Lexus: IS News
10-04-2008 | 05:41 PM
#1644
What Would Don Draper Do?
Joined: Jan 2005
Posts: 22,223
Likes: 1
From: Houston
02-06-2009 | 10:22 AM
#1646
Drifting
Joined: May 2005
Posts: 3,339
Likes: 8
From: 905
2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport Follow-Up Test
http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do...hotopanel..3.*
OK, Lexus, Now Where's the Turbo Kit?
By Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief
Date posted: 02-04-2009
There are three hormone levels in the Lexus IS range, and they play out like this. The IS 350? Manly. The IS-F? Hair in all the wrong places. IS 250? The one that shaves its legs.
In fact, that should be in the ads. The Lexus IS 250. The Relentless Pursuit of a Delicious Mochacrapiata. Sure it's the only Lexus you can get with three pedals, but it's also the only IS where you would dare prune its deck lid of identification. Ten minutes with a heat gun, and Mary's IS 250 is easily mistaken for Mark's more folic IS 350.
And now that we've antagonized every guy who has ever bought the weak-suck, small-engine version of the rear-wheel-drive Lexus sport sedan, we offer a solution to their dilemma. It's called 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport, and it can turn your girlfriend's IS 250 into a ride you can drive without a bag over your head.
The Parts List
Basically Lexus (and Lexus dealers) has gotten into the tuner parts business. Make that the quality tuner parts business, because the majority of the hardware bolted to our test vehicle works, and works well. After a couple of weeks in the car, we only question the worth of a few items.
The list of parts bolted to our tester is a long one, but Lexus doesn't force you to buy it all at once in a package like many manufacturers (think Acura). Instead, you can pick and choose as your wallet and discretion allow. This is important, because this F Sport stuff is expensive.
Total dollars for the parts on our 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport is a staggering $13,342, and that's not including its rather large 35-series Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, the labor to install all the parts or sales tax. For that rather large sum you get:
19-inch forged wheels: $2,196
Front brake upgrade: $3,025
Rear brake upgrade: $2,550
Exhaust system: $1,470
Air intake: $455
Bilstein dampers: $740
Lowering springs: $299
Carbon-fiber engine cover: $865
Clutch: $599
Quick-shift kit: $300
Rear chassis brace: $375
Sway-bar kit: $495
All of this comes with a 12-month warranty from the date of installation, or for the balance of the new car warranty in force at the date of installation, whichever is greater when the parts are installed by an authorized Lexus dealer. If you install them yourself or pay somebody other than a Lexus dealer to turn the wrenches, then the warranty is for 12 months from the date of purchase and limited to the replacement cost of the F Sport part only.
Does it all perform as advertised? Sorta.
Smart buyers will pass on the cheesy engine cover, the air intake and that pricey exhaust system. The nearly $3,000 saved will buy the set of sticky Michelins and put about $1,500 toward your installation costs. Plus the engine modifications don't really add any performance to the vehicle, the intake does nothing but shiny up the underhood environment and the exhaust only makes the car obnoxiously loud. Trust us, we know. We took it to the test track.
At the Test Track
And the test track does not lie. On the quarter-mile, the 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport covers the distance in 15.7 seconds at 89 mph. That's just one-tenth of a second quicker than the 2007 Lexus IS 250 with six-speed manual transmission we tested. It's also kinda slow, and that's the No. 1 reason why the IS 250 is kind of a chick car.
That tenth of a second can be attributed to the F Sport's stronger clutch and sticky 255/35ZR19 rear tires on lightweight wheels. (In fact, Lexus says these F Sport forged aluminum wheels are 5-6 pounds lighter than the stock 18s, which definitely helps the car accelerate.)
Zero to 60 mph is an equally lethargic 7.5 seconds (7.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). The sedan's 2.5-liter V6 is rated at just 204 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 185 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm, which isn't even enough to spin those big Michelins — not even with a clutch dump at the 6,500-rpm redline.
