will anyone ever beat jim richards in this race?, the guy must be a freek driver on tassy roads, having the right porsche to drive every year surely helps though..

To all you AWD geeks. Put that in yer face! What a phenomenal little car.

Hairy Balls – to be fair this is the 2WD category. As the results show, the MPS is not on the podium in the overall results – that honour been fulfilled by the Porshe, Evo and Rex. You really do need to get a grip on things.

Goog, plenty of old-school Torana’s and Monaro’s in the Classic category.

I could only find an 02 Monaro CV8 and 05 Clubsport in the Modern category.

My fav class is the Late Classics………..they are fun to watch all that grunt in those old muscle cars and trying to get around those tight corners……is fun to watch and better to hear……nothin like the sound of a 308 full noise into a corner ,big compression lock up n stomping on the throttle to get around a hairpin………and you can always spot the 351 clevelands in the distance with the big beefy exhaust note,makes me feel all tingly thinking about it!

Dont get me wrong I have a lot of respect for the big guns too in the all wheel drive VWs and Lambos ,but the cars are to controlled n so are the drivers,much more fun to watch the no nanny controlled early stuff!

See theres a few little M3s in it as well……..including 2 E36 M3Rs……not bad seeing they only made about 14 in the world,all white in colour, hope they don’t stack em.

Surprised to see Whitey back in the Lambo again………I thought he would have gone back to the GTR…..Lambo is a BIG car and those roads are small……HE IS SUCH A GOOD WHEELER…….. and a Tassie boy to boot.Actually funny to see some of the names in the cars cause Tassie being so small you know a lot of the local drivers personally. Go the local boys n gals!

Hey Awesome Aurion, is this an internet advertising site or a blog? I feel like I’ve subscribed to a Toyota Race Updates page without even knowing it.

Full credit to them for the strong results so far though.

Just a note guys, they ran one, two however if u look at the entrants list there is only seven in that catergory…. and my guess is these two drivers have a bit more experience and backing….

GO Gentleman Jim!!!!!
a no brainer that the legend would show em how its done.

had the pleasure of meeting Jim at last years F1 GP.
he has totally earnt his title “Gentleman”. he has time for everyone. he even gave up his seat in the carrera cup because he thought Alex Davison was too good a talent to go with out a drive.

does anyone know if there is going to be a highlights package telecast?

So TP has another new name – Awesome Aurion

But that wasn’t a production model Paul………and I guess if Toyota hadn’t of recalled their car at the time and Targa was at the time of its release same could have happened.

Im looking closely at the sports wagon next week when its here at our Motor Show…….Golfy and I are going tyre kicking!!!!!Let you know what I think of it!Of course Ill need to drive it too but that’s not going to happen for a while I guess,wonder what the back orders will be like! My brother has just bought a VE SS Ute haven’t had a drive yet but will when hes down in a few weeks.

Hey Andrew…….long time no chat! I think your right on the big seller,quality is what Ill be checking out too! Cause my other choice is another ovlo.

Yet if the Falcon and Commodore have problems and get recalled we hear about them, so why would their performance counterparts be exempt from any press coverage?
I really hope Aurion does well because it’s kind of like the little guy- challeging perception and has to overcome a fundamentally flawed driving concept- TP and Dingo will finish each other off for sure.

Ok now your becoming annoying!You own a Aurion I take it!You a member of the Toyota Forum…….if so go over to them and pat your self on the back!

TRD a new breed………..yep but Toyota’s racing name is on it thats been around for years!Stop trying to save their arse!So far what your commenting on is as usual your own opinion!TRD will not follow FPV and HSV……hahaha I bet their trying and can only wish they sold as many TRD labelled stuff as FPV and HSV do! Make up your mind,is TRD a competitor to HSV and FPV or not,with only 410 sold last year Im saying NO! TRD Hilux,who is going to buy that……..another to sit around Toyota show rooms and collect dust…………too expensive for what it is!

Me educate myself in Targa……..Im not interested in the race prepared one …………I was pointing out where it is in the 2WD class not modified to the hilt with a race driver thrown in to steer it! I mean can I go down to TRD and order one with dots on the doors? God its like saying in the the V8 Supercars HRT and FPR are representing FPV and HSV……hardly a true representation of a factory car is it! Bit like that same argument we had a while back with the HILUX going to the North Pole on Top Gear.Where did the TRD Aurion finish at 12 hour Bathurst? I cant remember!
Go Mazda……..AGAIN!

Lexus hahaha……once again your opinion and we are still laughing at Lexus………yawn!Oh well you keep believing in the Easter Bunny and Santa and I guess that way TRD will fill your dreams!

hahaha……..my anti spam word was Toyota.

I was thinking the same SteveR32 had enough promoting the Aurion.He can argue with himself .

Meow………

whats the Mazda worth by the way?
surely no where near $70K

i gave myself an RDO before it gets pretty full on again come monday

I think Saturday and Sundays legs are going to be the most interesting to watch,that road down into Strahan gets pretty damp through the wildness section. Fabulous scenery but I doubt the drivers will get to appreciate it,I just shut my eyes when they come through into Queenstown and they have those sheer drops.Wish I was there to watch this weekend!Fantastic fun to witness first hand.

