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I’ll start my review with a huge thumbs-up to Lexus Hedge End. They’re consistently a pleasure to deal with but this time one of their sales guys and true petrol head, Michael, really pulled out the stops for me... I’ve been given a LC500 as a courtesy car. So, “how does it compare to the GSF on a rain-soaked February afternoon?” I hear you all ask... Under normal driving, it’s remarkably familiar! The engine is the same 5.0 V8, albeit with twin intakes over the single one of the GSF/RCF. The gearbox is now a 10-speed, with a slightly clumsy new design of shifter, but economy appeared the same. The rear-wheel steering is unusual! Sage advice from a slightly nervous Michael - “take the first few roundabouts gently, and don’t steer as much as you think you need to!” He was right - it feels like the rear wheels are sliding sideways! An odd experience, but ok once you learn to work with it. I believe the rear wheels turn slightly in opposite directions to the fronts at low speeds, effectively shortening the wheelbase - this has the result of making the car feel more like a go-kart, together with the Torque Vectoring Differential. The opposite happens at high speed to increase stability. Picking the speed up, the twin intakes give the V8 a proper howling scream above 6500rpm with lovely pops and the occasional crackle on a downshift. The car is more of a GT that can be hustled than a sports car - I though it felt it’s weight a bit more than the GSF. The OEM tyres are 21” runflats and provide good, if not exceptional grip - perhaps the non-RFs on the GSF as well as, frankly, me owning rather than borrowing it, allowed me to push the saloon harder. The ride quality is good - only the occasional thump over really bad roads, but I did notice a bit of squirming over undulating poorly maintained tarmac. The brake pedal felt slightly spongy, but the stopping ability was good. Inside, the seats are just as supportive, the cabin roomy (in the front) and the equipment list is extensive. Many of the features the GSF has buttons for are now incorporated into the computer, which now uses a touch pad to navigate instead of a mouse-lever-platform-type thing. Compared to the (dare I say “corporate”) interior of the GSF, the designers have really cut loose here! They seem to have used every type of material/surface/texture they could get their hands on, with bold, swooping lines devouring the insides of the doors. This is, of course a matter of taste, but I found it a little busy. A few bits of the switchgear are in different places - I particularly like the drive mode selector and the traction control knob to either side of the instrument binnacle - a nice nod to the utterly unobtainable LFA. There’s not much room in the back - it’s a 2+2 at an absolute push - I’d say if the person in the front seat is 6ft+, you’ve just generated a bag storage area behind. Finally - is this a car I’d look to trade up to? I’m not sure. It’s very good indeed, but apart from the looks, it feels so similar to my GSF (not a bad thing!!), I’d need to think about it more. I’d like to try the hybrid sister LC500h before a firm verdict! So, there you have it. Enjoy the pictures!

Just had mine MOT'd today:- PASS! No advisories! Rio will 20 years old in March.

My first Lexus was indeed the IS200 for nearly 3 years, followed by an IS300 aero, then the IS250 se-l.......my favourite is still the IS300 although horrendous on fuel...26 on a run n 17/19 round town, the Subaru is in for head gasket set at the moment n the wife is using my trusty old stead the V70,.......which is fantastic BUT Diesel n fact that I drive into the London low emission zone it’s only time before this gets charged a fortune to pass, I bought a Kawasaki Z1000-sx October 16, what with the house extension taking time it’s done the grand total of 165 miles, so this will be the daily ride when the weather changes, I’m lucky that work is a private car park not accessible to the public and only parked next to by fellow work colleagues, I park WELL away from others if I find that I need to frequent the supermarket BUT in fairness I normally take the V70 or Outback, that uncertainty on parking never goes away, nor does the rear view mirror hoping the person behind stops 😳......they are great cars BUT also to be enjoyed and mine needs to get used a bit more 👍👍

Yes it does. All vehicles after around the year 2001 have to and it has to be located within 1m of the steering wheel without the need to remove any panels. On the 400h it is below the wheel, above the pedals. You may need to get outside the vehicle and put your head into the footwell to find it. There is probably a black cover over the port. Carista is a good app that allows customisations. Otherwise you should look at Toyota's Techstream however this is expensive if you don't have a pirate copy.

You could convert to standard if you have problems but to avoid the headache get an SE, or a 400h (which doesn't have air suspension even with the SE-L grade). If you can get an SE with Nav option (which also gives you the reversing camera) then the only things you will miss out on are Adaptive front lights and the Mark Levinson stereo (the standard pioneer system is still good).