You remember that $3,000 you saved when you didn't buy the engine cover, the air intake and the fart can exhaust? Maybe you should spend it on a turbo kit.
The F Sport clutch can sure take a pounding. It made it through a hard day of testing without once feeling like a weak point. According to Lexus, the clutch delivers 16 percent more clamping force than the stocker, yet engagement is smooth and the pedal effort remains light. Driving this car in stop-and-go traffic remains a pain in the butt, not your left leg.
On the other hand, the IS's six-speed doesn't like the drag strip much. Its shift throws are long, even with the billet-aluminum quick-shifter kit, which Lexus says shortens lever travel by 35 percent, and it does not like to be hurried. Around town it's OK, but try to bang 'em like Ronnie Sox and you'll get nothing for your efforts except missed shifts and broken parts.
The Right Look
It's too bad the F Sport exhaust system is just noisy snake oil, because its big chrome pipes look fantastic. They're just the right size, and Lexus didn't skimp on the quality, because you get double-walled polished tips that look expensive. In fact, they look worlds better than the stacked faux pipes on the Lexus IS-F. (Sorry, Louis.)
We can say the same about the entire F Sport line. Everything is of high quality and each and every part enhances the appearance of the IS sedan. This car is proof that the stock-bodied IS doesn't need a silly body kit glued to its ankles to get noticed. With just a set of lowering springs and wide, deep-dish wheels (8 inches wide in front and 9 inches wide in the rear), this IS is a study in understated cool.
Our tester's dark gray skin really works with the menacing graphite gray finish of the F Sport wheels. It's a simple, timeless and tough look that makes an IS-F look like a reject from the Tokyo Auto Salon.
Handles Like an IS-F
And it turns.
Powerslides are impossible with the big tires and little engine, but this car scorches our track with handling numbers that exceed the performance of the mighty IS-F. No, we're not kidding. This IS runs 71 mph through our slalom, circles our skid pad at 0.89g of lateral grip and stops from 60 mph in just 109 feet.
The last IS-F we tested managed 70.2 mph in the slalom, recorded 0.93g on the skid pad and stopped from 60 mph in 112 feet.
We couldn't believe it either. But the best part is the F Sport's highway ride. If you bought an IS-F, you're probably a regular at the chiropractor by now, but this IS actually rides well, and there's even less impact harshness than in a stock IS 250.
Credit goes to Bilstein for the impressive all-round tuning of the F Sport dampers. They are wonderfully matched with the shorter, progressive-rate springs (1 inch shorter in front; 0.7 inch shorter in the rear). Since the 2008 Lexus IS 250's stock springs are not progressive, the springs are initially more compliant, which helps deliver that silky ride, but they firm up nicely deeper in their travel and keep the sedan off its bump stops.
Although they aren't adjustable, the stiffer F Sport antiroll bars are also worth the cash. They set up the car with just enough body roll and a safe (maybe a little too much) amount of understeer. Considering the car's lack of power, a little more rotation on corner entry would be nice. As it is, you can literally fling this sedan into corners with zero fear that you'll come out the other end backward.
Then there are the brakes, which look awesome and feel great. For $5,575, they better. For that you get huge drilled two-piece rotors that measure 14 inches in front and 13.6 inches in the rear, plus six-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers in the rear, not to mention bragging rights at the local Hot Import Nights.
Lexus even finished the calipers in F Sport blue with white F Sport logos, so nobody will mistake them for Brembos. Funny thing is, they might be Brembos, since Lexus won't tell us what companies supply these F Sport parts (aside from the Bilstein dampers). All Lexus will say is that all the parts are designed and engineered by TRD. Um, that's Toyota Racing Development, as in Toyota's in-house speed shop.