6 minutes till live timing

they dont have a typhoon lying around that they can enter because the public actually buys them from the showroom floor.

but i guess they had no trouble finding a spare TRD lying around ha ha ha ha ha

and who the hell heads for a 4WD seeking good handling attributes?
you totally missed my point. people dont want sports handling in a 4WD. they opt for other things.

ford and holden both saw a need to enhance their utes because the public actually were taking the stock version and heading down to pedders to enhance it themselves, so they saw it worthwhile to start enhancing them in house.

how many people do you see take their 4WD down to peders to have it dropped with tighter springs?
when people take their 4WD to pedders, its to have a lift kit and springs/suspension arms with greater travel fitted

To Flying high. If you check both 2wd Showroom and 4wd Showroom youll find the Mps is Neck and Neck with the “Showroom” 4wd leader (Evo 9). The Rex/Evo combinations that sit at the top of the leader board are full spec race cars, these are miles away from the production variant. Make sure your comparing apples with apples b4 opening your ill informed mouth.

i hope caradvice is recieving sponsorship dollars before they let the toyota media take up its free advertising of its product via the use of their employee (Dingo)

Which tv station is broadcasting the Targa Tas race?

Replay make that

Oz me dribble………..nooooooooo I could say something else but that would be a little too crude.

Boy Wonder will get it though!hehehe

Another good day for the TRD boys competing in Targa Tasmania.

Neal Bates in his modified Road Racing Aurion (#960) started the day out in 26th spot and at the end of today (3rd stage of 5) gained 2 positions to finish 24th which now effectively puts him in the top 1/4 of his category.

104 competitors originally started in the Modern Compettion with about 99 odd cars still running.

Simon Evans in the regular TRD Aurion is still running 3rd in the 2WD class with the very fast pocket rocket Mazda3 MPS’s still leading the charge.

All-in-all … another good day for the TRD team and Neal Bates Racing running competive times and without issue

cheers

Make that the Bat Bed…………..perrrrrrrrrfect!

Post 69 Boy Wonder……….Meow!

Oh and I do find you hard…….purrrrrrrr!

Should we purrrrrrrrsue further

Awesome Avalon – you say that a stop sale is not the smae as a recall.. yet in both cases cars had to be returned to the dealer or the factory inorder to rectify a mechanical problem..

In relation to the Holden recall the problem was fixed at the dealerships. In relation to the TRD they went back to the factory to workout how a supercharger works.

Therefore even though they use different terminology etc its the same thing

Its like when a company makes slight cosmetic changes to a car one would call it an upgrade whereas the other would call it facelift

However the TRD stop sale was worse because it meant that those who were considering buying a TRD werent able to and went elsewhere – which explains the TRDs poor sales performance..

Whereas the Holden Recall only affected cars already on the road so those who wanted to buy a Commodore could do so – knowing that there cars were yet not affected as they were yet to be built

Im naughty but you still want to marry me!

I do…. oh wait am I meant to I say that now or later?

Log on to caradvice.com.au for all your latest TuRD Aurion rally results

TP, get your hand off it. You should be thown off the site for mentioning Typhoon and Aurion in the same sentence! Back onto topic. The 3 MPS is still killing them. Who can argue with the hot hatch value of this car. It’s a giant killer. And guess what, it does not have symetrical AWD lol lol. Are there any stocky Hatch rexes in showrrom class?

Hairy balls … you are absolutely correct – don’t ever mention a Ford and a Toyota in the same sentance. One biulds quality cars and the other sh*t boxes.

Oh yeah – one can sell many cars and make heaps of doh while the other can barely sell any and reeks in debts.

Accept Toyota is todays leading automotive manufactuer.

Actually – i done some number crunching earlier and concluded this.

So far this year Toyota alone has won exactly 50% of the NASCAR racing against rivals Ford, GM and Dodge.

4 Craftsman Truck Series have been run – Toyota winning 3
8 Nationwide Series have been run – Toyota winning 4
8 Sprint Series have been run – Toyota winning 2

So … of the 20 various NASCAR races this year so far – Toyota has won 10 of them alone which must be tearing the hearts out of those American locals especially considering it is American racing on American soil … ooouch !!

Oh yeah – and those numbers don’t even calculate the numerous 2nds and 3rds either !!

Gotta love a good thing.

OH WHAT A FEELING … TOYOTA !

Ooops – i have made a calculation error, will correct that on my own behalf … total wins so far is 9 from 20 combined NASCAR races so far this year and not including the numerous 2nd and 3rd placings.

Now that is weird – sometimes people say Toyota’s are expensive but then others above)say they are cheap … Oh well – many clowns in the world. I do know one thing for sure, Toyota is popular because they make a good quality product.

And what the hell is a Borion, or is that suppose to be Daewoo Barina !!

