Sometimes, explanations aren’t really needed; you just watch a video of inane dumbassery and you pretty much get the picture of how something goes horribly wrong.
In the case of the driver of this Lexus IS-F, drifting probably isn’t in his future. That or he just made a pretty silly mistake from the get go.
The scene is the 2012 Tokyo Auto Salon and the IS-F was supposed to do a drifting demonstration in front of a gathered crowd. It starts well enough, but even before the first tire screams and the first smoke is emitted, the driver loses control of the IS-F and rides the cement barricade, obliterating a number of miniature traffic cones in the process.
We don’t know how it went wrong all of a sudden, but it is pretty embarrassing for the dude behind the wheel of the IS-F. Here you are expected to wow a crowd with your supposedly sick drifting skills, but instead, you end up being the butt of jokes and a permanent resident of You Tube’s crack list of "Fail!" videos.
2011 hasn’t been the best year for Lexus on the North American market. The world crisis combined with the massive earthquake that shook Japan to its core in March 2011 hurt the company’s sales and made it surrender its 11-year reign as the best-selling luxury brand in the United States. However, Lexus has plans to make a major comeback, announcing plans to offer nine new or updated products to hopefully increase their sales by about 21%. This translates to 240,000 units compared to 2011’s 198,552 units.
"We will grow more than any other luxury brand this year. Our base plan is 240,000. But we think we can exceed that by a pretty good margin," said Mark Templin, Lexus General Manager.
The list of new models includes the GS 350 and GS 450h sport sedans arriving in February, followed by reworked versions of the ES 350, the IS 250 and 350, the LS 460, and the 600h. The LX SUV will also be refreshed in 2012.
But the biggest news for 2012 is the LF-LC Hybrid Concept shown at the 2012 Detroit Auto Show. This concept will be immediately followed by a production version priced somewhere between $100,000 and $130,000.
After we have seen the IS-F Circuit Club Sport Concept last year, Lexus has announced today the production version that wants to be a competitor for the BMW M3 GTS. The car has been designed by Toyota Racing Development and seems to be heavily inspired by the concept.
The new IS-F Club Sport features a series of technological and aerodynamic upgrades, including a new front spoiler, rear diffuser and hood all made in carbon fiber. And because this is a car about sportiness at the rear it gets a huge rear wing and of course a new set of light forged alloys.
On the performance section the car has received a performance damper kit offering two separate settings that independently adjust the compression, a TRD limited-slip differential and a TRD big brake kit. Under the hood the 5.0-litre V8 engine remained intact, meaning it still delivers 423 HP, but thanks to the other upgrades the 0 to 60 mph sprint time and top speed will be significantly improved, although we don’t have the official numbers just yet.
In its standard version, the Lexus IS 350C is powered by a 3.5-liter V6 that delivers 306 HP, but at the 2011 SEMA Auto Show, VIP Auto Salon is going to show what the convertible is truly capable. Their new tuning package for the IS 350C will push out an additional 80 HP, as well as look exceptional good doing it.
The kit starts off right where we like it: the engine. VIP Auto Salon installed a power enterprise Rotex Supercharger kit by Apexi x VIP Auto Salon and a PTS Joe Z Series header back exhaust system to get a total output of 386 HP. The performance will undoubtedly be improved with this extra power, as well as the custom carbon fiber styling package including a front lip spoiler, side diffusers, rear diffusers, a rear trunk spoiler, eye lines, and a Seibon carbon fiber hood.
The exterior looks exquisite in a cool Chameleon paint by K&W enhanced by a Huper Optik ceramic film by STM. The final touch for the exterior is laid out with a new set of 19" Full-Face forged alloy wheels. The interior is then updated with custom seat inserts by Top Stitch, an F-Sport carbon shift knob, F-Sport floor mats, and an F-Sport carbon fiber engine cover.
All told, the Lexus IS 350C is a convertible we can all see ourselves driving to the beach in.
Toyota’s luxury division, Lexus, has made no bones about their aggressive approach in trying to compete against the big boys from Europe. Some might think that it’s a case of these guys biting off more than they could chew, but if you believe in them, then the Lexus IS-F just may be the car that will get the brand the kind of respect it deserves.
Since 2010, the IS-F has offered plenty of impressive technical elements with complementary aesthetic improvements, the new model of the IS-F will definitely get you to notice it. The powertrain - a 5.0-liter V8 engine - remains the same, but that shouldn’t hinder the car from being something that customers take a real good look at. After all, it still comes with 417 horsepower and is capable of hitting a top speed of 167 mph.
In a market dominated by cars like the BMW M3, the 2012 Lexus IS-F is going to need about as much ammo as it can carry to be able to stand up against the big boys. For the 2012 model, Lexus did enough to convince us that they just might have something on their hands.
Find out more about the 2010-2012 Lexus IS-F after the jump.