It All Fits the IS 350
If you possess a Y chromosome and own a Lexus IS 250 (hopefully, it has a six-speed manual or you're really hopeless), the time has come to prove you've got a pair. All these parts are available at your local Lexus dealer and all but a few improve the vehicle they are bolted to, as in this 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport.
And that includes the IS 350.
That's right, all of these parts will also better an IS 350, which is already pretty damn good. Plus, there are fewer bits to buy. Because the IS 350 is only available with an automatic transmission, there's no need to buy the quick-shift kit or the clutch. That's another $1,500 or so (including labor) in your sticky-tire fund.
If it were us, we'd buy a certified pre-owned IS 350, take it up a notch with the F Sport parts and call it a day. As we said, we would skip the underhood stuff and the exhaust, instead putting that money toward some Advans or some PS2s. The finished ride will pack a combination of acceleration, handling, braking, comfort, looks and practicality few on the road can match.
And of course nobody could accuse us of driving our sister's car.
By Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief
Date posted: 02-04-2009
There are three hormone levels in the Lexus IS range, and they play out like this. The IS 350? Manly. The IS-F? Hair in all the wrong places. IS 250? The one that shaves its legs.
In fact, that should be in the ads. The Lexus IS 250. The Relentless Pursuit of a Delicious Mochacrapiata. Sure it's the only Lexus you can get with three pedals, but it's also the only IS where you would dare prune its deck lid of identification. Ten minutes with a heat gun, and Mary's IS 250 is easily mistaken for Mark's more folic IS 350.
And now that we've antagonized every guy who has ever bought the weak-suck, small-engine version of the rear-wheel-drive Lexus sport sedan, we offer a solution to their dilemma. It's called 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport, and it can turn your girlfriend's IS 250 into a ride you can drive without a bag over your head.
The Parts List
Basically Lexus (and Lexus dealers) has gotten into the tuner parts business. Make that the quality tuner parts business, because the majority of the hardware bolted to our test vehicle works, and works well. After a couple of weeks in the car, we only question the worth of a few items.
The list of parts bolted to our tester is a long one, but Lexus doesn't force you to buy it all at once in a package like many manufacturers (think Acura). Instead, you can pick and choose as your wallet and discretion allow. This is important, because this F Sport stuff is expensive.
Total dollars for the parts on our 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport is a staggering $13,342, and that's not including its rather large 35-series Michelin Pilot Sport PS2 tires, the labor to install all the parts or sales tax. For that rather large sum you get:
19-inch forged wheels: $2,196
Front brake upgrade: $3,025
Rear brake upgrade: $2,550
Exhaust system: $1,470
Air intake: $455
Bilstein dampers: $740
Lowering springs: $299
Carbon-fiber engine cover: $865
Clutch: $599
Quick-shift kit: $300
Rear chassis brace: $375
Sway-bar kit: $495
All of this comes with a 12-month warranty from the date of installation, or for the balance of the new car warranty in force at the date of installation, whichever is greater when the parts are installed by an authorized Lexus dealer. If you install them yourself or pay somebody other than a Lexus dealer to turn the wrenches, then the warranty is for 12 months from the date of purchase and limited to the replacement cost of the F Sport part only.
Does it all perform as advertised? Sorta.
Smart buyers will pass on the cheesy engine cover, the air intake and that pricey exhaust system. The nearly $3,000 saved will buy the set of sticky Michelins and put about $1,500 toward your installation costs. Plus the engine modifications don't really add any performance to the vehicle, the intake does nothing but shiny up the underhood environment and the exhaust only makes the car obnoxiously loud. Trust us, we know. We took it to the test track.
At the Test Track
And the test track does not lie. On the quarter-mile, the 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport covers the distance in 15.7 seconds at 89 mph. That's just one-tenth of a second quicker than the 2007 Lexus IS 250 with six-speed manual transmission we tested. It's also kinda slow, and that's the No. 1 reason why the IS 250 is kind of a chick car.