Oh what a feeling – you know you’re right.. No TRD customer was affected by the “Stop Sale” as TRD didn’t and still don’t have any Customers.. Prospective or otherwise
because if they did
Toyota would still be selling the TRD through a select number of dealers whereas now they are available from all Toyota outlets..
Nor would some dealers be reducing the price of the TRD by upto 5K because if the TRD was the Performance Car You and Toyota would like us to believe the demand would be so great that dealers would be selling them at a Premium

I mean it wouldn’t surprise me if Toyotas next step was to do something like paint them white with blue stripes inorder to get rid of the excess [slow selling] stock.

And unlike it says in the Ad the TRD isn’t the First Australian Built Car to use the Eaton Supercharger – the CV6 Monaro was

BTW: I wasn;t having a shot at Ford with my previous “blue stripes” comment.. it was just to show that Toyota would probably do something similar as the idea worked so well for Ford with the classic XC Cobra

The Penguin, you forgot Mazda too!

isnt the mazda in front of the trd???

The mazda 3 mps is currently first in the showroom categories, beating not only the 2WDs but also the 4WDs.
Well done Mazda

turd turd turd. It clicks over every time. Who at Toyota couldn’t have imagined that irreverent Aussies would quickly find a new name for TRD? Someone from Japan? Perhaps?

Craig – Which tv station is broadcasting the Targa Tas race?

I don’t know but given their absolutely shocking second rate pathetic disgusting telecast of the V8s I f–k’n well hope it’s not Channel 7!!!!

Another good day for Neal Bates and the TRD team finishing equal 23rd after todays 4th round. One day to go so it will be interesting to see how ‘Bates’ finishes after running hard for the past couple of days.

Impressive effort from the boys at the TRD team !!

Mazda 3 MPS owns WRX, TuRD and anything in its class! What a little legend!

for the second leg of the fraser dash, we would see the F6X tackle 10 laps around a track along side the TRD Hilux.

the Hilux would roll on the first corner.

get a life!!!!!!!!
talk about clutching at straws ggeeeeeeee!!!!

eagle,
and thats the XR6T not the F6.
interesting how he compares HSV/FPV to TRD only when it suits him.
there is quite a price difference between the XR6T and TRD in favour of the XR6T

and how does the extra grunt not translate?
the XR6T times you were using, came from the XR6T which only had the same power output as the TRD.
and as your buddy likes to tell us the FWD set up in the TRD allows far more power to actually hit the road.
so now i ask,
how come the claimed more efficient driven FWD TRD doesnt translate to more grunt actually geting to the road??

Also, the TRD Aurion is actually prcied in F6 territory which is a head-scratcher in itself.

Toyota could eazyly give us a 4wd Aurion but do they?NO(they dump us with crap) they give us Heavy cars with only fwd.Fwd is best suited to car under 1300kg for road cars and 1000kg for race cars.There is so many other good toyota models in the world why can’t we have one.

Dingo,
i assume you made a typo in your figures translation?

the XR6T and TRD have a pretty much identical power figure. its only the torque that sees the falcon take an advantage.
you still didnt comment on my FWD point.
go and ask your toyota buddy who loves to push that RWD loses 30% more in getting it to the road.

also try this one on for size
Aurion………$60K
XR6T………..$40K

also where do you find it that the Aurions have stronger brakes? i know you will try old HSV brake fade line, but show me where it displays stopping times in metres for the falcon versus the aurion.

i know thw stock falcon pulls up 1m sooner than the stock Aurion, but havent seen actual stopping dimensions for their performance variants.
i find it hard to believe that once ford throws the well respected Brembo brake packages on its performance range, that their good stoppiing traits cease.

Only a brain washed Toyota lover would buy a TuRD over an FG xr6 Turbo.
Falcon has stood the hardest test of all.

“Test of time”.

Falcon the great Australian RWD Road Car!!!

When the tight arses at Toyota make the Aurion RWD come and talk to me!!!! otherwise a complete waste of time.

Bloody Toyota skid steerer

Hey TuRD…..alas poor Toyota brag about big $ in F1 and no return on involvement. Read current MOTOR or WHEELS as sad story in there! Sad but true…..something you ignore as domestic blindness and deafness on this issue. Uninspiring results and uninspiring cars that need a shakeup on hot looks!

I second your comment REALCARS as one hot car mate!

I’ve only ever flushed a TuRD, but the driver in the above photo is getting one to understeer! Clever! Remind me to try next time I’m on the toilet

Dingo you make me want to vomit and laugh simultaneously. Plenty of people trust Falcon, including Taxi operators- there is an obscene amount of high kilometre Falcons on the road because the other cars aren’t up to the task.It’s been around for over 40 years they are doign something right.
If they were unreliable it wouldnt make business sense simple as that. And here’s the rub- they actually excite a large number of people and have for years. It’s a respectable formula.
You can’t call anyone a ‘BOGON’- your spelling is abysmal, you write exactly the same profoundly weak garbage every day- what an empty existence. Furthermore, you are a narrow-minded lunatic who can’t accept that there is more to life than Toyotas. Obviously low-bred, bogAn material.
Go find your long lost daddy to milk instead of taking it out on us.
daddy yummy, yummy daddy yum YUM!. oh what a mess!

toycrapy can’t enter V8supercars even if they wanted to as they don’t have a suitable rwd 4 door V8 sedan in their show rooms..

