Lexus ISF

[scottos]

I've hankered after one of these cars for a long time. I think I always enjoyed their understated looks at first glance in pictures, then when you studied them a little more you noticed the flared arches, the vents in the front wings, extended bonnet to house the engine and also the revised front bumper with functional brake ducts etc. We won't mention those fake exhaust tips, massive controversy at the time but now everyone seems to do it! I also find myself drawn to the underdogs.

I'd been in the Lake District the other weekend and was singing my current daily drivers praises, a Golf R Estate, fast, sure footed, relatively economical, bags of space etc. The perfect daily car, especially with a child arriving next month. The day after i got back i was stood in front of this ISF, all starry eyed.

A classic/ prestige car show room, where i know the owner via a mutual friend, had posted up on Instagram that the ISF was due in that week. I'd commented half tongue in cheek saying 'Dont fancy a Golf R Estate instead do you?', 'Lets talk!' was the reply. Uh oh. I'd been told i was welcome to a look around the car the next day, pre show room prep and the chance to do so being quite rare with only around 200-220 in the country. This is the second ISF i've ever seen in person and boy it didnt disappoint, even my heavily pregnant missus seemed impressed, less so when the car fired up and i shouted sold! I didnt realise before i went to view but it had a Hayward and Scott exhaust already fitted on it, it really adds to the theatre of the car!

After a drive of it I said i had to have it and i'd be putting my golf up for sale when i got home, Phil had a look around my Golf and said he'd be happy to take it for a mutually fair price if i was interested and i was happy to oblige to avoid selling privately!

I picked the car up the following day and took it on my favourite jaunt around the North Pennines, what a car, completely smitten with it after only 25 miles into the journey and even more so once i'd thundered over the really good sections of road. I stopped at the famous Hartside Cafe stop with the sun starting to go down and pondered life, it was a good day.

IMG_20200811_193620__01 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr

IMG_20200811_192251 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr

It really is a Jekyll and Hyde car, with 'Sport' switched off and in full auto its smooth, comfortable and effortless. Press coverage on the car at the time always said the suspension was too stiff, i didnt find this once and found it dampens successive compressions really well, unlike my previous Golf R. It's certainly no stiffer than i'd expect a performance saloon car to be.

With 'Sport' switched on and in manual mode the car really comes alive and is a real brute. At the time it was the quickest shifting auto box on the market, i think it was one of the first 8 speeds too! At around 3700rpm the side of the airbox opens up and it really bellows, and downshifts at high revs are met with a bark as it rev matches and makes a really deep V8 grumble on the overrun. For a 1700kg car it really does make short work of undulating twists and turns, it hides its weight really well and feels really nimble. The engine is an absolute masterpiece.

It's a prefacelift car, so it didnt get the softer suspension or LSD that the later cars got but for the money i dont think that is a bad thing. Whatever controls the open rear diff seems to be working on its own!

All in all, what a wonderful car, only feeling even more special in a world of small displacement turbo, hybrid and electric cars. I'm really looking forward to bringing our son home in it next month! It's been met with praise by friends who know what it is and had never experienced one and it's had the neighbors asking what on earth it is due to the noise it makes. Passers by look around for where the big V8 noises are coming from and look taken aback if they make the connection with this sensible looking 4 door saloon. Generally it fly's under the radar and no one seems to dislike you in it, it's just a posh Toyota after all!

Plans for the future mainly revolve around looking after it and a few preventative maintenance items. The wheels have already been refurbished and shod in Michelin PS4S tyres prior to my ownership but i did note the wheels are on the wrong side! The wheels are BBS forged items as standard and each one has an allocated corner due to the directional spokes to draw air out of the brakes (apparently), i aim to swap these over pretty sharpish!

IMG_20200811_124636 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr

I'll no doubt end up tinkering with it a little bit in the future truth be told, i cant help myself!

Thanks for reading,

Scott

Edited by scottos on Thursday 27th August 15:45

Edited by scottos on Thursday 27th August 15:55

Edited by scottos on Thursday 27th August 15:58

[carinaman]

Thanks for sharing. What a car to take a newborn home in.

[samoht]

Looks fantastic, seems like a winning swap to me, nice move!

[Heaveho]

I hate you!