As per the title, I got my LC500 today. Here's a quick picture. All seems good so far. I need to set up all the gadgets next.

I know it's a bit of a week for exhaust talk, and nearly all of us know about H&S with them Highly recommended by @Peter P18 and a fair few members already using there various systems. So I had a long talk with Ian at H&S and he has agreed to a group buy if 5 or more of you are interested and I will organise it for those that are up for it he hasn't said yet how much discount as yet but I will let you all know as soon as possible. The discount will apply for whichever configuration you guys choose for your car So I'm going ahead with them for a cat back for my Rcf as is @Comedian, and Ian has been kind enough to accept our own design as to how the systems is going to look. We are going to film the before and afters of our cars being done and share with you all. SO THE LIST OF YOU SO FAR IS........ @Toothy IsF @FTBBCVoodoo isF @Jonb Rcf @Womble72 isF On the phone to Ian at H&S tomorrow to firm up on some detail as regards each individual requirements and pricing news. Big Rat

My little boy falls asleep faster in the ISF than the family car, they love the V8 rumble.....😉

Open glove box, remove panel at back of glove box, remove filter but make sure AC is in recirculate mode before doing anything or you may damage the flap control system mechanics.

Should be able to get Uniroyal in that size - they're very cheap but the performance is epic - leaves a 6 ft high water stream behind the car on the motorway

Hi vlad Turns out it wasn't the heater control unit, it was a unit behind the dash the diverts the air to the different vents for the climate control. This had a short and was causing the control unit to go off and also no heated or cooled seats. Lexus stoke said this was the first was they had ever replaced. Anyway it was all sorted under warranty and I'm now nice and warm again lol Cheers Carl

@mrfunex Interesting write up matey I've driven both versions myself and personally dare I say it preferred the Hybrid, as I agree with you apart from looks using the same V8 is it enough progress over and above Rcf/ Gsf. Big Rat

@emjay82 No matey cat back with redesign back boxes and tips not the Rcf previously done by them as advertised on the site. Big Rat

Will these be switchable 🐀?

Spoke to Paul, very nice chap but the development cost is just going to make these too rich IMO. It would be circa £4k and a week of the car off the road, which is just nuts. The only considerable saving would be a group buy of 10+ units which is unlikely. I still have a couple of options for a switchable system which I will continue to investigate......

I cant work out if that is the case Sean, Cheltenham have my Isf for sale with the aftermarket exhaust on the car and will presumably stick a 12 month warranty on it when they sell it. When, or if the car comes back for a warranty job, the dealer will obviously be paid for carrying out the work and it will therefore not be in their interest to make a song and dance about the exhaust, I am not disagreeing with your statement I just think it is not in the dealers interest to make a big deal about every type of modification.

It is probably worth trying to save the transmission. You need to get all the coolant out of it. Just draining and filling the pan isn't enough because 50% of the fluid is held within the torque convertor and valve body. You need to drain/refill the pan and then pump out the old fluid by disconnecting the oil cooler and starting the engine. Let 0.5 litre pump out, turn off the engine, add 0.5 litre of new fluid, and repeat until you have replaced all the fluid - and step through the different gears whilst pumping out to make sure all the valves are flushed through.

Thank you very much @Big Rat !!! I'm waiting for the result of the drain, I hope I will not have to replace gearbox ...

@etienne1201 Etienne sorry about that fella if it helps you there is an isF that used to belong to a member that was rolled on the motorway a short time back but the car itself is intact as such so there is a very real possibility the box is fine. Ive rang the dismantling people where the car is if this is an option for you they are looking for £1750.00 for the gearbox that's about €2000.00, the guy to speak to there is Bill who deals with the Lexus side of things, the link to the company is below. http://www.lexusbreakers.co.uk/ There are photographs of the car on the site, I know of this car and pre crash condition was fantastic. There are pre accident pictures on the forum of the car and a video as well. Good luck with sorting it fella. Big Rat

The hands on work certainly saved a few quid but it gave the game away seeing where someone had paint marked all the hoses and joints to put it back together..as said I'm no mechanic but it says to me if you dont know how it goes together should you really be taking it apart!! On the turbo (and the majority of parts) there are certain marks/codes to determine its age( sad but almost 30years in the car industry rubs off) on digging the failed unit is at least 4 years older than the car and said dealer just shrugged and said the garage preps the mechanicals,strange as he was glad to give me the list of items/jobs done pre delivery but no-where does it state turbo replacement..I'm just pleased its finally sorted as like yourself I need a reliable car (hence the marque past and present) just wished the dealer who I have personally dealt with for over 20 years just had the balls to say if it smokes we know what it is...sad and dishonest but thats the last of my hard earned he will ever see!