That tenth of a second can be attributed to the F Sport's stronger clutch and sticky 255/35ZR19 rear tires on lightweight wheels. (In fact, Lexus says these F Sport forged aluminum wheels are 5-6 pounds lighter than the stock 18s, which definitely helps the car accelerate.)
Zero to 60 mph is an equally lethargic 7.5 seconds (7.2 seconds with 1 foot of rollout like on a drag strip). The sedan's 2.5-liter V6 is rated at just 204 horsepower at 6,400 rpm and 185 pound-feet of torque at 4,800 rpm, which isn't even enough to spin those big Michelins — not even with a clutch dump at the 6,500-rpm redline.
You remember that $3,000 you saved when you didn't buy the engine cover, the air intake and the fart can exhaust? Maybe you should spend it on a turbo kit.
The F Sport clutch can sure take a pounding. It made it through a hard day of testing without once feeling like a weak point. According to Lexus, the clutch delivers 16 percent more clamping force than the stocker, yet engagement is smooth and the pedal effort remains light. Driving this car in stop-and-go traffic remains a pain in the butt, not your left leg.
On the other hand, the IS's six-speed doesn't like the drag strip much. Its shift throws are long, even with the billet-aluminum quick-shifter kit, which Lexus says shortens lever travel by 35 percent, and it does not like to be hurried. Around town it's OK, but try to bang 'em like Ronnie Sox and you'll get nothing for your efforts except missed shifts and broken parts.
The Right Look
It's too bad the F Sport exhaust system is just noisy snake oil, because its big chrome pipes look fantastic. They're just the right size, and Lexus didn't skimp on the quality, because you get double-walled polished tips that look expensive. In fact, they look worlds better than the stacked faux pipes on the Lexus IS-F. (Sorry, Louis.)
We can say the same about the entire F Sport line. Everything is of high quality and each and every part enhances the appearance of the IS sedan. This car is proof that the stock-bodied IS doesn't need a silly body kit glued to its ankles to get noticed. With just a set of lowering springs and wide, deep-dish wheels (8 inches wide in front and 9 inches wide in the rear), this IS is a study in understated cool.
Our tester's dark gray skin really works with the menacing graphite gray finish of the F Sport wheels. It's a simple, timeless and tough look that makes an IS-F look like a reject from the Tokyo Auto Salon.
Handles Like an IS-F
And it turns.
Powerslides are impossible with the big tires and little engine, but this car scorches our track with handling numbers that exceed the performance of the mighty IS-F. No, we're not kidding. This IS runs 71 mph through our slalom, circles our skid pad at 0.89g of lateral grip and stops from 60 mph in just 109 feet.
The last IS-F we tested managed 70.2 mph in the slalom, recorded 0.93g on the skid pad and stopped from 60 mph in 112 feet.
We couldn't believe it either. But the best part is the F Sport's highway ride. If you bought an IS-F, you're probably a regular at the chiropractor by now, but this IS actually rides well, and there's even less impact harshness than in a stock IS 250.
Credit goes to Bilstein for the impressive all-round tuning of the F Sport dampers. They are wonderfully matched with the shorter, progressive-rate springs (1 inch shorter in front; 0.7 inch shorter in the rear). Since the 2008 Lexus IS 250's stock springs are not progressive, the springs are initially more compliant, which helps deliver that silky ride, but they firm up nicely deeper in their travel and keep the sedan off its bump stops.
Although they aren't adjustable, the stiffer F Sport antiroll bars are also worth the cash. They set up the car with just enough body roll and a safe (maybe a little too much) amount of understeer. Considering the car's lack of power, a little more rotation on corner entry would be nice. As it is, you can literally fling this sedan into corners with zero fear that you'll come out the other end backward.
Then there are the brakes, which look awesome and feel great. For $5,575, they better. For that you get huge drilled two-piece rotors that measure 14 inches in front and 13.6 inches in the rear, plus six-piston calipers in front and four-piston calipers in the rear, not to mention bragging rights at the local Hot Import Nights.
