Isn't that only in sport and manual mode that it locks up the torque converter after 1st gear?
Don't know a huge amount about modifying the IS-F but I'm sure there must be adjustable suspension kits out there for it that may allow raising the ride height slightly - again something maybe the US forums may have more information on.
I think if I had bought a good IS-F, towing would not be a problem. I didn't realise that there was anything unusual with mine.
It appears I have bought a wreck! Someone has bought a damaged car and made a cosmetic repair. The front crash bar is bent and incomplete, front bumper etc is 10mm too far back and rear wheel is way out of allignment (two rear tyres shredded within 200 miles). The offset on the rear wheels puts the edge of the rear tyres in contact with the arches.
I will get my money back from the garage and get another from a Lexus dealer.
Thanks for all input and look forward to discussing this again when I have a straight car.
I hope you don't have to remind the seller that a car-trader is legally responsible for undeclared faults with the vehicle and not you as the buyer - particularly if the vehicle is unroadworthy which this one seems to be. He can't even hide behind "as seen & without guarantee", "selling on behalf of a third party" or "just selling a few cars on the side" etc.
Hopefully you will get a proper refund without having to involve Trading Standards etc.
I just suspect a whiff of fraud here, and given that the vehicle may not even be roadworthy; if it has a recent MOT, I would not be happy about that either, particularly if was issued by this dealer or an associate.
Thanks Guys,
There were after market alloys but not the right ones. I think they are Rimlux, but can't find much info on the web about them. HPI check showed car was clear, but a subsequent check with another (cheaper) car checker shows it as stolen and recovered. I guess it was damaged prior to being recovered, then bought from salvage by the worst and most unscrupulus mechanic alive, who made it look good, without having any concern for the safety of any future owner. Perhaps an MOT would have revealed the extent of the damage, but this car is not yet 3 years old.
Hopefully the garage will do the right thing and reverse the deal. I will happily take my Phaeton back and do a deal with my nearest Lexus dealer. If not, I have a very clever web developer, who will create a factual web site showing the quality of cars you can expect to purchase from them. I have plenty of pictures and repair quotes etc.
At the moment, I am hoping that the garage made an honest mistake and bought the car unaware. As they are sales only, this could be the case. I am sure that when I meet them tomorrow, how they propose to resolve the problem will reveal all.