Category: Exotic Sports 
Price Range: £23,060 to £54,490
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.
It's a Lexus - need we say more? Toyota's luxury division consistently tops reliability and quality surveys, with very few owner complaints, and the IS F should prove no exception.
The IS F's engine, with assistance from Yamaha, has been developed from the V8 in the LS 600h. Modifications include a new valvetrain, higher-flow intake ports, a liquid-cooled oil cooler and extra oil 'scavenger' pump. These measures ensure optimum lubrication, cooling and fuel supply at high speeds and operating temperatures, and under extreme cornering. The engine has undergone extensive testing to ensure that it can run near the 6,800rpm redline for extended periods of time, and the transmission (developed from that in the GS 460) has been strengthened to cope with maximum torque in all eight gears. The suspension, brakes and steering have also been modified.
