Review and photos by Andrew McCredie

December 1, 2008

Photo Gallery: 2009 Lexus IS F

The Guide: 2009 Lexus IS F

North Vancouver, British Columbia – To get an idea of how satisfied Lexus engineers and designers are with their flagship sport luxury sedan, consider the only change to the 2009 IS F over the 2008 model: a standard Smart Key card. That’s it.

No minor, let alone major, tweaks of suspension bits. No tinkering with the refined yet ground-shaking 5.0-litre V8 power plant. No shaving of the already slippery tuner-inspired silhouette. Just a new key.

I was only a day — actually about an hour — into my week-long test of the 2009 IS F, when it became clear why those perfection-seeking engineers would, albeit reluctantly, keep their hands off every aspect of their creation: it’s already perfect.

Well, as perfect as a car in this category can get.

From the technologically advanced eight-speed (yes, eight-speed) Sport Direct gearbox that provides lightening quick shifts to the over-the-top 416-horsepower big block that produces a head-snapping exhaust note so pleasurable, as my Autos colleague Russell Purcell wittingly observed in his review of the ’08 IS F, “to have you drop the windows and look for tunnels and overpasses to add to your daily commute.”

That race-car-like roar is no accident, of course, as the IS F is the brawny yet beautiful lovechild of a union forged on the Fuji Speedway between speed freaks and luxury coachbuilders, the former represented by Lexus parent Toyota’s multigenerational and multi-formula racing engineers, and the latter being the crisp minds behind the IS luxury sport sedan series.

After just a few laps of the famed Japanese race track on that first test day of the IS F, it quickly became apparent to the two sides that their new creation achieved the two seemingly opposed characteristics of the world’s top luxury sport sedans — track-ready performance and a sense of style, comfort and class of a country saloon.

Just to be sure, though, the team convinced their bosses to crate up a few IS Fs for testing at some other tracks. Not surprisingly, the IS F excelled at Germany’s Nurburgring, Circuit Paul Richard in France, Circuit Zolder in Belgium and California’s Laguna Seca Raceway.

“When we launched the IS F earlier this year, this impressive beast and the new F series marquee it wears expanded the Lexus brand’s scope by offering our guests a uniquely Lexus interpretation of driving excitement and authentic performance,” said Lexus Canada Managing Director Tony Wearing at the launch of the 2009 model.

By the numbers, the IS F is indeed a beast: 419 hp 5.0-litre V8; eight-speed automatic; 14.2-inch front discs and 13.6-inch rears with Brembo high friction brake pads; 19-inch performance radials; and dual stacked quad tailpipes providing a not-so-subtle hint at what resides beneath the IS F’s taut body.

But thanks to 21st Century automotive technology (read: computers), the beast is not only easy to contain when pushed, but on a longer leash is forgiving to a fault. That technology would include electronic throttle control system with intelligence, traction control, vehicle stability control, electronic brake force distribution and electric power steering.

Engineers lowered the standard IS suspension an inch so the IS F’s centre of gravity assisted in quicker handling response. Second, spring and damper rates were increased and stabilizer bars were beefed up, as were the monotube shock absorbers. And finally, all new rear-suspension control arms were created to optimize the IS F’s larger 19-inch wheels.

Combine all those little computer brains on board and the mechanical chassis pieces conceived by creative human brains, and you get a road car with the soul of a race-car.

The interior designers left no stitch undone or switch out of place in the IS F’s cabin. The first thing that strikes you are the custom IS F sport seats trimmed in black and white leather. With high bolstered backs and great lateral support, these seats are ideally suited for dynamic driving.

Likewise, the blue LED indicator needles in the speedo and tach enhance that sporty feel for the driver, as does the aluminized fibreglass trim sprinkled liberally on the console and doors.

There’s even a little utility in the IS F, as the trunk is massive thanks to that hulking rear-end, and a ski pass-through means you won’t mess up that sexy profile with a Thule rack on the roof.

And that tinted side glass isn’t just there for looks. The solar-absorbing glass reduces heat and UV rays in the cabin and repels water for improved visibility.

As a rule I don’t like paddle/button shifters, but I must admit I’m beginning to appreciate the power of the thumb after testing the ’09 911 PDK at a closed airport track and now after twiddling through all eight gears in the IS F. Apart from the aforementioned symphony for the ears emanating from the quad pipes in the back, the upshifts and downshifts are as smooth as they are exact, and one quickly takes to the notion that “to input is to receive” is the guiding mantra of this sporty sedan.

Using such vernacular as “throwing it into a corner” just doesn’t fit with the IS F, as this rear-wheel sedan feels as precise as a scalpel, and when you aim it into a corner it just hunkers down and rides through the apex as if on rails.

And straight-line speed isn’t too shabby either, Lexus press notes citing a sub five-second 0-100 km/h time.

Thanks to that well thought-out adapted suspension and those millisecond computer controls everyday drivers feel with a little track time they could give Lewis Hamilton a go.

So is the 2009 IS F really “perfect”? No.

If you’re in the back seats with six-footers up front, there’s little legroom.

Some might find the crouching stance of the IS F a little too ‘tuner’ for their tastes, which is fair comment from those who prefer a less muscular line in their sport sedan. Still, for what the IS F is, the look perfectly suits the lion under the lambskin.

And with fuel consumption figures not exactly frugal (11.0 L/100km combined), your monthly costs of operation are nothing to brag about.

So maybe not perfect, but once you’ve driven it, you won’t really care.

Pricing: 2009 Lexus IS F

Click here for complete specifications

Manufacturer’s web site

Lexus Canada