS4 which I'm sad to say made the IS-F look a like a stylists nightmare...well OK I'm exaggerating...more like a bad dream .

The IS-F is also slower than the current RS4, and it's unlikely that the new RS4 will be any slower. The Audi four wheel drive is biased towards the rear on the Audii so you can still hang the tail out and have 'fun'. Turning the electronic nanny devices off on the IS-F with just rear wheel drive sounds more like a recipe for disaster. This may be a Lexus Owners Club, but don't expect us to swallow too much BS.

[brandguru]

Not saying for a second that our American brothers n sisters dont like a hard core car - you do. It is just that the US seem to like bigger cubic power over chassis dynamics. With longer, bigger and straight roads, cheap fuel and a drag culture - the big blocks swing it for you guys. Us Euro's like that tight, drifty RWD. Each to their own and all that. US have a AWD 5 series too - was never wanted or requested in Europe. Our roads are pretty unique hence the Ring is a bench mark. But the price of Petrol is enough to kill such mainstream cars in the UK.

I'm a Brit mate..live in the Cotswolds so pretty familiar with tight twisty roads :winky: . I was being ironic, the IS350 would have been welcomed here as it was in Japan and I'm sure our Scottish and Scandanavian cousins would have welcomed the AWD, if Scooby sales are anything to go by.

Anyway the IS-F has been in the States for a while as you no doubt know and has been driven by many Americans on the tour circuit. I first saw it at the Houston Autoshow, unfortunately parked not too far away from a rather lovely Audi RS4 which I'm sad to say made the IS-F look a like a stylists nightmare...well OK I'm exaggerating...more like a bad dream .

The IS-F is also slower than the current RS4, and it's unlikely that the new RS4 will be any slower. The Audi four wheel drive is biased towards the rear on the Audii so you can still hang the tail out and have 'fun'. Turning the electronic nanny devices off on the IS-F with just rear wheel drive sounds more like a recipe for disaster. This may be a Lexus Owners Club, but don't expect us to swallow too much BS.

The RS4 is the first Audi with a Bias to the Rear, and with out assist off near impossible to have the ***** out. simple fact is, on any track day or any journalist what is the first thing they do - off with the traction. Why? cos its fun! what might sound like a recipe for disaster to you, sounds like pure petrol head entertainment to many of us. Like I said - people will compare, and thats a shame. IMO it is better in so many ways. On any given day - the IS-F is a better drivers car IMO

[Monster-Mat]

hmm, why would the clay Rx be in Brussels the design house for the RX is in North America isnt it..?

the pre prod is-f are not secret i know where there is 2 in the Uk now, as i say ive seen the ones floating around in Germany for a while

i know about the pre-prod cars, i had a pre-prod Avensis verso, a couple of years ago, that was...well interesting to drive

i wouldn't say the Uk market had that much clout, ive dealt with TGB/LGB and there view of the brand is generally different to that of the rest of the market

most of the market decisions are now steered from TMME. look at the way that TTE/TME have been steered away from "hotting" up models, to product evaluation

a friend of mine worked at TMME in Brussels for a fair few years, but he has left now, strangley he worked in product and branding...