This cleaner gets good reviews http://www.raceglaze.co.uk/race-glaze/race-glaze-alcantara-leather-cleaner/

Probably washed out the SRP that was masking the chips etc..

Hmm, sounds typical of a dealer to just bung in any old turbo to get rid of the car. No doubt very annoying, but you do at least seem handy with the spanners which keeps the cost down. A Micra you say? Ouch I admit to being a car snob, so I also wouldn't be happy with losing my comforts. Perhaps a IS250 SE-L/F Sport is the best option?

Would they consider manufacturing a valved exhaust for the ISF 🐀? 🤔

@Comedian Lexus Uk commissioned Quicksilver in 2015 to design a valved full system and a non valved axle back for the RcF, two cars had the valved I have the reg numbers and four had the axle back. Some of the cars were used at Goodwood that year. All but one of the cars were subsequently sold through Lexus main dealers country wide. Big Rat

No, I’m one of the old duffers on here at 45 😔......had M3’s AMG’s previously, although the ISF is definitely the nicer place to be, a few Jags n Mercedes, bmw, Audi, but Lexus IS by far the marque for me 👍👍

We obviously won't allow the discussion of using illegal software on LOC. However you can legally use Techstream - download for free and pay for access as and when you need it from the following official website: https://www.lexus-tech.eu/GTS/Wizard/step2-intro.aspx The software itself can be a pain to get working as you need a 32-bit version of Windows which isn't so accessible these days. That is why something like Carista is easier to use - directly from your smartphone.

Good Idea! - Or the OP may have a dashcam already in which case he may have the footage already?

With the Lexus Cover, you can add an additional person living at the same address onto the cover. There is a form for this in the booklet you get from Lexus.

@mike m Mike ultimately it's all about the price to change when you go to the dealers, selling privately is another matter. Big Rat

@Big Rat Not many car owners can say that mate that's for sure. I think mine has dropped a few grand in two years going with prices on auto trader but tbh i've never tried getting any prices for it.

Amazing old cars. Mine has had one failure for incorrectly spaced licence plate letters and two advisories for weak bonnet struts and scratches on the windscreen. Brilliant.

I urge you to use it as much as you can. Mine (like many on here) is my only car and I use it everyday without issue. Wouldn't have bought it if I couldn't. I'm only 30 too and have no problems with image. Most people just think it's a hybrid IS. I am of course careful on where it is parked, but I don't let that stop me using it. It does all the normal stuff like B&Q and supermarket runs.

Agreed, a car is to be enjoyed and modern cars can deal with the salt and grime on the roads fine. My car is a daily driver and never get any bother with it. I'm 31 and rarely get any attention in it, even with muffler delete. Car park dings and stuff can easily happen in the summer too so just live a little. Is this the first big powerful car your have had??

Looking to modify already?! Nice! . Don't go getting carried away now, not like they do a supercharger kit for the RC-F yet........ Be nice if more IS-F products come down in price, risk is companies move on and stop producing parts for us old timers!

@Womble72 wish I could bring myself to daily it everyday but I'm still super cautious about other drivers and where I park it. People see the car and my age and I just worry about the attention that brings. May I suggest an IS200 for a daily run around? Mines still a dream to drive after nearly 4 years and just under 100k that I've covered myself. Brought it of eBay for £750 at the time with 70k on the clock and just passed over 170500 the other day. Never missed abeat.. not the fastest thing but it can shift it has a nice rasp to it when it gets going and it's got all the creature comforts your expect from a Lexus.. dirt cheap too

Original press release attached lexus-powers-into-2008-with-new-gs-460.pdf

@ThebigC mines been out today to work, looks like she’s gonna be my daily driver until the weather changes n I can get the Z out the garage, the outback has been comondeared by the wife due to a job change, may possibly buy a small fiesta van or 208 for the work commute

I've had the pain of sciatica for many a year and changing to an auto saved me more in chiropractor bills and a lot less in the back pains That was mainly in saloon cars now i've gone to the NX as it's far easier getting in and out and again I'm hoping to stretch out the chiropractor even more, £45 a session for 30 minutes isn't cheap

