Video: Fifth Gear drive the Lexus IS-F

By George Skentzos | March 04th, 2008

In this video, Fifth Gear’s Tiff Needell drives Lexus’ new M3-eater – the V8 powered IS-F, and comes across an unusual problem.

Lcat

poor old tiff nearly up s**t creek even with a paddle!
No Name

Ahhh TP – A toyota thats a competitor for the M3, Not a chance.
http://. Naughtyius Maximus

Shivers this is funny….part timers doing the overtime to convince Lexus to lift the bar, then outsource motor out to Yamaha to do more that Lexus cant and cram stupid alert sensors all over it? WOW that is a serious laugh for non-Lexus and Toyota lovers. Class without the CL.
TP

Are you people retarded… this guy has just given the IS-F a great review.
Bavarian Missile

Bleeping hell…….how bleeping annoying.

So I guess Lexus drivers need to be bleeped at…no bleeping problem.

Na Ill go the M3 still,this seems a tad untidy around the track to me. M3 just looks like its not even trying.Ill go the Original and best still thanks.
Bavarian Missile

Well he like the sound of it TP except for the bleeping…TIFFS a BMW man I would think he too would go the M3 over this.No one said it was bad TP just not as good as the M3.Nice first try though Lexus…..
Bavarian Missile

Do yourself a favour and watch TIFF in the M3 as well in related posts, then tell me what you think TP….M3 is another league…hey I noticed that that was the day the site was updated and guess who was the first to post and how funny it was on the M3 hehehehe
Chaser

Excellent effort and well put car, tiff trying to copy Jeremy with the whole shut up (how many times have we seen Jeremy do that with beeps).

and Bm I guess M5 drivers need to cancel their indicator stalk themselves or have to put up with the annoying sat nav giving directions even when they dont need it eh? (topgear review).

M3 is another league, it took time to ‘get’ to that league and for a first attempt to get Tiff to say:

“performance wise virtually matches the m3″

is saying ‘alot’. and how many times do you take your m3 around the track miss bavarian huh?

keep reminding yourself you drive the original, I think you need that to reassure your low self esteem. Meanwhile due credit to Lexus with their ‘first’ attempt, surely not the last either..
dlr1

It does look like they have the basis for a good car. But the beeper? Get rid of it! With that gone and maybe tone down the oversteer a tad and they might have a winner.
jamison

This car is seriously a beast..

I’m a HUGE M3 fan and its pretty much one of the Holy Grails of automotive performance and engineering.

But Lexus…. even after all the talk and smack of haters out there. Lexus is definitely on the same playing field with the big euro boys. They may not be one of the usual veteran champion players yet… more like the rookie who has shown the potential… now about to enter his/her prime and mix it up with the past and current champion and test them.

The one thing preventing Lexus to really take it by storm is still due to the lack of attention the company has put on the performance market… concepts and one off-show vehicles dont count.
A Nobody

How can it be outsourcing when Toyota/Lexus owns part of Yamaha???
http://aca Guess Who

FAN-BLOODY-TASTIC.

That is a brilliant car and a good review. Bleeping annoying but that marvellous V8 sounds absolutely brilliant – love that v8 sound.

I LOVE IT… and like he said – ALOT OF FUN !!
Alex

As the old expression goes you can’t win a race if you don’t finish. I’ve known so many people who owned a BMW and have had problems that have literally sidelined their car , whether it be the transmission or the water pump.

I personally went out and picked up my cousin after the waterpump failed on his 328.

I had a Lexus IS 300 for seven years and have never been stranded. The car always started everytime I turned the key.

Who knows perhaps reliability isn’t cool and glamourous but its something I can expect with the Lexus.

As I said in the begining you can’t win the race if you don’t finish.
Steve

I’ve had maybe 20 cars over the past 30 years. Australian, French, German, Italian, you name it. Current one is a Lexus IS 250.

If anyone makes a better crafted and more enjoyable car than Lexus then I haven’t stumbled across them yet. More than a match for BMW and Mercs. Options are standard too !