I had one and loved it. And still miss it.

[SturdyHSV]

Brilliant car and good on you for going with something different, especially replacing a Golf R

The "I don't suppose you fancy..." is always a good way to end up with a car. A few months after I'd bought a prodrive Brera as a daily, a Ute came up on the UK Holden owners facebook group, I commented with words to the effect that I appeared to have bought the wrong car, stupid question but I don't suppose you fancy a Brera?

Needless to say we met up for a beer and swapped cars shortly afterwards

Any video clips of the noise?

[fred bloggs]

Great car. I'd need one with a mechanical diff, or add one. Golf R or Japanese made V8 ?

You did the right thing.

[croissant]

I've always loved these cars! Great purchase

[cerb4.5lee]

Very nice.

I've always really liked these.

Enjoy it.

[Andy665]

Have many fond memories of ISF that we used during Lexus launch events to give delegates hot laps in, the professional drivers loved them, they #were driven hard but nothing ever broke, just took the lap pounding and came back for more, the mechanics loved them because they never had anything to do other than change tyres, discs and pads

[BadBull]

Proper car. Love them.

[giblet]

Congrats. I’ve had 2 and they both got under my skin. Only sold the first as I found a well specced Evo X and the second went as it was time for me to start being sensible for a while.

My second had a H&S exhaust, had a custom one made for my first based on the Joe Z design from across the pond. Got them to include a remote controlled valve which allowed for more volume when I felt like being antisocial. Short clip here

The only things that let it down for me were the non folding rear seats and the lack of a middle seat.

[ooid]

Probably the most under-rated daily beast there. I've the basic IS250, and test drove one of these. They are absolutely brilliant. My next car will be ISF or RCF, but ISF would definitely win everyday, due to its modest look.

[Heaveho]

ooid said:

Probably the most under-rated daily beast there. I've the basic IS250, and test drove one of these. They are absolutely brilliant. My next car will be ISF or RCF, but ISF would definitely win everyday, due to its modest look.

I didn't think the RC-F was a patch on the IS-F, and got rid pretty sharpish.

[Don1]

Nice. Rare thing - only seen one in the roads.

[MDMA .]

Nice. Was this in the PH classifieds last week? Sent a link to someone but now it's gone. V8 number plate?

[rainmasterb]

Congrats, very cool car. Agree with the comment about the lack of a middle seat in the back row - 4 door saloons with only 4 seats don’t really make sense.

A quick google revealed the lesser models do have 3 seats across the back, so assume one could swap the bench in if required?

[Heaveho]

rainmasterb said:

Congrats, very cool car. Agree with the comment about the lack of a middle seat in the back row - 4 door saloons with only 4 seats don’t really make sense.

A quick google revealed the lesser models do have 3 seats across the back, so assume one could swap the bench in if required?

Exactly what I would have done if I'd kept ours, if it was a possible swap.

[scottos]

carinaman said:

Thanks for sharing. What a car to take a newborn home in.

No problem, it's nice to keep a log as a reminder! I always wanted to take him home in something a petrol head would have, the golf would have been fine but a big V8 is more suitable haha

samoht said:

Looks fantastic, seems like a winning swap to me, nice move!

Thanks, i think so too and it really wasnt far off a swap either, made it a no brainer!

Heaveho said:

I hate you!

I had one and loved it. And still miss it.

it seems most people that have had them and let them go regret it!

SturdyHSV said:

Brilliant car and good on you for going with something different, especially replacing a Golf R

The "I don't suppose you fancy..." is always a good way to end up with a car. A few months after I'd bought a prodrive Brera as a daily, a Ute came up on the UK Holden owners facebook group, I commented with words to the effect that I appeared to have bought the wrong car, stupid question but I don't suppose you fancy a Brera?

Needless to say we met up for a beer and swapped cars shortly afterwards

Any video clips of the noise?

Excellent, thats my sort of swap i think my dislike of selling cars has led me to be like this now, i think i knew what i was doing when i sent that message then if the stars aligned id do it!

Im afraid i dont but if you search for 'Hayward and Scott Lexus ISF' on Youtube there are plenty of videos. I've got lost in Youtube multiple times over the years watching ISF videos haha

fred bloggs said:

Great car. I'd need one with a mechanical diff, or add one. Golf R or Japanese made V8 ?

