Lexus have officially released details of its first “F” car, the Lexus IS-F. Due to go on sale in Japan on Christmas day it will probably arrive a little late to fill any Christmas stockings but there is always next year.

The big news is the power and torque outputs of the IS-F’s 5.0-litre V8 which until now have been the cause of much speculation but little substance. Will the IS-F have the horses to take on the new BMW M3 V8?

Well, the answer to that question is a resounding yes, in fact Lexus have virtually mirrored the power output of the E92 M3’s 4.0-litre V8 (309kW) and landed a telling blow with an extra 100Nm of torque – as you would expect from an extra litre of capacity.

The Lexus IS-F’s 5.0-litre V8 produces 310kW (417hp) and 503Nm (371lb-ft), which will no doubt see it lay down some impressive 0-100 km/h and standing 400m times. A worthy M3 or Audi RS4 competitor – time will tell but as we all know Lexus don’t do anything by halves so expect the IS-F to set the cat amongst the mid-size performance saloon pigeons.

Australian pricing is not know at this stage but the IS-F will go on sale in Japan for 7,660,000 JPY or AUD74,000 – a bargain. We can expect the usual “Lucky country” taxes to change all that although expect the Lexus IS-F to be sharply priced when compared to the competition.

Steane

[Source: Lexus]