Lexus Is-F Modding?

[Tankclark]

Hello guys, im looking to get in the larger NA car game having been in turbo'd hot hatches for years. I like to be different and things like the M3 are just too common for me,always had rare cars such as my last two my renault R26R and now my Mazda 3 MPS which is currently running 350 bhp and with only 1000 registered on the road its a rare sight, which brings me to the IS-F. Love the exclusivity of it, subtle looks and also the engine! But I'm hearing stories on the grapevine of these cars having next to no aftermarket performance parts available, I'm not interested in changing the looks but i like to add a little bit to the performance even though i know there isn't a lot to be had out of a NA without supercharging. Is it true that these cars are unmappable? Is there any other parts that will add more power out there for it? Cheers

[noby76]

420 bhp 4.5 secs and 170mph?? .. come on now how fast do you want to go lol..Yamaha has already tweaked the engine to run at its peak with best cams, titanium valves and induction design . with gear changes at 0.1 of a second, you cant shift any faster than it in a manual car. the power is already there in this 5.0 V8 so I personally wont waste anymore ££'s for power upgrades as it would just be a waste and cant be used effectively around a race track. everything to optimise performance is already there. so maybe go for induction kit for sound but the current induction system sounds wicked on full blast from reviews I have watched so will skip that and go for Exhausts system instead which will be more for sound than power as the existing exhaust is already optimised for performance.

so where I will invest my money hard if I buy an IS-F will be brakes, tires and suspension upgrades that's it... am not saying the standard brakes and suspension in the ISF wont be up to scratch, but there will be better ones out there.. sometimes you don't need power to go fast what you need is top rubber, top braking and top handling. 420bhp is more than enough power one needs for road and track day driving.

good luck :)

[stevet]

They are unmappable. Have a look at the ISF forums from USA they have exhausts and induction mods but with only little power gains. The brakes & suspension are also awesome. The best update was the introduction of the LSD from 2010. Only 200 registered in the UK so more exclusive than the MP3. Have a test drive and you will realise that you won't want to change anything.

[Tankclark]

Already drove one the other week and it sounded great and liked it but I also like the e92 m3 which felt just that bit quicker.

[noby76]

its cus the M3 Saloon auto is about 75KG lighter than the IS-f but 0-60 times are the same for both. infact the M3's lighter weight only has around 10bhp power to weight advantage over the IS-F but see if this advantage is really an advantage

. from theM3 drivers reactions it was a manual box which makes it even lighter than the M3 auto but still no faster than a bloated auto IS-F.

[Tango]

Hello guys, im looking to get in the larger NA car game having been in turbo'd hot hatches for years. I like to be different and things like the M3 are just too common for me,always had rare cars such as my last two my renault R26R and now my Mazda 3 MPS which is currently running 350 bhp and with only 1000 registered on the road its a rare sight, which brings me to the IS-F. Love the exclusivity of it, subtle looks and also the engine! But I'm hearing stories on the grapevine of these cars having next to no aftermarket performance parts available, I'm not interested in changing the looks but i like to add a little bit to the performance even though i know there isn't a lot to be had out of a NA without supercharging. Is it true that these cars are unmappable? Is there any other parts that will add more power out there for it? Cheers

You have to look Stateside if you want inspiration on getting more power out of the IS-F. There are intake kits available and people like Joe Z have manufactured exhausts that have supposedly provided an extra 20 bhp, which is questionable from both an economic and proven standpoint.

There are a few twin turbo set ups, Fox Marketing and Artisan have them available, but I don't know what effect it has on reliability, and obviously any warranty you can forget. The IS-F has a relatively high compression ratio, so presumably the run on low boost or install spacer plates to reduce it. Search the net for 'twin turbo IS-F' and you'll get quite a few hits. I'd post the Vimeo vid but don't have permission from Vimeo to do so.

Here's the Artisan twin turbo:

There was talk of a TRD supercharger kit but turned out to be just speculation.

Here's another with a claimed 515 Whp.

[MrW]

As someone else mentioned for track work and fast road better brakes and tyres would be worth spending but the fact that its not remappable limits its tuning potential. I would imagine the cost involved in these turbos setups will be huge, even if you manage to get them over here.

So if you want something quicker, or want under bonnet tuning potential look elseware.

[Tankclark]

Cheers for the replys guys, ive had a bit of internet snooping done and found a few things that can be done but i suppose the biggest difference would be weight reduction, found a few carbon hoods an body panels in the states aswell as exhausts and cold air filters. Having a big Mazda MPS scene in the states means most of my mods have to be imported so im used to the import charges already ha ha. Anyone know if the Borla axle back exhaust is available over here or is that another import jobby?