Poison – is that a pink or purple hankie to dry those puffy, watery, girly eyes of yours.

HA, HA, HA … I love it with a passion !!

Cheers girly boy

Lucky Toyota pulled them out of the 12hr.I doubt they would have finished any

So, who won? What were the top 10 results?

What’s a CV8? A Monaro? It’s nothing current, whatever it is.

the old CV8 Monaro wasn’t factory backed which makes a huge difference in motor sport.

realcars,
dont also forget the driver is a main factor.

the TRD is driven by bates who actually can drive the wheels off a vehicle.

now take a look at what was possibly the fastest on paper vehicle in the race the Nissan GTR. it should have been well up the front, but it wasnt that great of a driver at the wheel

and also how does toyota break into Nascar? yep, buy into a team that has proven results and drivers.

what happens in F1 where they have to pretty much make it on their own? yep they suck

Agree Tomyn, hopefully Toyota learns from this experiment…

As for F1, Toyota is a fairly new team, give it a few more years and they’ll get up there…

if the TURD isnt a direct competitor to HSV or FPV why do Toyota market the crapurion as a direct competitor to the Commodore and falcon..
Can’t say one model of the same car competes with Falcon and Commodore but the other model competes against the subaru..

Turd,wheelnut,bavarian missile,OSU811 do you guy’s really take yourself’s serious! If holden and ford are so great in your eyes why is it that toyota is outselling them combined, did you hear me combined!! The public’s choice is toyota! toyota! toyota! When toyota made the decision to start the trd banner with aurion they knew then that the big 6 market in australia was in decline don’t think for one secound that hsv & fpv vehicles are selling like wildfire i know that there are 2007 plate hsv gts’s at dealers and how many 2007 fpv’s would be sitting around on grass,shit load’s! toyota only want’s a small piece of the big 6 performance pie! Don’t think for one second that the trd aurion is not a good car, it is a great car! probably one of the best front wheel drive car’s in the world at the moment, At willowbank raceway last weekend in a celebrity race two trd aurions went 13.8@101 mph over the 1/4 mile (these guys were celebs not professional race car drivers) so not only is it as quick as a most hsv & fpv cars they will return way better reliabity and fuel comsumption! Trd is still only a pup in australia! it will become a main stream high performance player in years to come! The trd hilux is already selling well with 2-3 months wait! Anyway at the end of the day the public will decide and right now they want toyota (and trd) not ford or holden period!

catwoman as in your words “i don’t give a toss about some pint size mazda in targa” it should go ok it’s half the size of a trd aurion on a tight track with less power! And your information is totally wrong about hsv & fpv sales fpv did not sell anywhere near 2000 cars you are dreaming! Go and talk to the passionate hsv & fpv owners who have to constantly have to take there overrated performance cars back for constant recalls and warranty work! yeh they really are passionate THEY HAVE TO BE!!!!

thats it, keep going morons, dont stop. dribble

Silky……….seems you have nothing to add so why bother commenting,if we want to slang off to each other about how they all went at Targa then let us………its on topic at least!Thats a plus for once hey TP?

dingo, no offence, who cares what you think, you self centred prick, stop wasting my bandwidth idiot.

Catwoman – Don’t forget the 70;000 odd orders for the FJ Ute Holden had when it was first released back in 1953.. [cost approx $2;000]

Now that’s what you call a waiting list. At the time Holden were only making less than 70 Sedans/Utes/Vans a day mostly by hand which is 10% of what they make now.

Perhaps Holden should have done what Toyota has now done with the TuRD and sold the now defunct Supercharged Ecotech as a HSV.

realcars Says:
April 22nd, 2008 at 5:52 pm

Well gotta agree easily there as reality!

“realcars” how old are you! do you even own a car or are you still riding your beloved pushbike with ford stickers all over it!you have no real comments to make so leave here and go play lego!

and what about the stop sell dingo you have seemed to forgotten on the “reliable” TRD???

Tonyn … you haven’t a clue.

FirsT you say TRD is overpriced but above you said they are giving them away – you are a clown … PERIOD !!

The TRD Aurion was withdrawn from Bathurst 12hr because it was right smack bang in the mid of the stop sale … so whats so hard about making sense from that but then again … you are a clown !!

toyota tuff i bring it up because “wankers” like yourself bring up the faults with ford and holden but fail to recognise your own faults.

they are over priced….. at fulll retail…. so the dealers are slashing them to clear them….. that will help resale wont it mr expert!

And to be honest, didnt a mitsubishi beat them in targa if you want to get picky??? And you do have to admit the CV8 is getting old, and was never great to begin with, if your trying to upset me by bagging holdens you going up the wrong path, i dont like holdens either! comparing a CV8 with TRD is like comparing a teenager in a race against your grandmother!

i think toyota tuff and oh what a feeling you are the two without a clue!

Quote Dingo:
Lets discuss truth here … HSV/FPV have good perfromance credentials but they are not renouned for being a quality or reliable vehicle … FACT !!

Ummm just because you write a statement on the internet does NOT make it a fact.

Oh, and ‘Oh What A Feeling’ … the driver and car combination is what beat the CV8, not the car. Cars dont drive them selves you ignorant twat.

