Used 2011 Lexus IS F

When Lexus introduced the IS F in 2007 the sports sedan was the fastest product car to ever wear the bent L in its grille. Now that the Japanese automaker has introduced the supercar-fighting LFA to the world, the muscle-bound sedan no longer wears that crown – but that doesn’t mean it’s lost any of its bite. For 2011, engineers spent time refining the vehicle’s already impressive suspension and electronic power steering system and added new aesthetic touches to the cabin. The changes go a long way toward making the four-year-old platform feel young at heart.

At first blush, we felt that Lexus’ claimed horsepower figures were more than a bit conservative. We were shattering the highest speed limits in the U.S. in just two upshifts and, despite the fact that we didn’t disarm the IS F’s stability control for the curvy sections, the logic allowed for some very aggressive driving before kicking in. With wider rear tires and 54 percent of its weight on the front wheels, the IS F can lose front grip first if you get into a corner too fast – but by that time you’ll be going way too fast for public roads, anyway. On the other hand, that chassis behavior is ideal for overly-aggressive street driving or track-day novices. On the whole, the ride comfort is perfectly acceptable on smooth roads, but not so terrific over uneven pavement.

For 2011, Lexus has incorporated a few changes inside. Most noticeably, buyers who choose black as an interior color will now enjoy Alcantara seat inserts with leather bolsters. Additionally, Lexus has said goodbye to its old Terra Cotta color scheme in favor of a more wild orange-on-black with contrasting stitching, and designers have incorporated splashes of silver-colored trim along the steering wheel and made use of new instrument-panel gauges.

The IS F wears a host of aesthetic additions to differentiate the vehicle from its more tame siblings. A fascia with large trapezoidal air inlets sets the tone up front, along with a bulging hood that accommodates the sedan’s high-horsepower V8. Subtle "F" badging adorns the bodywork in various locations and flared fenders make room for wider sports wheels and tires. The front fenders incorporate large air outlets for evacuating heat, while the rear fascia displays a quad stacked exhaust appearance.

Eight-Speed Transmission
The eight-speed automatic transmission in the 2011 Lexus IS F allows the average civilian to shift faster than a professional racer. Indeed, Lexus says the gearbox is the world’s fastest-shifting automatic. Upshifts take 0.1 second, while downshifts occur in 0.2 second and include an automatic throttle blip to match the speeds of the engine, transmission and drive wheels.

Paddle Shifters
In the transmission’s manual mode, shifting is accomplished with steering-wheel-mounted paddles. The car gives a single beep when it’s about time to upshift, and a double beep means the driver tried to downshift at too high a speed.

If you build a car capable of 170 miles per hour (and more without its electronic speed limiter), you’d better be able to get it slowed down in a hurry. Lexus worked with Brembo to build extra-large brakes and asked BBS to produce 19-inch wheels to accept those big brakes. The front vented-and-drilled brake discs are 14.2 inches in diameter and are grasped by six-piston aluminum brake calipers. On the rear, two-piston calipers squeeze 13.6-inch rotors.

Among the few options available on the 2010 Lexus IS F is an excellent 300-watt sound system with 14 speakers and a six-disc in-dash DVD/CD changer. Those who park the IS F in tight places will want the backup video camera and the sonar-based sensor system that warns of unseen objects. Other options include a DVD-based navigation system and a Pre-Collision System with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control.

For the IS F, Lexus replaced the 306-horsepower V6 in the IS 350 with an enhanced version of the 4.6-liter V8 used in the LS and GS (5.0 liters in this application). In order to bump horsepower to 416, Lexus engineers added electronically-controlled variable intake valve timing. This feature is maximized with titanium intake valves, which are lighter and stronger than steel. Also, maximum engine speed was upped from 6,500 to 6,800 rpm. Torque is down 14 pound-feet and occurs 1,200 rpm higher than in the LS 600h L. The eight-speed automatic upshifts only about 0.05-second slower than that of a Formula 1 car. Traction and stability control can be adjusted to allow for a more dynamic drive with the touch of the "Sport" mode switch on the dash, or the system can be disarmed completely.

5.0-liter V8
416 horsepower @ 6600 rpm
371 lb.-ft. @ 5200 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 16/23