If you follow the automotive scene, and you tilt your ears toward Torrance, Calif., you might hear the folks at Lexus shout, “Enough!”
For many years, the posh sister of Toyota and Scion was known as a straight luxury brand – comfortable, tech-friendly, sophisticated, soft and boring to more passionate drivers.
Whether that image was intentional or thrust upon the company by the qualities of its vehicles, Lexus has clearly left that stuffy aura – both in the cars they build and how they promote them.
The first obvious sign that Lexus is fully in the groove is the fact that Lexus held the event in Las Vegas. Not Napa Valley. Not the rolling hills of Malibu. Not Oregon wine country. The publicity folks picked the U.S. epicenter of misbehaving for its F Sport debut. Lexus even brought out rally racer and drifter Ken Gushi to show how an F Sport can serve as a Roulette ball. See below.
To show off how well Lexus shed its past, the automaker gathered automotive journalists to fabulous Las Vegas for a track day featuring the company’s entire F-Sport line. For the uninitiated, F-Sport is the upgraded tuning package for Lexus – including faster, turbocharged engines, eight speed transmissions, ratcheted up suspension and multiple driving modes.
For a day, the media could take out any F-Sport ride out onto a road course laid out just outside the Las Vegas International Speedway. The 2014 GS, LS, IS, IS F and RX F Sport models were standing by for duty. The RX SUV was set from the track aside for street drive.
I started out at the top of the Lexus consumer line with the IS F. Equipped with a 5.0 liter V8 engine, the IS F serves up 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. Its eight speed tranny offers a magic moment when the big engine’s turbochargers kick in – rousing the engine into an angry roar that rips you down the track at tingling speeds.
I like the IS F. I always have. The only minor quibble I have with the it is actually a frequent complaint amongst auto writers. That moment when the power really kicks in and announces its presence is oddly delayed just a moment before it explodes. It could just be a hair smoother.
There are still purists who insist they prefer the BMW M3 to the IS-F, and that’s all well and good. But, BMW inexplicably gave up on building the pure M3. We’ll see if that move allows Lexus to skim off new fans for the IS-F. They certainly have one hear. It’s a hell of a fun car.
From there, the standard IS F Sport, GS F Sport and LS F Sport might not offer the same aggression as the IS F, but each handled the track well enough to prove that the new Lexus line is no longer populated by dull, soft cars.
There was also a short rally course set aside from the main track for test F Sport tight turning capability between standard and tightened up Sport Mode driving. I tested every available make on that rally course and could feel the Lexus stability and suspension systems keeping me tight and locked in in even the tightest turns.
Still, iIn my opinion as a driver, I preferred turning off that Sport Mode and ratcheting down the traction control so I could throw the Lexus of choice around the rally turns – letting the back end out and enjoying a little drifting of my own. I’m no Ken Gushi, but I have my moments.
The point is that Lexus offers that choice for more aggression or more confidence even in the hardest track conditions. That’s not something you could say about the Lexus of old.