Lexus even finished the calipers in F Sport blue with white F Sport logos, so nobody will mistake them for Brembos. Funny thing is, they might be Brembos, since Lexus won't tell us what companies supply these F Sport parts (aside from the Bilstein dampers). All Lexus will say is that all the parts are designed and engineered by TRD. Um, that's Toyota Racing Development, as in Toyota's in-house speed shop.
It All Fits the IS 350
If you possess a Y chromosome and own a Lexus IS 250 (hopefully, it has a six-speed manual or you're really hopeless), the time has come to prove you've got a pair. All these parts are available at your local Lexus dealer and all but a few improve the vehicle they are bolted to, as in this 2008 Lexus IS 250 F Sport.
And that includes the IS 350.
That's right, all of these parts will also better an IS 350, which is already pretty damn good. Plus, there are fewer bits to buy. Because the IS 350 is only available with an automatic transmission, there's no need to buy the quick-shift kit or the clutch. That's another $1,500 or so (including labor) in your sticky-tire fund.
If it were us, we'd buy a certified pre-owned IS 350, take it up a notch with the F Sport parts and call it a day. As we said, we would skip the underhood stuff and the exhaust, instead putting that money toward some Advans or some PS2s. The finished ride will pack a combination of acceleration, handling, braking, comfort, looks and practicality few on the road can match.
And of course nobody could accuse us of driving our sister's car.
06-15-2009 | 11:27 PM
#1655
Senior Moderator
Joined: Dec 2001
Posts: 167,734
Likes: 23,026
Lexus: No plans for convertible IS-F
From Motor Authority...
http://www.motorauthority.com/lexus-...-is-f-yet.html
Just over a month ago the new 2010 Lexus IS Convertible went on sale in Japan, and with it came talk of a coupe version as well. That started rumors that Lexus could make IS-F versions of both, but so far Lexus says it has no plans to build anything but the IS-F sedan.
Not that a convertible and/or coupe version of the IS-F wouldn't be welcome by fans. It would also likely be met with strong sales, if BMW's experience is any gauge - the M3 Coupe and Convertible together outsell the sedan about 3:1. A sporty IS Convertible, in the form of the F-Sport, is already out there, but a super-performance drop-top could still find its own niche. After all, how many fans of the go-fast can seriously argue with a 5.0L V8 engine or 416hp - plus the sun on your face and the wind in your hair?
But Lexus says it hasn't decided if a convertible would sell well for them. "Right now, there are no plans for that," Toyota/Lexus PR spokesman Curt McAllister told Edmunds. "We're going to investigate how well the convertible does and make a determination from there."
Despite Lexus's reluctance to jump into the convertible sports car arena, talk of the coupe version of the IS-F persists as the most likely addition in the near term. If that does come to life, expect it to be a technological doppelganger for the IS-F sedan, minus the rear doors. The standard IS coupe it would be based on was hinted at as a possibility just last week by Lexus boss Mark Templin.
Not that a convertible and/or coupe version of the IS-F wouldn't be welcome by fans. It would also likely be met with strong sales, if BMW's experience is any gauge - the M3 Coupe and Convertible together outsell the sedan about 3:1. A sporty IS Convertible, in the form of the F-Sport, is already out there, but a super-performance drop-top could still find its own niche. After all, how many fans of the go-fast can seriously argue with a 5.0L V8 engine or 416hp - plus the sun on your face and the wind in your hair?
But Lexus says it hasn't decided if a convertible would sell well for them. "Right now, there are no plans for that," Toyota/Lexus PR spokesman Curt McAllister told Edmunds. "We're going to investigate how well the convertible does and make a determination from there."
Despite Lexus's reluctance to jump into the convertible sports car arena, talk of the coupe version of the IS-F persists as the most likely addition in the near term. If that does come to life, expect it to be a technological doppelganger for the IS-F sedan, minus the rear doors. The standard IS coupe it would be based on was hinted at as a possibility just last week by Lexus boss Mark Templin.