So I was sat in the traffic in Kitt the other day the weather was quite balmy windows down, a Mondeo pulled up alongside male driver and a lad about ten years old in the front passenger seat....... look daddy that car is driving with no one in it......... it's like Kitt from Knight Rider......... father replied........ No son it's just that little short arsed old builder who lives up the road Big Rat

Buy an se your not lose that many gadgets you could look round for one that's got the add ons or put them on yourself

Hi Eamonn, You have described my rattle perfectly, I was going to start a new thread on it. I did do a lot of research about the rattle and thought I had read somewhere that Lexus had come up with a fix, which was adding some washers, after they had taken the roof to pieces. I have also see on YouTube a fix using gaffa tape on the hooks within the roof sections! Maybe I should try the gaffa tape first? The car is still under warranty, so am hoping the garage I got it from will pay for it all?

Hi Philip, If by Southampton you mean Hedge End then I can vouch for them. They do all my servicing and on the few occasions I've had any problems with my car they have sorted things out very well and given me a loan car. Alan

Thanks guys. Eddiea1 I will look into that site you posted. Thanks Rich, yours look so much better than mine.

If it's just for emergencies I think I'd be tempted to go for a standard 17". There are loads of those on eBay. Anyhoo, I'd love to see pics of your car. Apart from the wheels it appears min has a twin!

Just got home after another day of brilliant service from Lexus Liverpool.. think they will be glad see the back of me😂. Some photos of it in the showroom and one of it in its new home.. Didn't stay white for long that's for sure! So happy with it and can't wait to get involved with you lads on the forums and at events. Thanks all for your kind words ❤️

The thing to remember about any synthetic finish, actually the two things are these: 1. Successful application involves proper surface preparation first. Many dealers may not prepare the surface properly, removing paint swirl marks first or failing to remove insect strikes etc and the result can be a mess; 2. You can buy and apply these coatings yourself easily enough but some require curing at set temperatures, typically 20 degrees or above for 48 hours so don't apply them in winter! You can apply any wax based finish over the synthetic sealants and doing so often both protects the sealant, making it more durable, and enhances the shine, resulting in a more organic looking, deeper shine. You cannot apply a sealant over a wax though as it won't bond. Sealants work by bonding with the paint finishes. It is advantageous to use something like a Carnuaba (5%) wax polish over a sealant to reap the benefits. You can extend the life of the protection by doing so. It is not recommended to use any form of cutting polish (Autoglym Super Resin polish included) over a sealant as each time you use it, you remove a tiny layer of that protection. Waxes wont do this unless they use a heavy solvent base (best avoided). Personally, a one off treatment like DiamondBrite or Supaguard is worth having done by a specialist paint protection company (usually they'll come to you, erect a canopy over your car, clean and prep bodywork and wheels, then apply the one or two pack sealant and buff to a uniform blemish free finish) for between £200 and £300. Certainly cheaper than the £520 that some Lexus dealers offer when buying a car ("would you want a paint protection and leather protection added sir?)". The alternative is that you buy off the shelf products, use a mild abrasive fine grit polishing compound (I use 4500 grit or finer ) to prep the paintwork, seal with a polymerised resin finish, then use something like Meguiars Super Tech Wax and buff. The only maintenance then needed after every 3 to 4 washes or so is the re-apply the Meguiars which goes on easily and buffs readily and easily. This regime achieves most of what your £200 to £300 commericial paint finishes do but you can do yours in an afternoon at home, stand back and admire the results for under £60 for all the compounds and polishing cloths. To apply some of these sealant compounds properly though you really need one of the pro-polisher machines (the devil's in the detail so do your homework first). I have one and I think I paid £225 for it, but have done several cars with it so it has paid for itself over the last few years. If you only intend on doing one car, the commericial option is a good one as they are not daft and price the service accounting for a DIY approach needing a similar one-off expenditure for the proper kit.

Try plain warm water applied with a mf cloth and then immediately and energetically wipe dry with another separate one.

Lexus v Skoda Think I came off the better for this one !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Stationary at a junction in a 30 mph zone - smacked in the back by someone, speeding? or in a hell of a hurry to move on? Damage - to mine: Bumper / boot lid / boot floor / underside panels / exhaust diffusers both knocked off - not bad considering damage to the other No damage to the exhaust or light which is very surprising considering. The driver of the other car could not even open the drivers door it took that big a hit Any ideas on costs ?