You did the right thing.

You can add aftermarket ones it seems but it kind of drives like its got a soft one in already, doesnt seem like its a 'need' item. I've had other open diff rwd cars and got the inside wheel spinning on hairpins etc but the back end on this just wags about instead. My weekend car is rwd with an LSD but doesnt really have enough power to overcome its grip like this thing

I think i did too, glad you agree!

croissant said:

I've always loved these cars! Great purchase

Me too and thanks. Feels great to be ticking this box!

cerb4.5lee said:

Very nice.

I've always really liked these.

Enjoy it.

Thanks, i am so far!

Andy665 said:

Have many fond memories of ISF that we used during Lexus launch events to give delegates hot laps in, the professional drivers loved them, they #were driven hard but nothing ever broke, just took the lap pounding and came back for more, the mechanics loved them because they never had anything to do other than change tyres, discs and pads

Thats good news im a self confessed bmw fan boy generally but the above is part of the reason why i've always wanted one of these, the peasants like me can just about afford to run them generally, an e90 m3 im not so sure!

BadBull said:

Proper car. Love them.

Thanks, based on my limited time with it so far i'd recommend one!

giblet said:

Congrats. I’ve had 2 and they both got under my skin. Only sold the first as I found a well specced Evo X and the second went as it was time for me to start being sensible for a while.

My second had a H&S exhaust, had a custom one made for my first based on the Joe Z design from across the pond. Got them to include a remote controlled valve which allowed for more volume when I felt like being antisocial. Short clip here

The only things that let it down for me were the non folding rear seats and the lack of a middle seat.

Thanks, i've seen some of your old posts on here and the lexus forum actually! The rear seats thing was a bit of a shame but maybe not so bad as i cant chuck my muddy mountain bike in the back of it now! I have spent £90 on a suction cup bike rack which seems to be working great so far, generally i'd use the other halfs Volvo V50 but if shes using that I have to use the ISF.

IMG_20200823_100407 by Scott Osborne, on Flickr

ooid said:

Probably the most under-rated daily beast there. I've the basic IS250, and test drove one of these. They are absolutely brilliant. My next car will be ISF or RCF, but ISF would definitely win everyday, due to its modest look.

I thought the same with these, it's nice flying under the radar but being able to open the taps up when wanted. It's really relaxing to drive slowly too!

I love the look of the RCF but owners of both always seem to say they arent a patch on the ISF which is a shame. It's something i may consider in the future or a GSF for ultimate super saloon points haha (if they come down another 10-15k anyway!)

Heaveho said:

I didn't think the RC-F was a patch on the IS-F, and got rid pretty sharpish.

A lot of people that have had both seem to say this. What were your thoughts between the two out of interest?

Don1 said:

Nice. Rare thing - only seen one in the roads.

Thanks, this is the second one i've ever seen. The first was probably around 5 years ago parked up in the office car park visitors bay funnily enough and i've watched them on sales sites ever since!

MDMA . said:

Nice. Was this in the PH classifieds last week? Sent a link to someone but now it's gone. V8 number plate?

Cheers and i didnt see it on here but might be the same one, the previous owner may have tried a private sale before selling to the place i got it from (they sold it to the previous owner 5 years ago too!). This plate starts off 'V88***' and will be for sale as soon as the log book comes through. It's a gem of an example, been maintained and looked after properly, no paint or panel damage etc.

rainmasterb said:

Congrats, very cool car. Agree with the comment about the lack of a middle seat in the back row - 4 door saloons with only 4 seats don’t really make sense.

A quick google revealed the lesser models do have 3 seats across the back, so assume one could swap the bench in if required?

Thank You and I suppose its all down to personal use, i cant remember an instance where i've had 5 people in any of my cars so it hasnt really crossed my mind. I do wish they folded down for my mountain bike though but that was easily solved.

[MDMA .]

Looking at the picture above, it's a different car. Last week's one was V8 LSF. Really nice one like yours. Only ever seen one on the road (a blue one) about 10 years ago. Sounded great too.

[Martyn76]

Great car, I have mucho want for one of these!!

Enjoy!