When I saw that Car & Driver was running a comparison test between the BMW M3 sedan and the Lexus IS-F, I knew it was a forgone conclusion, the BMW was going to come out on top. After all, the 3-series, which the M3 is based on, has been a fixture on C&D’s 10Best list for seventeen straight years, meaning a lot of the subjective elements of the comparison were going to fall in BMW’s favor.

Regardless of the outcome, the comparison was incredibly even-handed and the cars were very well matched. Here’s their take on the IS-F:

On the racetrack, we worked the IS F’s manumatic transmission to keep the engine above 3800 rpm, which was satisfying and painless. Toggling the right-side aluminum steering-wheel paddle produces a kick-in-the-crotch shift that’s quicker than we could ever achieve with hand and foot. Downshifts are actuated via the left paddle, and the computer blips the throttle for a racy, seamless feel. The gear lever can be set to shift itself, and we rated this automatic on par with the M3’s manual unit, which is the first time we can remember heaping such praise on a slushbox. It’s that good.

It’s hard to argue with what this powertrain can produce. It brushes past 60 mph in 4.4 seconds, clears the quarter in 12.8 seconds at 114 mph, and runs briskly to a governed top speed of 172 mph. That’s Porsche 911 territory.

Still, final score: M3 233, IS-F 219. 6 of the 14 points separating the IS-F from the BMW fell under the hard-to-quantify Gotta Have It and Fun to Drive categories, with the remaining 8 points split among the rear seating, exterior styling and little differences here and there.

(Best part about this comparison is the data charts, particularly the powertrain report and the final results.)

Here’s a video to go along with Auto Express’ comparison test of the Lexus IS-F, BMW M3, Mercedes C63 and Audi RS4, though the RS4 is omitted from the footage, due to the fact that it’s been discontinued:

It’s nice to see all three cars as they cut a line across the same track, but the presenter doesn’t address the comparison test at all.

Auto Express is the latest to pit the Lexus IS-F against the competition, throwing it into a test against the BMW M3, Mercedes C63 and the Audi RS4.

It’s almost a forgone conclusion that the M3 is going to place first, but Auto Express puts in a curveball, calling the Mercedes C63 the best of the test. And how did the IS-F fare?:

On a more fundamental level, the driving position is the least adaptable. The plush seats don’t hug you enough and you sit too high, so headroom is tight, while the chunky windscreen pillars leave you feeling hemmed in. And it’s not that spacious in the back, either.

But it’s pace, not practicality, that’s crucial here – and first impressions suggest the IS F is lacking. It was the quietest at idle inside and out, and its 5.0-litre seems like any other Lexus unit; effortlessly smooth, docile and calm. Don’t be fooled, though, because once the needle sweeps past 3,700rpm the 417bhp V8 takes on a whole new persona – there’s an instant hit of acceleration and the engine note, previously almost silent, becomes purposeful and loud.

Overall, while the Lexus is fast, composed and technically very capable in corners, it doesn’t quite have the handling of the M3, the fierce power, control and charisma of the C63 or the surefootedness of the RS4. Still, for a company with no previous experience in this segment, it’s a great achievement.

The more comparison tests that come in, the more clear it becomes that Lexus is going to be facing an difficult and lengthy uphill battle to establish the IS-F, but it certainly seems that they’re on the right track.

The Car Enthusiast has posted up a review of the Lexus IS-F, and it’s quite clear it wasn’t what they were expecting at all:

For Lexus, this section is key to the IS F being taken seriously as a performance car for real driving enthusiasts. The competition is not only fierce, but established. Car nuts know what to expect from BMW, Audi and Mercedes in regard to focused performance cars, but until now Lexus will not have featured in their shortlist of sport saloons.

If our first inklings are anything to go by, that will change very quickly.

As more and more cars achieve impressive on-paper figures, it’s how they deliver their performance that sets them apart, and the IS F scores highly with linear and seemingly endless acceleration.

This is an interesting review, as it’s squarely aimed at the true enthusiast, and reads well. One thing that’s mentioned, and I think it’s a very valid point, is that the IS-F and its competitors are really quite even in terms of performance figures, but it’s the way that performance is interpreted that makes all of the difference.

Ranking these cars in any way, unless it’s purely by the quarter-mile and 0-60, means that a person’s own preference and expectation plays the leading role.

A couple weeks ago, when it was announced that Lexus would be promoting the IS-F strictly through movie theaters rather than a traditional TV campaign, it had me doubting just how soon the adverts would show up online, but as it turns out, the wait wasn’t very long at all:

If I had to choose, I’d say I liked the “blue streak” commercial best. I like the length of the ads, and I can imagine they would make a fairly strong impression on a giant movie theatre, sandwiched between other, longer ads. (My main complaint with commercials before movies is that it’s always these drawn-out, extended versions of existing ads.)

Jalopnik has posted up a report on the various video game exhibits at this year’s New York Auto Show, including a Lexus IS-F special edition of Gran Turismo 5 Prologue:

Lexus had three driving simulators set up running the highly anticipated Gran Turismo 5 Prologue that’s due out in mid-April. Since it was obviously a Lexus partnership, the only vehicle available to try was the Lexus IS-F…The first day of the show, the simulator was running a custom-build platform (meaning the developers sent out a special copy of the game just for the show), but Polyphony managed to overnight Japanese retail builds of the full game to be used on the simulators. A groggy representative told me he was up until 3 a.m. waiting for the retail build and setting up the simulators to properly work with a PlayStation 3 and the Japanese game. That a lot of midnight oil for a cross-marketing opportunity.

In terms of cross-marketing, as the writer mentions, this could only be described as a coup for Lexus, there simply isn’t a better game to be associated with in terms of brand cache. Subaru might have been running a similar exhibit, but featured a version of GT4 rather than the new, heavily anticipated GT5.

If you remember the Lexus IS-F vs Audi RS4 video that was posted online last week, this new video is from the same people, and it’s similar in results and sketchiness:

Watching the IS-F demolish a host of older cars doesn’t really do much for me, and I don’t think there was a single fair fight to speak of in the entire video. I debated not posting it all, but it’s still great to see the IS-F jump off the line, regardless of the competition.

Timo Glock, Toyota’s latest F1 driver, was filmed taking the Lexus IS-F out for a racetrack spin, and I’m not all that sure how comfortable he looks:

Now that’s one serious driver, I would have liked to see him compete in the Best Motoring comparison. The result might have been quite different.

The Lexus IS-F comparison tests keep pouring in, this time from Motor Trend, who pits the new super-sedan against its primary competitors, the BMW M3 and the Mercedes C63. Here’s some selected highlights:

Steering feedback and response are everything in a car like this…The C63’s turn-in is crisp, with plenty of honest feedback and a meaty feel. Lexus equips the IS F with electric power steering, which isn’t as organic as a good hydraulic system. It’s fine for normal to moderate driving, but loses sensitivity when you’re really honking it. The IS F’s cornering abilities are impressive, but the car understeers heavily at the limit, and the wheel feels disconnected at that point. The BMW’s tiller is about as quick as the others but a bit lighter. Its communication is even clearer than the C63’s, with plenty of true road feel.

Kim Reynolds says, “The Lexus and the Mercedes feel like performance versions created out of something else. The M3 feels like it was born this way.” Ed Loh’s summary is even more succinct: “The Lexus and Mercedes are great hot-rod sedans. The M3 is a race car with four doors.”

Lexus is new to this game, yet has delivered a fast, edgy, credible piece from a company most known for quiet and beautifully crafted, if uninvolving, luxury sedans. A couple of clunky design elements let it down, and its steering and suspension calibrations aren’t as well synthesized at the limit as the others. As the IS F costs no less than the German duo, there’s no value card to be thrown. But we’re picking nits, and we know the brand’s next effort will be fully class-competitive.

Predictably, the IS-F came in last, not all that surprising considering the other competitors’ performance-brand history, not to mention how fantastic both these new versions of the M3 and C63 are.

As the article is quick to point out, this is only Lexus’ first effort in the super-sedan category, and there’s significant tuning and improvements that will need to be made.

Turns out there was more than one part to the Best Motoring comparison that I posted about a couple days ago. Get comfortable and and take a look at this 20 minute video (for quickness’ sake, the two main competitors as I see them, the BMW M3 and the IS-F, are at 1:25 and 13:36 respectively):

Again, there seems to be an issue with improper shifting with the IS-F, but regardless, the stats against the BMW M3 broke down like this:

Lap Time

Grip

Drift

No matter how subjective the Grip and Drift ratings may be, these are numbers coming from a highly respected source, so it’s hard to find fault with the results. One thing’s for sure, it’s no question that these cars are neck and neck, and I imagine that’s exactly what Lexus was gunning for.

[Via: Auto Spies]