Wrapping up an eventful week with the Fast & Furious 6 premiere, it was only fitting for the team at Automotive Rhythms to enjoy the holiday weekend paced by 2013 Lexus IS-F. As always, the Washington DC area is a popular tourist location during Memorial Day Weekend and made for the perfect setting as our Electric Blue IS-F caught the eyes of visitors and residents, while the growling quad exhaust tips grabbed their ears.
Making my way around the DMV I was able to scope the Lexus IS-F’s performance through busy city streets and neighborhoods, long stretches of the I-95 and serene suburban towns. Need power? No problem as the 5.0-liter V8 engine delivering 416 horsepower at 6600 rpm and 371 pound-feet of torque at 5200 rpm will transport the Japanese performer from 0 to 60mph in 4.6 seconds. Efficient and effective are the first two reactions that come to mind.
Telematics always play an integral role when you’re behind the wheel 75% of the day. The IS-F’s navigation lucidly guided me to each destination without qualm. I certainly enjoyed the nifty Info feature which displays the closest gas stations with updated fuel prices. NavWeather is cool as well since it showcases a Doppler radar on the screen so I was cognizant of what was happening in the surrounding region. I even check my stocks as a part of the Info feature. Fabulous!
The Lexus IS-F sport sedan falls in line with the BMW M3, the Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG, Audi S4 and the Cadillac CTS-V and offers its own spin on top-end luxury performance. Our price as tested was $68,234. Although the IS-F still has to receive a few more earned credits, the newcomer is well on its way. It will be interesting to see how the battle wages throughout the upcoming years.
