Keith_W

Looking awesome mate, top job ;)

Congrats mate and welcome. I noticed that one (like quite a few others) had disappeared from autotrader. Love the blue in these, it really suits the design of the car in my view.

Congrats on the purchase, awesome colour! Nice mileage too; I'm another lucky one as my 58 plate doesn't even have 19k on it yet!

If you want to buy private there's a 2010 plate for sale right now for £21k....that's a bargain. 40-50k pre-2010 cars will cost around the £20k mark give or take a grand. I don't think you will lose much money in the next year (or even 2/3 for that matter). What's your car history?

Is it 14?........I stand corrected ;)

Hello mate and welcome to the forum. I was in a similar position not knowing too much about the IS-F but I set my heart on one as I had owned other Lexus before and really like the look of the F. There are only two model years but the car itself is effectively the same (ie not a change in Mk number). After 2010 slightly softer suspension was fitted along with an uprated differential. Other tweeks included zenons, blue stitched steering wheel and a blue paint option. There are very few kit options as the F basically comes with the same level of kit as the fully spammed up SE-L version of the 250. That said a sunroof was an option and some owners also had iPod connectors fitted as well. The standard option list embarrasses anything from Germany; they include radar guided cruise control, auto lights/wipers, cd/DVD player attached to an amazing Mark Levenson 13-speaker stereo, pre-crash protection, heated memory seats that are linked to the key fobs along with the position of the steering column and the wing mirrors. In terms of what they are like.....well, I think they are simply amazing (and I have owned all kinds of stuff from evos to an NSX). Yes, the ride is firm but it isn't crashy like you get with a hot hatch. The real jewel with the F is the engine: it is so easy to get what you want out of it, whether you want to potter around town or go for a hoon. Once the second inlet opens at 3600rpm, it turns into a proper snarling V8 which is so addictive when the mood takes you. The gearbox is quite brilliant as well being a conventional auto (rather than a DSG) but the shifts are lightning fast (10th of a second I believe) and very smooth. Seventh and eighth gears are really for economy - this is another aspect of the car that is without equal. I have had mid 30s to the gallon on a few occasions (long runs at 70mph) and mid 20s are common when pottering. I did loads of research before I bought mine and I would urge you to look at the American ISF forum. There are quite a lot of these in the US and I was genuinely shocked as I trawled page after page of threads only to find owners only ever experienced niff-naff and trivia issues with them. Water pumps have been known to leak but they are not big bucks to fix. Some people have had issues with the media system (which isn't cheap) but it's by no means common. Compared to the M3, RS4 and C63 forums, which are littered with some truly horrific horror stories, the ISF community just seem to chat about how good they are, how fast they are, and which exhaust to fit! Running costs are not too silly: ~£300 for an annual service but the 6-year service costs ~£800 without haggling (I'm getting mine done for £600 as Lexus dealers like to price match each other!). Tyres will be approx £1000 for a full set and brake pads and discs are expensive too (brembo) but much cheaper alternatives are available if you search the forum. Unless you track it, tyres and brakes are surprisingly hard-wearing - I remember reading one of the long-term testers getting 20k miles out of their tyres and pads! These cars have all the hallmarks of future classics; they are staggeringly reliable, (properly) quick, look fantastic and, most importantly, are very rare (just over 200 in the UK). With this in mind you will have to travel to find one but I would like to think that the majority have been well looked after. Either way, good luck if you do aim to get one and keep us all informed with your progress!

Yep, and thanks to you and this forum, so will I.

Stu, this may be of use to you but I went into Lexus Cambridge this week to get a quote for the 6 year service - they said £750. I said that someone on here had negotiated theirs down to £600 and I was prepared to take my car to the dealership with the best price. One minute later I was given the service receptionist business card with confirmation that they would match it. So I will be going back in July and paying £600 for mine.....at Lexus.

More than happy to give you a ride out if you like. :) now that is a offer i cannot refuse! i will pay fuel of course. each thrash a quid? lol Lol, I would never go that far mate. I really don't mind, we're all enthusiasts so if you want a ride just let me know.

I know I don't need to but I only use super.... Tesco 99 or Shell V Power.

Had 36.1mpg over 90 miles - A41, M25, M11, A11. Steady at 65-70 all the way. By the time I got home after a further 40 miles of A roads it was only down to 34mpg. I've also had 31mpg after going 120 miles up the A17 and A1. If I don't need to get anywhere in a hurry I tend to hold back on motorways so I have more fuel for the 'fun roads'. Plus I don't think the car gives you anything extra when driving on a motorway/dual carriageway at 80+ so I just think 'why bother'. Normal local running is between 20-25mpg for me and that's with its fair share of 3600rpm+ (you know what that means!)

Cheers buddy. At least you know your tips have been firmly secured for the future. The fitting times would always be a problem for me as I live nowhere near the company and the F is my only (family) car.

Mate, that sounds epic and surprisingly quiet on the road. How much would H&S sell them from here on in and how long would they need the car (now they have made yours)? Thanks for uploading these though, I understand it's a ball-ache but I'm sure I'm not the only one who appreciatates the time you took to do it.

Similar to what most have said.......I wouldn't trust 'modern' diesels as far as I could throw them, especially the German ones. I totally get the point of them (I have been out in a mapped 335d) but the restricted rev range and all the torque coming in one big lump doesn't really appeal to me. And then there are the absolutely inevitable repair bills; even the DPFs (which are wear and tear items frankly) cost a fortune to replace. Don't forget the inflated forecourt price of diesels over their petrol equivalent as well. For me, knowing that I will only spend on consumables, makes a big difference...this, along with the driving experience of a petrol, means it will be unlikely that I will return to a diesel car (if I do it would probably be a Honda). I suppose I'm quite lucky that the main reason for 'justifying my thirsty lexus' is the 416bhp I get in return!!:D I could however completely justify the same fuel economy for the Lexus way of delivering the whole driving experience.

More than happy to give you a ride out if you like. :)

Cheers guys. There was a brief weather break here this weekend so I made the most of it!

Did a bit of a photo shoot this weekend............

Awesome mate, very much looking forward to the results.