Is200 Performance Or Lack Of...

[jamle]

Hi guys and girls, ive recently started looking into the lexus is200 sport route as my next car in june. Getting some good feedback for people except one major issue... performance. Alot of ppl are advising me against it because they lack and power or tourque. Is this really the case and are they that difficult to make a little hotter off the blocks!

thanks jay

[kam05]

Buy an Altezza (import version of the IS200)- it has about 210 bhp (I think). Or go for the IS300.

The IS200 is a luxary cruiser not a hot hatch.

[Rolex]

Could look at a big valve kit from SPC Horsham, Supposed to give some extra power.

[jamle]

how hard/easy is it to get hold of the altezza, just woundering about insurence as is200 is dam cheap lol, yeh id LOVE an is300 but cant afford one £2500 budget, just a little concerned its not gona be up to the job...

[kam05]

how hard/easy is it to get hold of the altezza, just woundering about insurence as is200 is dam cheap lol, yeh id LOVE an is300 but cant afford one £2500 budget, just a little concerned its not gona be up to the job...

£2.5k is probably going to get you a 1999 or 2000 IS200 with 120k on the clock. Your budget seems a bit low to get a decent car- if you can afford to spend £3-£4k then I think you should be able to get a decent example of a IS200.

Not sure how much the Altezza's go for- check out eBay, autotrader, pistonheads etc for prices.

[russelllinn]

how hard/easy is it to get hold of the altezza, just woundering about insurence as is200 is dam cheap lol, yeh id LOVE an is300 but cant afford one £2500 budget, just a little concerned its not gona be up to the job...

They aren't as popular as IS to find, have seen some on eBay recently though, I think that the 210bhp ones usually have the BEAMS engine in?

The IS300 can be found cheaper if you find someone who doesn't know what it is or wanting a sale or both I did and I wasn't far from your budget :) would take some time probably though.

Otherwise you'd prob be looking at supercharger but then you'll be spending a few thousand anyway, it must be a good car though as see how many people have them and say once you get them in the rev band they pick up nicely.

[jamle]

looking on parkers for the insurence group of a is300 and looks okay but cant find any manuals on the list..... needs to be manual (will be a drift car =p )

[kam05]

IS300's are autos only- no manual

[Monster-Mat]

no problem with the is200 if driven right.

ive had both...and prefer the is200

[si_is300]

looking on parkers for the insurence group of a is300 and looks okay but cant find any manuals on the list..... needs to be manual (will be a drift car =p )

can still get a drift on in mine, switch to m mode 2 or 3 speed and shift using the buttons on the steering wheel, traction control off of course :winky:

[jamle]

ACE,good im glad thats cleared that up was bit concerned i wouldnt be able to get my skid on lol. Sure ive seen u on driftworks monster-mat..... thats good its just over on driftworks ive been told nooooo they ncie cars but they have no power at all and are waste of money in that respect...

[Monster-Mat]

ACE,good im glad thats cleared that up was bit concerned i wouldnt be able to get my skid on lol. Sure ive seen u on driftworks monster-mat..... thats good its just over on driftworks ive been told nooooo they ncie cars but they have no power at all and are waste of money in that respect...

if you want to drift it....theres alot more than power you will need

[jamle]

yeh big balls lol. yeh im quite clued up on it, been to fair few drift days with my mates up at trampdrift west and this weekend off to crail had a lot of passenger rides and had a little go myself, but power is helpful in keeping u there once on the locks lol just so long as its got enough that power wont be limiting factor thats fine :D

[Paradroid]

no problem with the is200 if driven right.

ive had both...and prefer the is200

That's what I think. My last three cars before the IS200 were MG ZR160, Hyundai Coupe 2.7 V6 and a MG ZS180, all pretty quick especially the last one. I've adjusted to driving the IS200 with no problems. Handling and brakes are good and there's enough power for it to be good fun to drive.

It's never going to be the quickest thing you can get for your money, so if you want that I'd say think carefully before getting one. You buy it for the quality and refinement as much as the sporty drive. If you like to go up against other cars then it will seem slow.

[jamle]

im not really the traffic light racer, which is proberlly just as well, (i currently own a mk3 td golf on coilovers) and thats a fun car but slloooww with 75bhp 140odd bhp of is200 should do me i hope, as long as it'll beat the boyed up saxo im a happy man...

[el_gencer]

well the is200 is around 156bhp and its not too difficult to get the back end out. you also need a decent 1.5 or 2 way diff as well which aint cheap, probably coilovers suited to drifting and some good o'l geometery to set the car up for drifting. strip it out, will get you extra power for nothing and few simple tuning options such as back box and air filter etc. as the drift king says "its harder and more skillfull to drift a lower power car".

[jamle]

yeh will weld the diff (i know my stuff dont worry) yeh coilovers arnt cheap for them! but if this is gona become something awesome in few years time will make them worth it!

[Paradroid]

as long as it'll beat the boyed up saxo im a happy man...

Well it might not!!!! Especially if the Saxo is a VTR or VTS :)

But I know what you mean :)

[jamle]

oh god really? im gona have 2 shed some weight in the car and see what options r available, how much would turbo kit cost?

[Yeldarb]

just buy my IS200 and then you have all the power you will need to beet the chav cars and embarrass some seriously quick cars in the process :P

It will drift but you gotta turn the race logic TC off or you just don't slide even when you want to.

[Paradroid]

oh god really? im gona have 2 shed some weight in the car and see what options r available, how much would turbo kit cost?

Actually I just checked and the VTR is 9.1 seconds 0-60 so dead level with the IS200. You'd get past it at higher speed though I'd say. The Saxo VTS is a bit rarer but they are pretty quick little cars, an IS200 definitely won't keep up!

[hodaz]

Regardless of what any figures say, the Saxo VTR and VTS will be much faster, so will virtually any proper hot hatch. IS200's are reliable smooth comfortable family cars but also big, slow and boring. Rubbish on petrol and very impractical for a big car too. If you want something fast and fun or a drifter don't buy one, simples.

I'm not meaning to sound negative, but if people take their rose tinted glasses off I'm sure they can see the limitations of it.

[SUPERCOUPE]

For what you want, have you not considered the 200SX at all?

[el_gencer]

It's nice to be different, but at the same time it's gonna cost. Parts for Lexus don't sell on "the cheap".

[Swampy300]

I 100% agree with the last 2 posts. I had a 200sx and they feel so much lighter and easier to kick the back end out. Great drift car, thats why there are so many of them.