RE: Lexus IS-F | The Brave Pill

[BIRMA]

Trevor555 said:

Quicksilver exhaust?

Yes, apart from the standard system weighing a ton it castrates the V8 sound. I was a bit put off when I first looked at the ISF ages and ages ago by the exhaust tips but they were light years ahead of everyone because most cars these days have a similar set-up.

[llcoolmac]

E63M said:

llcoolmac said:

E63M said:

Those (ISF) exhausts look naff, as 1/2 are totally fake...
Would need to drive one to form a proper opinion, styling is a bit dull for me, but each to their own.

Incorrect. They are exhaust tips which are not connected to the backbox, but there are 4 exhaust pipes exiting into those tips. Unless you look very closely you can't tell that there is a gap. It would be better if they were connected, but it does help keep the tips clean from soot.

Still fake...

Could be worse though. Could be a new Audi S6... unfortunately it was the begining of a trend.

https://images.app.goo.gl/pEDddzYjDMsGfNrBA

[chunder]

[redacted]

[big_rob_sydney]

[redacted]

[blearyeyedboy]

This is about as brave as taking a Vitamin C tablet from Boots, surely.

For the right person who recognises this will come with (still reasonable) super saloon running costs, this is a bargain.

[rosetank]

chunder said:

I would love to have a V12 Vantage as a second car but they don't come for under £20k so an ISF had to do.

What would you buy then as a special second car for under £20k (I also have an EVO V race car as a third car so don't need hypercar pace, I'm follically challenged so a convertible is out, it needs 3 seats as a minimum, must be capable of holidaying in Europe and something to use occasionally other than the XC60 diesel commuter) ?

Difficult one. Special, potentially ruinous, 4 seats, under £20K.

Has to be the Quattroporte.

[chunder]

Maybe I should have mentioned that I have had "special" second cars previously, as in TVR and Lotus, which means reliability and avoiding ruinous costs are now big factors and a DB7 or Quattroporte didn't get considered - and would I guess be more suited to the brave pill.

[lord trumpton]

Billy_Whizzzz said:

WTF is going on with those exhausts?

Absolutely ridiculous!!

[TEKNOPUG]

It's a shame they are so pokey in the back as I was seriously considering them as a family car. Would still like one but think I may as well get a 2 door coupe or GT car if it would only ever be me in it.

[pSyCoSiS]

I quite like these. A chap two roads away has an 08-plate black one. Looks muscular and purposeful when parked on his drive.

From the experiences listed here, seems to be a more reliable alternative to the German offerings.

[Slurms]

Brave Pill???! These just don’t break unlike M3s of the same era which appear to have engines made of cheese. The water pump issue is only on early cars and most will have had them done by now.

I had one for almost 3 years beyond oil, tyres and brakes (yes the oem brembos are expensive) I had zero issues.

Epic piece of kit.

[justa1972]

Good article

Always had a very soft spot for these - forgotten about them as you (not suprisingly) don't see them very often.

For me they still look great - although that exhaust is a bit OTT.

[fred bloggs]

Buying any car from northern ireland requires a brave pill.

[Gorbyrev]

llcoolmac said:

Billy_Whizzzz said:

WTF is going on with those exhausts?

They look better in person than in photos. In fact I think that can be said about the car in general. I didn't really care for it before I actually saw one in the flesh. It's a pretty butch looking thing and really stands out from a normal IS. It really makes the standard IS look weedy.

Seem to remember back in the day that they were supposed to represent the Fuji circuit where it was tested. Clue's in the model name. For what it's worth I like them.

[R400TVR]

Nice cars, with a lovely engine. Just slightly spoiled by the silly fake exhaust, and the lack of a manual gearbox. Easy to fix the exhaust, though. A fine excuse to fit a nice stainless system to free up some noise.

[MatrixXXx]

Prices are going up not down, bought mine for 13.5k and now 6 years later worth 18- 20k.
The running costs are the same as any normal saloon.
10 k service intervals and no special servicing, in six years nothing has failed not even a light bulb . New set of mintex front brakes and disk's around £160 and better than the Brembo's. Just price up new set of disks for am AMG 63 (almost 1k), and the M3 engines are notorious for failing.

it's not a brave pill but a no Brainer.....

[ZX10R NIN]

Great thread resurrection & very true on all counts.