Lexus has developed a new breed of sport sedan with their performance orientated 2008 Lexus IS-F. This version of the IS is powered by a 5.0 liter V8 that puts out 407HP and 350 ft.-lbs. of torque. Lexus is aiming at BMW’s M3 and Audi’s RS4 when they modified the current IS to this beast. The IS-F tears up the pavement with a 0-60 time of 4.9 seconds, not bad for a rear wheel drive Japanese sedan.
You may recognize this car form back in 2005 at the Detroit Auto Show, where Toyota’s Jim Press unveiled the Lexus LF-A. It was, at the time, truly a concept car. Now they have a new version out and reports of spy cars are coming in from all over, and we were lucky enough to see it at the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. The interior has changed and is very close to what it will look like come production. As you can see the car itself has morphed into a more realistic production vehicle. Its sharp lines and aggressive stance make it look like it will very easily tear up its competition, and why not?
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We recently got back from the 2007 Chicago Auto Show. While a lot of the bigger auto sites already have some posts reviewing the cars, little old me is still sifting through and editing the hundreds of pictures and notes. You should expect to see many more posts regarding some of the awesome cars displayed and revealed. In the mean time, here is an overview of the show in general.
Altogether the show was a great experience this year. While it lacked in some of the “wow-factor” of previous years, there were some very interesting unveilings this year, as well as some very cool concept cars you have to see.
Audi showed us the gorgeous R8 pre-production model, which should be released to it’s first customers in the second quarter of this year. Boasting 420 horsepower from a high-RPM V8, the R8 should run 0-62 mph in 4.6 seconds with the help of a Launch Control feature and R-tronic sequential gearshifting.
On Saturday I posted another update on some of the cool cars that are going to be at the Chicago Auto Show, but there are so many, I can’t help but post again. Here are a few more of the cars that are going to be there in a couple days:
The Ryuga expands on the “emotion of motion” concept that debuted with the Nagare, and you can see the elements of flow captured in the car’s sheetmetal. The sweeping lines on the doors, for instance, were inspired by the raked pebbles in a Japanese dry garden. The wheels, as well, feature spokes that twist near the hub, as if the torque of the car’s imaginary flex-fuel engine has twisted them. Finally, the color of the Ryuga is meant to evoke flowing lava, with tones and hue that vary from yellow to blue to red depending on the light.
In an “accidentally leaked” online advertisement for Lexus’ new IS-F, they reveal grainy images and some more information regarding the new M3-killer. Compared to the original IS, the IS-F has a much more aggressive body, and from the advertisement: “more than 400 hp,” “5.0 liter V8,” and “0-60 in under 5 seconds.” Looks promising.
Whether or not the leak was accidental or simply a tactic to create buzz about the new Lexus before its release, the car is expected to debut at next weeks Detroit Auto Show, and I look forward to seeing it in February at the Chicago Auto Show. Here is the link for the original leaked ad.
The 2007 Chicago Auto Show is coming up in a couple of months (Feb 9-18, 2007,) and just like every year, I’ll be there bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. You’ll see plenty of coverage here at AutomoBlog shortly after the show. Every once in a while I check up on the Chicago Auto Show website, and there have been a few recent updates on the vehicles that will be present. I’m really excited about quite a few of them, and there are always more cars at the show than the website lets on. Here are some of the cars that I’m especially excited about:
