Huddy

That's great. It looks like a MK1 RX :P (Only joking) I think there could be an expensive problem around how they would extend the roof. Also, I imagine there would be issues around removing the horizontal strengthening around the boot and below the rear window. You'd also need to convert the rear seats so they would fold down flat. That's a whole artform in itself. I can't see you doing this for 3k, to be honest.

I think this was just a bit of fun. I doubt any of us are going to drive our cars around in such a fashion. What's important is not how it performs moving sideways around an airfield, but how it drives on the road, in the same direction as the wheels. Watching that programme hasn't made he wish I had either a Lexus IS-F or a BMW M3. I choose my cars by how they perform on the roads in traffic, not on an empty airfield. Such performance would be purely theoretical if we owned one of these cars.

I'm not sure many of us are going to be doing fun drifts and spins if we ever get either of these cars. I've already noticed I'm suffering from motion sickness after some enthusiastic cornering in my GS. I was never good on roller coasters anyway. I think the IS-F is heavier than the M3, and so maybe that's why it doesn't handle so well. I do miss certain BMW attributes. It's hard to put my finger on it, but I'm sure Lexus are getting closer with each model change. They just need to get that balance right.

The ladies seemed to prefer the M3.

I'm having exactly the same problem with my 450h. The name certainly doesn't show, and I can't remember if the number shows either. The number of one regular caller is stored without the +44, so that can't be the problem. The numbers transferred over in about 30 seconds (I have around 150-200 numbers in my phone. However., it doesn't keep them in groups as in my SE phone, so I have three numbers for some people, and it's often hard to tell which one I should use. I will look at the massive tome that is the instruction manual, and try to figure it out.

I won't go all the way back to my Hillman Imp. After eight years of driving BMWs, from 5-series to my most recent 7-series, I now drive a GS 450h. And for the first time, I'm not thinking in the back of my mind "nice car, but I wish I could have a....". This car has it all. I wouldn't swap it for a Ferrari, a Porsche or even a Roller. I also have an 05 Mondeo, which is going back soon. I always loved Mondeos, from way back in 93 but by comparison to the GS, I'm afraid the Mondeo is like driving a dumper truck.

I've moved from a BMW 730 to a GS 450h. Being dissillusioned with the current 5-series, and not wanting to continue driving a barge, it was going to be a high-spec 3-series, or a GS 450h. I suppose it's inevitable I will tend to make comparisons to the BMW, so please don't be offended by that. This car isn't going to save the planet, and I don't think fuel economy would be the main reason for buying one. My 730 returned between 23-26 mpg, and so far the GS isn't that much better. To be fair, I am driving the GS slightly more enthusiatically than I did the 730, but even with a lighter foot, I'd consider I was doing well to acheive 30mpg. What I do know is the GS is making every effort to make the best of the fuel available, and it would probably be worse if it wasn't doing that. I can now accelerate without feeling I'm sucking the tank dry every time I do. The GS has a harder ride than many cars in its class. I wish it didn't have low profile tyres because they don't help. But it is solid on the road, and despite its weight, drives like a smaller car. Acceleration is breathtaking. But more than that, it's the way it is delivered that impresses. There are no obvious gear changes. You put your foot down, and there is a humming noise, seemingly unrelated to the car speed, and the car accelerates forward gracefully without any fuss. There is no aggressive engine noise, and it all seems so effortless. Pulling out of a sideroad to join a fast-moving stream of cars is so easy. You can join in gaps you simply wouldn't consider in a lesser car. Problems so far revolve around the parking brake. If there's one thing Lexus could do to make this car almost perfect, it would be to use a normal handbrake, or better still an auto-hold parking brake. When arriving at a T-junction to join a main road, the car will stop, and the engine stops with it. But if you're on a hill, and heading upward, the car will then roll back. I suppose I'm used to driving BMWs that simply won't let that happen. You can't go backwards in a BMW if you're in Drive. In the GS, you need to keep your foot on the brake, and then change to accelerator when you set off. This isn't the most elegant way to control a car on a hill. The GS corners very well. I'm sure IS owners are going to say they prefer the smaller, lighter car. But the GS is what it is, a mid-ranged saloon car. It doesn't have the "throw it anywhere, it'll be OK" feel of the BMWs, but it is a safe ride, with a good feel to the steering. If you feel you need to brake heavily into corners, the 450h gives you back that energy as you come out of the corner, and it's quickly back up to speed. It's almost fun to drive. Little niggles. The voice recogniition is not one of the best. The BMW would politely ask you if it couldn't understand. The GS seems to go with the nearest fit and gets it wrong most of the time. If it's not sure, it should ask, not guess. The satnav map always seems too close in, and it's not easy to change the scale. I'm sure there is a way, but I can't find it. I don't want anyone to think I'm criticising this car. I'm not. It's a great car and very different to anything else on the road. I will miss my BMWs, but I am happy to join the Lexus clan, and look forward to getting to know you all.