07-09-2009 | 03:39 PM
#1657
Go Big Blue!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,700
Likes: 5
From: Orlando, FLA
Lexus IS C demand outpacing supply
http://www.leftlanenews.com/lexus-is...ng-supply.html
Are convertibles recession proof? Wind in your hair makes your troubles go away I suppose.
So with every direct competitor in Acura's market now offering a convertible and coupe variant, and with Lexus blowing through projections on demand for the new IS C, and the latest news they will offer an IS F convertible, how long do we think it will take those steering the SS Acura to figure out the ZDX was probably not the best next move.
Are convertibles recession proof? Wind in your hair makes your troubles go away I suppose.
So with every direct competitor in Acura's market now offering a convertible and coupe variant, and with Lexus blowing through projections on demand for the new IS C, and the latest news they will offer an IS F convertible, how long do we think it will take those steering the SS Acura to figure out the ZDX was probably not the best next move.
07-09-2009 | 04:42 PM
#1659
Honda Fanboy
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,288
Likes: 17
From: So Cal
Toyota/Lexus is known for setting ridiculously low goals and then releasing a press statement that the car has exceeded sales expectations by 3,063,876%. There is nothing new here.
It would be a shame if Toyota didn't meet sales goals with this car:
1.) It was released in the start of summer.
2.) It is a BRAND-NEW model
3.) It is the CHEAPEST car in its class.
We will have to wait and see if sales hold up a few months from now. Additionally, nobody knows how many IS-C's are sold since Toyota doesn't separate the IS model sales.
IMO G37 Convertible>IS-C.
It would be a shame if Toyota didn't meet sales goals with this car:
1.) It was released in the start of summer.
2.) It is a BRAND-NEW model
3.) It is the CHEAPEST car in its class.
We will have to wait and see if sales hold up a few months from now. Additionally, nobody knows how many IS-C's are sold since Toyota doesn't separate the IS model sales.
IMO G37 Convertible>IS-C.
07-09-2009 | 05:00 PM
#1660
Go Big Blue!
Joined: Mar 2007
Posts: 2,700
Likes: 5
From: Orlando, FLA
I haven't been in either convertible versions. But I certainly agree with you on the sedans. As a daily driver the G beats the IS 350 inside and out, plus, it's cheaper!
I'd still love to see what Acura can do with a hard top convertible offering, but, we may be waiting a long time....
I'd still love to see what Acura can do with a hard top convertible offering, but, we may be waiting a long time....
07-09-2009 | 07:03 PM
#1663
Senior Moderator
Joined: May 2001
Posts: 5,122
Likes: 30
From: Windsor, ON, Canada
I'd like to see the IS-C vert side by side with a G vert. Then play around with the creature comforts.
Based upon pictures, I think both the Lexus and Infiniti convertibles have something off in esthetics from their sedan/coupe counterparts. Convertible or not ... appearance weighs considerably in the car purchase for me.
Then again ... living in Canada, a convertible just doesn't make any sense ... 
Based upon pictures, I think both the Lexus and Infiniti convertibles have something off in esthetics from their sedan/coupe counterparts. Convertible or not ... appearance weighs considerably in the car purchase for me.
Then again ... living in Canada, a convertible just doesn't make any sense ...
07-09-2009 | 07:51 PM
#1667
I'd like to see the IS-C vert side by side with a G vert. Then play around with the creature comforts.
Based upon pictures, I think both the Lexus and Infiniti convertibles have something off in esthetics from their sedan/coupe counterparts. Convertible or not ... appearance weighs considerably in the car purchase for me. Then again ... living in Canada, a convertible just doesn't make any sense ...
Based upon pictures, I think both the Lexus and Infiniti convertibles have something off in esthetics from their sedan/coupe counterparts. Convertible or not ... appearance weighs considerably in the car purchase for me.
