According to Lexus, this lowering provides a more streamlined and aerodynamic body that will allow it to reach higher speeds faster. And what’s a sports car without dual exhaust? Interestingly, Lexus has said that they do not want to compete with other luxury sport sedans. Rather, they’d like to be considered a class all their own. That’s quite a lofty goal that they may just reach with the IS-F.

Accordingly, Lexus has priced the IS-F at around $55,000. While normally this would be considered high in a North American market, for what Lexus has produced, it may be under-priced. With all the luxury of the Lexus brand, but all the power of Detroit muscle, that will certainly be a hard combination to beat. Just released in early 2008, the small market of buyers is already raving about its superior performance and tasteful luxury. However, the Lexus IS-F is only being built at a restricted number.

Lexus IS-F will be marketed as a luxury sports sedan in America in 2008. The IS-F is powered by a generous 400 horsepower 5.0L V8. The “F” in IS-F is Lexus code for flagship, meaning that this is just the beginning of what the public will get to see of the IS-F model.

According to the Concept Carz website, Lexus developed the IS-F strictly on Japanese terrain. The Fuji Speedway got to experience the all-new sports sedan before Americans even laid eyes on it. Like in any true sports car, the IS-F boasts a transmission fluid and engine oil coolers. This will allow the car to get more horsepower at higher speeds without overheating as easily as other vehicles. Also, Lexus has given the IS-F a standing-start acceleration mode. The IS-F can reach 60 mph in less than 4.9 seconds, outdoing the Mercedes S Class, impressive for a straight-from-the-factory sedan.

Lexus always scores well with regard to dealership service. British Top Gear and Auto Express have had Lexus at the top of their survey results for most of the past fifteen years, and quality and reliability continue to be the main selling points for Lexus throughout the world.
The slogan Lexus uses in the United States is, “The passionate pursuit of perfection.” With user experiences like those represented above, perfection just might be attainable.

In the nearly two decades since it was launched, the Lexus marque has developed a reputation for reliable vehicles and excellent customer service. Based on its Vehicle Dependability Survey, which aggregated data from more than 47,000 vehicle owners about the problems they experienced in the first three years of ownership, the consumer ratings firm J.D. Power and Associates named Lexus the most reliable brand in the United States in 2006, making it the twelfth consecutive year that the car maker has achieved such a rating. In recent years, Consumer Reports has included Lexus in its list of the most reliable brands, based on its annual Car Reliability Surveys, which include data about over one million cars around the country.

Following an extended five-year design process at a cost of over US$1 billion, the resulting sedan premiered with a new V8 engine and multiple luxury features. The Lexus LS was intended for export markets from its inception, and the Lexus division was formed to market and service the vehicle internationally. The original LS 400 debuted to strong sales, and was largely responsible for the successful launch of the Lexus marque. Each successive iteration of the vehicle has ranked as the best-selling flagship luxury sedan in the United States.

Four generations of the sedan have been produced, all equipped with V8 engines and rear-wheel drive. Since 2006, all-wheel drive, hybrid, and long wheelbase variants have also been offered. The original Lexus LS 400, the first Lexus to be developed, was introduced as the luxury marque’s debut model in 1989.