Why did the new GTR do so poorly I wonder when it has slashed record times around Germanys Nurburgring and proven it self as a lightning quick track car. Driver, thats the answer. There is some REAL fact for you fellas.

“ghisgt” no that is not a common fact where did you hear that bull shit! if your neighbour had the camry serviced at a reputable service centre who knows what they are doing and not his back yard he would not have a problem! the fact is toyota is superior quality! full stop!

As i said earlier, year’s and the public will decide trd’s sales volumn! it is still very new in australia and even you “tonyn” with trd not having any where near as much experiance in years as hsv & fpv have to admit they have done a pretty damn good first time job! do you remember hsv’s first ever performance car the vn commodore wow what a car. not!!!!! Trd has done a way better job with there first ever performance car than holden (HSV)could ever dream about!

Dont bring euro’s into this conversation! lexus ISF(due in october) will handle that area quite well thank you!

Toyota tuff XR6 Turbo is every bit as good and costs less, why would you fork out the extra on a TRD, and the F6 is miles infront of TRD!!

i think the public is giving its verdict to the TRD…. there avoiding it!!

As for the euros…. we will see about the ISF…. C63 and M3 are tough competitors…. and the RS4 is all class!!! i think your toyota…. i mean lexus will have a fight on its hands!!!

Yeah, great reply. Oozing with interlect.

Have fun with your torque streering nugget.

Oh, and did you know the dynamics of a front wheel drive car are flawed? They only exist because of cost-effectiveness? All the best cars in the world are rear-wheeled drive. All the cheap cars are front drivers. Notice a pattern?

Roll that up in a supercharger and call it a TRD Fact

Hey Tonyn……….got ya new email address sorry haven’t had time to reply today……..been a little busy!

Where’s NM???????? Babe I got your call this morning sorry didn’t call you back but it was a little early………only used to talking to Wheelnut in bed that time of the day 2 hour time difference between us {yep where behind you}.

Tonyn, your right there not making any money on them at that price! But what else can they do………90 cars sitting around and a flop,don’t care if Dingo says its Toyotas first go against FPV and HSV, you cant have it both ways,you tell us how good the TRD name is in racing,how good Toyota is in reliability and sales yet when they make something thats a flop you have an excuse for them!

ISF range……….yep lets see how good that does against the more superior innovators from Europe Dingo,what you going to say if its a flop like the TRD stuff you’ll just say”OH WELL ITS LEXUS FIRST SHOT AGAINST……RARARARA” Oh and I worked out what Toyota are trying to say in the lettering ISF……..{WOOPS MAKE THAT LEXUS,NA MAKE THAT TOYOTA} If you pronounce ISF as a word it sounds like AS IF……..you know AS IF where going to be good as AUDI,BMW AND MERC…….hahaha

Hey Missile – I just read an atricle from USA’s Car n Driver Mag that I picked up in Canada. The M3 had the ISF licked around the Laguna circuit by a little margin. Overall the M3 was faster round the bendies and the ISF faster on the staight from what I read. The end result by C&D was the M3 has it. I’ll attempt to get a scan on the Forum

There was also an depth look at the Nissan GTR. pretty good.

Cheers
your pohmmie whinger

give me your email address dingo, ill email it to you!

Not full of it at all! dingo it blokes like your self that have spent a pittiful 2 years at a small dealership as a parts kicker and think they know everything, $52000 is expensive after you add on road costs, and for that money your nearly in Typhoon counrty, which the ford would smoke it, and you could have a fully speced XR6 turbo with is a quicker car as well.

Put that into perspective and your TRD doesnt cut it, AT FULL RRP it is a overpriced dog! and look at the first go for HSV or FPV, they were hits people bought them in droves!

I await yor email, and id just prfer to call you mr dummy, i think your more suited to that!

hahaha……………Your right Dingo when FPV have a limited edition first of make they normally sell it for more,eg BF Cobra sold up to $23,000 over recommended,and they sold all 400 in around 2 weeks.

2008 BMW M3 vs. 2008 Lexus IS F – Comparison Test PART 1

Sedans That Sizzle: Can a hotted-up izzy avoid being fried by the bavarian freight train?

BY LARRY WEBSTER, PHOTOGRAPHY BY KEVIN WING
May 2008

“Competition,” said John D. Rockefeller, the founder of Standard Oil and an early poster child of the business monopoly, “is a sin.”

He’d certainly be horrified by the competition going on these days among the makers of sports sedans. To many, these are the jewels of the high-performance market, and yet they seat at least four and don’t require fortunes associated with Google stock.

Although the genre is deliciously broad, we’ll concentrate here on two cars: the cat’s meow of sports sedans, the BMW M3, and a newcomer from Lexus, the IS F. This fourth generation of the BMW M3 debuted last fall and is available as a two-door coupe, a four-door, and, coming soon, a convertible. Last December we pitted the new M3 coupe against the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG and Audi RS 4 [“Gluttons for Punishment”], and the result was a rout for the Bimmer. Neither the Lexus, which only comes as a sedan, nor the four-door M3, was available for that test, so this duel was a given.

