Lexus is used to more luxurious settings than the Mondello racetrack, but as Michael McAleerMotoring editor discovered, the sporting IS-F is more than ready to show itself off
TYRES SCREECH and the rear slides out in a gentle, progressive swing as we reach the apex of the corner. A dab of counter steering and tickle the accelerator and we are already hurtling towards the next corner. Just another day at the office for the Lexus test team.
Yet for a car firm more renowned for its luxury features and impeccable build quality, the fact that we are throwing one of their cars around the Mondello race track is a signal of some subtle adjustments to the brand's image. Lexus is ready to show its racier side.
The flag bearer for this new sporting element is the ISF. The last letter is likely to be the marker for future hot Lexus models, most likely an M5 challenging GS version in the near future.
It stands for Fuji speedway, the company-owned race track in Japan where this sporting version was spawned. For now it's carried only on this phenomenal variant of the IS range.
Taking on the likes of the M-power models at BMW, RS versions at Audi, or the AMG stable at Mercedes is a daunting task.
Yet anyone who has witnessed the incredible growth of the Lexus brand over recent years will be in no doubt that this is not some half-hearted effort to make up the numbers. As with its other models, the ISF is a very worthy challenger to the established powerhouses.
Powered by a 5-litre V8 engine, the ISF manages to hit 100km/h from a standing start in just 4.8 seconds. It has an incredibly reassuring balance, with weight distribution evenly spread across the car offering remarkably adept cornering. That was something we were not expecting from this first timer.
Even more impressive, however, is the wonderful grunt from the engine when it reaches 3,800rpm. It's an engineering cacophony that is simply intoxicating.
The sound of this V8 is enough to persuade even the most penny-pinching petrolheads to fling open their wallets.
Of course any car brand could load a big old V8 into the engine bay, stick a few decal spoilers on the car and call it their racing version.
To keep company with the likes of the M3 and other motoring royalty, the key is how you transfer all that engine grunt onto the tarmac. Here is really where Lexus has performed some magic.
Alongside its incredibly agile eight-speed transmission that is a work of engineering art on its own and can upshift in 0.1 seconds, the suspension set up is incredibly adept at adjusting from our terrible uneven road surfaces and pottering through town, to tightening up in racetrack conditions.
We did both last week in our efforts to assess the new ISF and it's honestly one of the most impressive dual task cars we've driven.
Switch from normal to sports mode and the boundaries of driver control are widened. The car lets you slide the rear right out before any electronic aids kick in to keep you from hurtling off the track.
It's also the most forgiving of the sport car versions on the market.
The problem with many of these cars is that they are either temperamental like a thoroughbred racer, in which case the less proficient driver will be punished, or soft and compliant, in which case you are left wondering why they bothered.
This car suffers none of those characteristics; its schizophrenic personality is exactly what buyers of these cars desire. And perhaps the most important feature is that the ISF manages to make the most average of drivers look competent.
The Japanese could have created a monster, setting its marker down as the car that would beat the Germans and offering white knuckle rides to anyone mad enough to drive it. Instead, they've created a car that is right up there with the rest, but can reach those heady heights of performance without requiring the driver to be of Formula One standard.
For all that, the small engineering team that created this car must be duly credited. They've purposefully entered the premier league in motoring with a car that's amenable to the masses.
No wonder the biggest complaint about the car so far is that global demand is creating supply problems.
Factfile Lexus ISF
Engine:4969cc V8 normally aspirated petrol engine
putting out 417bhp @ 6,200rpm 505Nm @ 5,200rpm
Performance:0-100km/h in 4.8 seconds; top speed -
270km/h
Fuel consumption:(combined): 11.4 L/100km CO2
emissions: 270g/km
Price:€107,500