This is the intake i found which was tested by an independent company, he also talks of a induction flap that causes potentiial flat spots in power being modded to stay open permanently as a very popular mod in the states

http://www.motoiq.com/magazine_articles/id/1827/pageid/2672/project-lexus-is-f-part-1-we-test-the-kn-typhoon-high-flow-air-intake.aspx

[noby76]

or you can buy the IS-F and drop a Toyota 2JZ-GTE engine in there and you can go all the way to 1000bhp and 200+mph if the standard 170mph and 4.5 secs in the standard IS-F is not enough lol..infact it would work out cheaper to buy an IS300 which has the 2JZ-GE engine boost it using kits from SRT Tuners in US and with the car developing 700RWHP any stock factory car short of Bugatti Veyron has no chance in a drag race. the 2JZ-GTE engine was built with Turbo in mind from the start so can take abuse with regards to bhp not so sure about the IS-F engine tho. it also depends on what you building for.. if the primary goal is for drag racing and top speed records only then you need the highest bhp you can get but if its for day to day driving or track days then descent bhp with descent tyres, brakes and suspension upgrade is where your money should go tbh.

http://www.swiftracing.com/SRT/item.aspx?id=84&u=1000084

go

to see why power is not everything ..there is a time and place for high bhp but does not mean you will go faster. the Corrolla with reasonable power but tuned suspension, good tyres and brakes lost the GTR driver in the togue race. both are profesional racing drivers

that was Tsuchiya in the Corolla the Japanese drift king himself.

[stevet]

Wow! Great video

[noby76]

Wow! Great video

from the sound and how quickly the Corolla revs, its all NA power I don't think there was a turbo in that Corolla you can tell its well tuned to respond effectively to throttle and grip. that's advantage of NA engines light and responsive in sweeping corners when turbo engines are lagging due to not generating enough exhaust gas to spool.

[Tankclark]

One thing putting me off the M3 is the lack of torque low down, ive pulled on my mates E92 up until about 5 gear before he started to gain and that was in my 320 bhp MPS, low down torque seems to be a problem with NA cars. but the lexus has abit more than the M3 to start with so maybe save a little weight here and there and exhaust and intake could add a bit. I know people say it does 170+ mph and 0-60 in 4.5 secs but to acheive that regularly youd be kissing good by the clutch very soon and to see 170 mph youd be kissing good bye to your freedom and licence, real usable road power is normally needed rolling from around 20 mph to X mph so top end and launches become irrelevant almost. My brother inlaw has a GTR and delights in telling me how it is sub 3 sec 0-60, i tell him its only possible using its launch control which according to him if used excessively voids his warranty lol so that kind of voids that.

[noby76]

in the right gear, any form of valve timing technology will help an NA engine make around 85-90% of its total engine torque around 1500 or 2000rpm depending on engine mapping and M3 makes 400NM at around 4000rpm so 90% of this value is 360NM and as your Turbo MPS doesn't rev past 7000rpm most of its torque will have to be generated low down as well just like a Turbo Diesel engine so around 1500rpm or 2000rpm you are pretty much matching the M3 V8 with regards to engine torque until speed and gears build up then he starts gaining on you with its bigger cubic capacity and 8500rpm rev limit. I agree 0-60 mph and top speed are not relevant these days even tho they still sell cars. its all about in gear acceleration.

[stevet]

Something like this http://lexusenthusiast.com/2013/05/10/photo-gallery-blacked-out-twin-turbo-lexus-is-f/

[Mcauley]

ppe engineering make the headers for rhd isf now they are about£1000 and give 35-45 bhp a full exhaust offers another 25. and add a induction and you can get to 450bhp at the wheels.

i made 380 a few month ago.

no ecu tune.

swift engineering springs are meant to work well.

i like the look of the iss forged des or qts

but do not get a m3 i have had both. the isf the is great. so reliable.

[Tankclark]

ppe engineering make the headers for rhd isf now they are about£1000 and give 35-45 bhp a full exhaust offers another 25. and add a induction and you can get to 450bhp at the wheels.

i made 380 a few month ago.

no ecu tune.

swift engineering springs are meant to work well.

i like the look of the iss forged des or qts

but do not get a m3 i have had both. the isf the is great. so reliable.

What were the differences between the two having lived with both of them

[Mcauley]

I have a young family so the Lexus is alot easier on fuel,tyres and everything in between.. The m3 is a great car you do not need to explain what it is everyone knows what it is and what it is about I have a business so it looks bad with the m, the Lexus however it is a sleeper those in the no no and and can't get enough. I would only change for another. It is faster than the m in a drag but not on the bends. I think the 2012 with the better springs and LSD would be great. Mine is 09 I have the black dash but no LSD

[North west beast]

I wouldn't modify my isf , perfect as it is , no point , as for the bmw feeling faster well it's a choice between German or Japanese ,faster wouldn't come into it for me , the isf looks far superior to the bmw , the interior of the bm is rats .