The IS F and the M3 cover the same basic formula, which is a lot like the muscle-car recipe from a bygone era. Start with a small, lightweight car, and stuff in a honking engine. The difference now is that these modern-day muscle cars complement those monster motors with sharp suspensions and plenty of luxury features. They’re not exorbitantly priced, but neither are they cheap. Both have base prices of about $56,000.

Let’s start with the M3. Based on the 17-time 10Best-winner 3-series, the latest M3 has twice the number of cylinders (eight) and, with 414 horsepower, more than twice the horsepower of the first M3 that debuted in 1988. Coupled to a standard six-speed manual transmission (a twin-clutch automated manual will be available this summer), the M3’s V-8 revs to an almost unheard-of 8400 rpm. Additionally, there are larger brakes, a firmer suspension, and enough body modifications to let the world know you’re in something special. Our test car came stuffed with options—adjustable shocks, steering assist, nav, heated seats, and various other bits—that swelled the as-tested price to $64,450.

Meanwhile, the Lexus IS F looks similarly capable on paper. It’s Lexus’s first über-version of the capable IS sedan, and the company has not scrimped. In the engine bay resides a 416-hp, 5.0-liter V-8 that has a significant torque advantage over the BMW (371 pound-feet versus 295). An eight-speed automatic transmission—it’s the only one available—sends power to the rear wheels. We initially lamented the absence of a manual box, but Lexus has souped up the automatic so that in the manumatic mode it shifts in 0.1 second, Lexus claims. The suspension was lowered and stiffened, six-piston front-brake calipers pinch larger 14.2-inch rotors, and 19-inch forged aluminum wheels fill wider fenders and wheel arches. Our test car came with one option, a $3990 Mark Levinson sound system and navigation package that bumped the as-tested price to $60,755.

These sedans are serious performance cars and as such require some room to wring them out. We spent a day lapping Mazda Raceway Laguna Seca’s 2.2-mile road course in Monterey, California. There, we sucked in our guts while plunging the cars down Laguna’s famous Corkscrew, a left-right combination that has a devilishly blind approach and exit. Get it wrong, and you’re in the wall.

We later ran through plenty of twisties, highway slogs, and our usual performance tests. In short, we indulged like automotive robber barons. And, yes, we loved every minute of it.

Part 3 Read the last line………….says it all.

In case anyone has forgotten that the “M” in BMW stands for “motor,” let the M3’s stunning V-8 be your reminder. This is a fantastic engine that surpasses expectations.

“The engine’s power band is amazing,” wrote Csere in the logbook. The 414-hp peak occurs at a lofty 8300 rpm, and that suggests a fussy, peaky mill that requires constant gearbox rowing to keep it on the boil. But it’s just the opposite. The torque peak of 295 pound-feet comes at 3900 rpm, and excellent thrust is available from there to the 8400-rpm rev cutoff.

The magic gear for this car is third; it’s the right ratio almost everywhere. Around Laguna’s 2.2 miles and 11 turns, we shifted only four times: once into second gear for Turn Eleven, up to fourth on the front straight, then back to third for Turn Two, where it remained for the rest of the lap. There were a few places where we might have geared down to second, but the result would have been a greater chance for wheelspin and little if any speed difference.

The M3 blasted to 60 in 4.1 seconds, 0.3 second quicker than the Lexus and 0.1 quicker than the M3 coupe we tested last December, a surprising outcome since this sedan, which is not available with the coupe’s carbon-fiber roof, was 109 pounds heavier.

Of course, the M3 is not just an engine. There’s a chassis that’s just as marvelous. Our car had adjustable shocks that offer three settings: comfort, normal, and sport. In sport mode, they remain at a fixed stiff setting; they adjust on the fly in the two others. On the recommendation of the M3 project manager, Bernd Limmer, we left the shocks in normal because, when selected, the computer reacts to various inputs from steering-wheel angle and wheel-speed sensors and might stiffen the shocks to an even greater degree than the sport mode would. The only time we noticed a difference was when we switched to sport on public roads and the normally firm ride became downright uncomfortable.

On the track, the M3 is decidedly livelier than the Lexus, more flickable yet every bit a confidence builder. One can seemingly plant this car anywhere, thanks to progressive brakes and steering that’s a benchmark of feel.

The steering effort has two modes: sport and normal. Sport increases the effort slightly and offers no performance benefit—it’s a matter of personal preference.

Electronics, it seems, are taking over this driver’s car, but that’s not all bad, particularly when it comes to the stability-control system. Again, there are three modes (on, M Dynamic, and off), but what’s noteworthy is how transparently this system operates. In M Dynamic, it reacts subtly and recovers quickly, adjusting the car’s trajectory almost imperceptibly. It’s an ally on challenging roads, and we turned it off only during testing.

In every performance test of note, the M3 outgunned the Lexus, yet it didn’t trail in refinement or comfort. The BMW’s suspension, like the Lexus’s, will never be accused of pampering its driver, but it absorbed every bump without upsetting the chassis.

The only way to get the adjustable shocks is to opt for the $3250 Technology package, which includes iDrive and its usual frustrations. The menu structure is cumbersome, and it’s sometimes at odds with the dash buttons. For example, use iDrive to switch stability control off, and the system still operates. A press of a button is required to turn the system off.

