Category: Exotic Sports 
Price Range: £22,405 to £53,376
Immensely powerful yet civilised; looks great; clever eight-speed automatic gearbox.
Hard ride; not much steering feel; limited rear-seat space.
A well thought-out alternative to the M3 and RS4, conceding nothing in its performance.
This is a Lexus, and as such, it maintains its composure: the veneer of civility is never quite lost. The IS F is not a screeching, demanding-to-drive road-racer, but something else - a very fine, very fast and very easy to drive high-performance machine. The eight-speed gearbox sounds gimmicky, but in practice offers intuitive and near-imperceptible gear selection up and down the rev range. There's the facility for 'manual' gear selection, with steering wheel mounted paddle-shifts, and selectable 'sport' and 'snow' modes, though it's plenty responsive enough when left to its own devices.
The 'sport' mode adjusts the electric power steering as well, reducing the number of turns lock-to-lock and the degree of assistance, although the steering feel remains somewhat remote. It also delays the intervention of the VDIM (Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management) system, a complex co-operation between the ABS, traction control, electronic limited-slip differential and the stability control. The VDIM allows you to push the car further towards its limits, though it takes a lot to get it feeling any less than stable and solidly-planted on the road.
Specific modifications from the standard IS bodyshell include a lengthened nose with additional aerodynamic enhancements, cooling vents behind the front wheel arches, and a higher bonnet to accommodate that larger engine. The IS F is a little longer overall, with its longer bumpers, and also sits an inch lower than the standard IS, attaining a lower centre of gravity to further improve the handling. It's a little lighter too, thanks to race-style forged-alloy wheels by BBS (which look pretty good) and lighter-weight suspension components.
Thicker anti-roll bars than the IS are fitted, as are larger shock absorbers and stiffer springs, and suspension geometry has been thoroughly revised. Uprated disc brakes by Brembo work to good effect. The potential wildness of this powerful car remains reassuringly well-controlled in all circumstances - even, to a certain extent, if you switch off the VDIM.
There's just a tiny hint of madness, however, in the sound this car makes: though typically Lexus-quiet when cruising, the exhaust has been specifically tuned for a fantastic growl at the 3,600rpm mark. Accelerate up through the gears and enjoy, then blip the throttle on the downshifts for further amusement. It's a more subtle, grown-up pleasure than, say, charging around in an Evo or Impreza WRX STI, but good fun nonetheless. The IS F is also pleasingly unique: this does not look or feel like a German car, an M3/AMG/RS imitation, but a complete, comprehensively-conceived product in its own right.
