Photos: 2009 Lexus IS-F

Lexus makes a credible competitor to the BMW M3 with its IS-F, a sport-tuned version of its IS sport luxury model. The IS-F features a powerful 5-liter engine that gets it to 60 mph in under 5 seconds.

Wayne Cunningham

Oct. 31, 2008 11:12 a.m. PT

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2008 Lexus IS-F

The IS-F marks Lexus' entry into the high-performance sport luxury market, long dominated by the BMW M3. The IS-F is based on the standard IS model line, but gets a much more powerful engine and sport tuning.

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Body work

Body mods to the standard IS include an aggressive front air dam and intake, and wider front fenders, which accommodate vents for the brakes.

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V-8

The 5-liter V-8 uses direct injection and variable timing for the intake and exhaust, giving it 416 horsepower and 371 pound-feet of torque. It gets the IS-F to 60 mph in under 5 seconds.

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Sedan

As an IS model, the IS-F is a sedan, with comfortable seating for four. Lexus has no plans for a coupe version.

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Brake vents

These brake vents mark the IS-F as a high performance car. The F logo, at the top of the fender, appears in various places inside and out.

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Suspension tuning

Lexus also tuned the suspension for sport, tightening it up to minimize roll in the corners. In our testing, we found the Lexus engineers were very successful at this effort.

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Quad exhausts

As part of its modifications, the IS-F gets quad exhausts that make a particularly pleasing sound when the engine is revved up.

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Luxury interior

The IS-F gets the same luxury interior as the standard IS models, except for the silvery carbon-fiber look material on the console.

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Steering wheel

The steering wheel has some modifications for the IS-F, such as the F logo and blue stitching, but the audio-control buttons are unchanged.

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Light-up needles

The blue needles for the speedometer and tach light up, making for an exceptionally cool-looking instrument cluster.

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Paddle shifters

Paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel feel very precise.

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Eight-speed automatic

The transmission is an eight speed automatic, with a solid manual mode. The upper four gears help the car get impressive fuel economy, considering its engine.

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Maps

Although the navigation system is fairly old technology, the maps still look good.

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Destination entry

Navigation offers the basics, with a good choice of destination-entry options, but no advanced features, such as traffic or text to speech.

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Bluetooth phone system

The Bluetooth phone system works well, although you have to push address entries from your phone to the car.

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Aux jack

Digital-music options are limited with the IS-F. There is an auxiliary jack, but an iPod connector is only available as a dealer option, which means poor integration.