Maybe BMW hasn’t gotten this generation of iDrive right, but the rest of the car has no equal among many peers.

AKA – Dingo; Dingo Supports TRD; Dingo is a TRD; Australias First Taste of a Tough Truck; I Love Master Bates etc….

hahaha……….yet a new alias ? Golfy will like that one!

Tonyn, it looks like you’ve called his bluff. Asking for his email address isn’t playing the game as he wants it played.

He’d be less willing to divulge his as you are yours. Besides which, don’t go there. Email addresses are for friends, and this bloke ain’t one.

awwwwwwww,I just been on to Auto blog……seen the M Zero,me wants one of those.Very yummy!

BMW and Merc are the ones who highlighted the reasons for thier alliance with one another not Toyota. The fact that MB and BMW have found it neceassarily to form a partnership highlights the continuing emergence of Lexus.
Speaks for itself !!

True Dingo one mag write up ,but without sounding arrogant I think thats going to be the standard.I doubt we will get anyone saying the ISF- is better than the M3. Remember though without Lexus having someone to follow here they wouldn’t have a bench mark to meet.Have they ever built a car that others have thought they should take a market share of,to me it seems they just want a piece of the pie BMW baked over 20 years ago and have continued to perfect. Ask most petrol heads and they will identify what the M and AMG logo is and what brand…………the ISF- I doubt half would have a clue who that manufacturer is,BMW and Merc have history and heritage with their performance brands,Lexus have a long way to go to match in their sales let alone take over the market.Would be interested to know how many Lexus Australia anticipate selling here next year compared to Merc BMW and Audi {better not forget them,Tonyn}

Too True BM – Ive never heard Ford or Holden say we wanted the VE Or BF to either handle; perform or have the same fit and finish as a Lexii…? it’s always been we wanted it to be like a BMW

Plus the fact they asy “Like” implies that they realise that they will never be able to make a car equally as good as or beter than a BMW but its what they aim for

anti-spam word: Lexus

I agree the ISF brand will do alot more for Lexii than the TRD brand will for Toyota.

Theres a difference between TRD – which takes a production car and simply whacks a bodykit and racing stripes on it – oh and a supercharger as an afterthought..
as opposed to IS-F which takes a production car and completely rebuilds or upgrades every major component of it like engine suspension and brakes etc

However having said that given that BMW and Merc have formed an alliance and given their budgets their history and the fact that those 2 alone have introduced more innovation etc into the Auto Industry than any other company… whilst IS-F may come close BMerc will have what it takes to stay one step ahead.

Spot on. I’d say a little more R & D is what’s required.

Dingo – I agree TRD is a new Brand in Oz but then again so is Skoda and yet I have seen more Skodas on the road than TRDs

send me your email address oh what a feeling and ill send you where i work! its that easy!!!

Whats wrong with a skoda toyota tuff? They have the backing of volkswagen and audi engineering so they are world class!!! have you driven one toyota tuff or dont they make one in a pedal car yet?

And seriously matty, a lexus has the same cheap, tacky switchgear inside as the camry, would you pay $ 50k upwards for a camry?? thats what you get for a lexus!

And there technology isnt special, the park assist is now available with VW! and you wont have to pay through the nose for it!

No, definitely not Toyota Tuff. Please don’t say anymore, you’re embarrassing the human race.

You see, that’s the thing you haven’t gripped with life yet. I’m a fan of cars, not just blind brand loyaty. I have a Falcon, Commodore and Hyandai in the driveway/garage. The Falcon is my weekend car, the Commodore is my every day car and the Hyandai is the better halves car.

I have even owned a few Toyotas over the years, actually the ’93 Corolla I had was a gem.

well toyota tuff the same people that run ford brainwashing camps must run the toyota one too! your just as bad with toyotas.

Matty, nearly 7 years in the prestige motor game has given me the knowledge that i can speak from, go an look at an IS250 and look at a camryand its the same switch gear, look at a euro, well finished solid feeling, not plasticky! im not being arrogant, just stating my opinion.

Matty please tell me what makes lexus so advanced??

Tonyn – your comment is ludacrious. I have inspected countless amounts of Lexus vehicles and many others over the years and your comment falls short of even being remotely sane. Lexus in todays market is respected for it’s impeccable build quality as Dingo puts it bluntly and if your claim even had remote truth to it, you would acknowledge without hesitation the same opinion. Your comment is absolutely crazy and off with the fairies. I suggest you come back down to earth, plant your feet firmly on the ground and acknowledge the near faultless quality of a typical Lexus motor vehicle. Infact, my last visit to a Lexus Showroom was Monday this week in Fortitude Valley and was again gob smacked by the sheer talent that has been invested into the cars.

The quality is outstanding. The boredom is stifling. And heritage? Nowhere.

Toyota Tuff “no mame” i quess its easy to find one artical where m3 just gets the isf, go to some of euro sites and have look”
Tuff I just happened to have read that article whilst on acation I Canada. THe ISF appears in the UK mags this month but alas I’ve yet to read them. Watch this space.
I know what I’d rather drive and its not the Lexus. It has no real class or presence yet. the German have it there by a long margin.

