A next-generation Lexus IS development mule has been spotted at the Nürburgring, and Edmunds Inside Line has some photos:
Dressed up like a never-made IS F convertible, this test mule revealed elements of the rear suspension after engineers put the car on a lift at the Nürburgring and didn’t close the garage doors:
As Inside Line notes, this suspension appears to be based on the new GS setup:
Aluminum lower control arms replace the steel arms used on the current IS F, a nod to the fact that at 3,812 pounds, the current IS F sedan isn’t exactly a lightweight. Separate dampers and springs replace the coil-over configuration in the existing IS.
Now does this test mule mean that we’ll see a next-generation IS F convertible? It’s possible, but I can’t see it being available at launch — rather, I’m going to guess that Lexus is incorporating the handling improvements made to the 2011 IS F into the standard model, and chose to test using a convertible body.
What does everyone else think?
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