Then again ... living in Canada, a convertible just doesn't make any sense ... 
07-09-2009 | 07:57 PM
#1668
Instructor
Joined: Apr 2009
Posts: 134
Likes: 0
the President of my company is on order for an IS-C..., he is part of some special pre-release purchase thing.. hell he may have it by now, he's been on vacation for over a month..
if they make an IS-F Convert, I might be reconsidering getting a TL...
if they make an IS-F Convert, I might be reconsidering getting a TL...
Last edited by Mr. Incredible; 07-09-2009 at 08:01 PM.
07-09-2009 | 10:31 PM
#1670
Moderator
Joined: Jun 2006
Posts: 29,869
Likes: 3,489
I do agree with you though, I prefer the looks of the G37C over the IS-C. Infiniti did a nice job, whereas the IS-C looks disproportionate, especially in the rear. I guess that's what happens when you try to make a sedan a convertible.
The G37C does look funny from the side with the top up though, but I think a lot of verts have this problem:
on the other hand, the IS-C looks terrible from the side:
07-09-2009 | 10:49 PM
#1671
Honda Fanboy
Joined: Jul 2001
Posts: 1,288
Likes: 17
From: So Cal
Give me the G37 rear and ANY day of the year over the IS.
The IS just looks simply awful. Compare the rear of the Lexus and then look at the rear of the Infiniti. Clearly, Infiniti put design ahead of whatever the hell it was that Lexus put ahead of design.
The size of the rear trunk lid on the IS is just ridiculous. They could have built the new Freedom Towers on that shit, thats how big it is. I could care less if the top has 30 sensors and can retract in 20 seconds. Doesn't mean it has to look like an elephants ass also.
07-10-2009 | 04:08 PM
#1675
Burning Brakes
Joined: Mar 2006
Posts: 1,148
Likes: 30
From: Baltimore MD
The Infiniti convertible's profile is not bad looking. Overall though it looks like the Lexus SC50, which is very feminine. The previous G coupe was much better looking. The IS-C's profile is just awful. Epic fail.
08-13-2009 | 07:59 AM
#1678
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,068
Likes: 111
From: NYC
wowwww. look at the lex side shot! that could be one of the worst modern day attempts at a foldable hardtop. some re-engineering is much needed.
maybe they should of outsourced the same engineers that did the C70 top. heard they were one of the first to do it...and the C70 retractable top still looks better than most.
maybe they should of outsourced the same engineers that did the C70 top. heard they were one of the first to do it...and the C70 retractable top still looks better than most.
Last edited by ThermonMermon; 08-13-2009 at 08:02 AM.
08-13-2009 | 08:19 AM
#1680
Safety Car
Joined: Jul 2008
Posts: 4,068
Likes: 111
From: NYC
wowwww. look at the lex side shot! that could be one of the worst modern day attempts at a foldable hardtop. some re-engineering is much needed.
maybe they should of outsourced the same engineers that did the C70 top. heard they were one of the first to do it...and the C70 retractable top still looks better than most.
maybe they should of outsourced the same engineers that did the C70 top. heard they were one of the first to do it...and the C70 retractable top still looks better than most.
c70 was one the first to have a 3 piece hardtop in 05. (the earliest rendition i could think of was the 99 3000GT spyder. but that was poorly executed) c70 was engineered by webasto...
Webasto is the supplier of a majority of large automotive roof systems worldwide, including roofs used in the Mercedes-Benz R-Class, E-Class and S-Class, smart, Audi A4 Wagon, BMW 6-series, Cadillac SRX, Cadillac CTS, Nissan Maxima and Murano, Saturn Outlook, GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave, as well as the retractable hardtop systems of the VW Eos, Mazda MX-5 Miata and Volvo C70.
Last edited by ThermonMermon; 08-13-2009 at 08:21 AM.