Dingo – Talking about yourself in the third person is a classic sign of a mental disorder; often associated with autism – where an adult has the mental capacity of a 5 year old and therefore is unable to communuicate in a clear concise and structured manner.. which could explain why no one pays any real attention to what you go on about.

And because of the inability to express their ideas people who talk like this often repeat themselves over and over again.. [ad-NAUSEA-m] to a point where they become so obsessed with the idea that it conumes them and can end up running or ruining their lives they can also become dilusional insular paranoid or psychotic.

Wheelnut, my post on the Perth Motor Show blog might shed some further light for you. Have a good weekend.

Very similar Golfie yes.. thanks mate; you have a good weekend too

Something must have happened in the navy showers all those years ago.

Do you belt your kids, Dingo? What about your missus, she must deserve a hiding now and then, surely?

Good to hear you’re going to commemorate the fallen by completely smashing yourself over the next 2 days. Wow, what an evolved specimen. Make it permanent so your kids don’t suffer any more.

Geez I agree with you on our fallen diggers,with out them our country could have been run by the japs and then we would all be driving Toyotas………hahahaha.Just joking,true I will be taking a moment out of the day to remember them to Dingo,important to pass down the importance to our kids too!God bless Australia!!!!!

WOW Dingo you are a deep disturbed individual…..think there might be a few odd ones in you. Do you really use two hands as word in street is you do.

Yair, I wouldn’t like to be your missus or kids when you come back off your Anzac bender. What a hero. Take that, love!

At a time when we respect our war dead and their sacrifices, and look over at the photo of our grandfather, there’s you getting pissed, pissed and more pissed until you’re legless and vomiting. You can do that when you’ve no friends, I suppose. What a supremely pathetic example of Australian manhood.

You make me sick. Your mother blew the devil and begat you. Oh, and who’s tough behind his screen now? Come out and show yourself, you paraletic parasite.

Thanks for the reality check, No Name. Good night. Won’t revisit this blog.

Yes, its good to remember those who made the largest sacrafice, ie gave there life during the wars.

Its also important to honour EVERY countries war heros not just the diggers

God bless them all!

Cheers

F-0

Learn your history Dingo,Anzac day is to remember all fallen soldiers from first World War all the way to Vietnam. You ever watched them marched you would see that,but I guess your too boozed up to care!Thanks for your reply on my behalf though lover……..I up now but seemed to have missed the Toyota Trio……….SO who is Matty then? Bet he goes quiet now cause Dingos left!Funny that.

Golfy………..you honestly believe Dingo sounds like he is an honourable caring man from that last attack on you? quote to Dingo “you paraletic parasite.” hahaha almost as good as the Bunnings bridge one!

TP………why you having a go at AndrewM he was correct on you changing your name!Remember no Dingo here all weekend to hold your hand.

Tonyn – you can not engineer the highest quality cars in the world while utilising sub-standard material. Your ignorance towards the impeccable and opulent standards of a Lexus is dumb founding. I suggest you find time and visit a Lexus showroom and inspect the vehicles that are sold today. You will not find better built cars anywhere including examples from BMW and Mercedez Benz.
And one final note, judging by the comments i have read, i think it is the Toyota supporters who have the win here and with good justification of TRD while any argument against Lexus is ignorant as you have proven. Reality is the real world and in the market today it is Toyota making thier presance felt more then any other automobile company.

Bavarian – i am not a internet addict like most of you people on this site. I have a job, family, life and habbies to enjoy and do not devote my entire life with endless arguements with dingbats. Enjoy the rest of your day as my standards is not low enough to be devoted to this site. Anyone who can not acknowledge the achievements of Toyota in recent years including Lexus and even thier advancements in motor racing is an educated, ignorant twit.

Hahahah…..Dingo strikes again Wheelnut seems he has habbies though,is that a form of Rabies that ferral dogs get?

Quote” you can not engineer the highest quality cars in the world while utilising sub-standard material ” Um who is arrogant,where did you get that from another survey ?

Quote “i think it is the Toyota supporters who have the win here and with good justification “What you mean all 3 of you,not including Dingos multiple personalities at any time,you know the funny thing Matty is that you have joined the extremists on the site, none of us internet addicts as you call us /ford fairies if your abusive like the other 2 have been banned from the site for abusive comments to other bloggers like Dingo and TP did .

God not again…..anti-spam word Lexus.

Really TP I just checked 1.10pm Still 90 TRD Aurions sitting in the dealers if ya want a few? However if you want one of HSV or FPVs new range take a number!

As at 1.55pm EST, checked Kia and Hyundai alliance and they have massive plans. Take your thick coca cola lensed glasses off TP as Toyota will be on top not always. TP…Toyota will struggle against Hybrids as researched the Rio will only be some 20% dearer then petrol version. WHERE WILL TOYOTA BEANCOUNTERS BE…..DEAR! Augers well on abacus you silly kid.

Dingo lookout you are most likely going to be banned AGAIN as you have just been reported to the webmaster for your abusive offensive insulting behaviour/comments