The IS-F is awesome, so is the C63 and the M3. It sound's like your pretty dead set on the IS-F which is a great choice plus it's Japanese which is always good, my advice is to read up on the 09 CTS-V if you haven't already, that would definently be my choice out of all these. It's got about 100 more horsepower than the other's, it's a 6-speed, it's about the same price, and it's quicker than the other's around a track. Even though it was designed to compete with the M5 and E63 it's still priced in the same range as the IS-F, M3, E63 etc. IMO this car is the obvious choice, but everyone has different taste, anyways just check it out and good luck with the search!!

 

CTS-V owns all, I agree, but many just can't buy American especially the uber pro Japanese guys..........I could be wrong though.

 

It's funny how you call the IS-F's transmission "slushbox" when in fact is the fastest transmission ever built for a production car, sharing the same speed as the Ferrari 599, and being faster than any other Ferrari, BMW SMG/SMG-II/DCT, AMG, Audi, etc. I remember reading on a BMW forum the same comments about the IS-F's tranny, and this was coming from heavely modded 335i drivers as well as DCT M3 drivers. One of the DCT M3 drivers had the opportunity to drive the IS-F and he was in shock! He had to admit that his new M3 didn't shift as fast as the IS-F, not even close!

 

If you have to choose between the C63, M3, IS-F, and CTS-V, it's a tough decision. I think it's just a matter of personal preference. In my case I wouldn't go with the CTS-V, even if it's the most powerful and faster in the group, for me quality interior is the most important factor of all (you can imagine how I felt when I switched from an Evo VIII interior to the IS-F) and Cadillac won't match Lexus, BMW or Mercedes in that field. I love technology (I'm an IT guy), and that is something that japaneses excel at.

 

I quote from Edmund's:

The IS-F:
"When manual mode (shifted via steering-column paddles or the console-mounted gearlever) is selected, upshift times drop from a Lexus IS 350's typical 1.3 seconds (0.7 second to initiate plus 0.6 second to change ratios) to a mere 0.3 second (0.2 second to initiate plus 0.1 second to shift). We also appreciate the perfectly timed tone that reminds you to shift just before you hit the rev limiter in each gear."

The 599 GTB F1:
"At its most aggressive, the 599 GTB's F1-SuperFast transmission is able to shift gears in 100 milliseconds (0.1 second)"

The 430 Scuderia:
"...and its shift times remain wildly quick going up or down (70 milliseconds in the Race, CT-Off and CST-Off settings of the manettino mounted on the steering wheel)."

There's also a list on Wikipedia that will show you the shortest shift times...and the IS-F is nowhere to be seen. It's definitely not the fastest transmission in a production car.

 

the lexus is great looking, and the sound is pure sexxxxx

 

8 gears!

 

I remember the Edmund's road test that you quoted below, it was a pre-production model (October 2007) and they only managed 13.2s at 109 mph at the 1/4 mile. On my first and only pass two weeks ago I managed 12.80s at 112 mph. Either Edmunds used manual without selecting SPORT (hence the slower shift times) or they didn't drive it properly.

BTW, your references are not accurate (except for the Ferrari part); they state that the shift time for the VW GTi DSG is 8ms, in other words 0.008 sec. Even the people at VW forums know it's wrong, and all started here:

http://paultan.org/archives/2006/06/...s-way-for-dsg/

Besides, the data on that Wikipedia list that you mentioned comes from the link above, and it's dated back to June 2006... there was no IS-F around at that time.

Just drive the car and post your experience.

 

the IS-F is nice but M3 sedan or RS4 FTW!! just watch the top gear vid haha

 

my pops got one i drive it all the time,i love it........way better then my evo...

 

i'll take the orange one.

 

That 5axis one is ugly as **** and the "SC300/SC400 remake" is actually a GS, der

 

Ok then can you tell me why it was in the IS-F booth with an IS-F badge on it?

Im not a Lexus guy so I dont care, but dont be an azz for no reason.

 

Thank you guys for all of your replies. Each reply has made a difference. At the end, the IS-F is still the car for me.....if I ever want to give up my Evo for it. I know that moving in to the "Lexus territory" will be a whole new world for me. In my honest opinion, the Lexus is not only judged by how fast it goes, but by how satisfied the owner feels when owning the car. You can have the fastest car in the world, but it may not stand the test of time......especially if you have a life to live. Thanks everyone!!!

 

.....Sorry guys....don't want to make you all upset, but looks like I may keep my Evo IX MR after all. An Evo is an Evo and it's hard to find a raw and fun car to drive like it. Thanks for all the replies and advice and tips. thank you everyone.