mikeavelli

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Kirk Kreifels was there too? Hopefully Lexus will reward their loyal customer base, that were loyal even in times of hardships. Not that it is finished globally, but life goes on. I believe they will.


Looks like it was a great time with alot of positive hope at the event.

Excited for what is coming. Wohoo!

He was. I personally invited him around the same time Lexus PR did as I was inviting “influencers”. We chat a bit now and he’s a really nice guy. Met him in person and he took the hot laps as a passenger in my LC.

I’m going to write things up maybe tomorrow, traveling back to Atlanta.
 
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I wish we could get the BBS matte black wheels on the regular IS500. I think the enkei wheels are little too busy. I initially didn’t like the matte black wheels but then I saw them in person and they have grown on me since.
 

mikeavelli

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I’ll have a separate thread for this one maybe... this was a secret project I helped build in collaboration with Lexus Racing, Vasser Sullivan, Buckhead Imports and the Decal Source.

It was a crazy week and a half to say the least. At the event in Sebring, people seemed to love it.


Exclusive! Lexus IS 500 F SPORT PERFORMANCE VASSER SULLIVAN TRIBUTE EDITION!

 

bogglo

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If you can't beat them join them.

I wish the F sport performance started few years back and the GS got lucky enough to get a variant. the IS500 and the GSF will definitely be cross shoped especially once the IS500 start hitting the used market. The weight is a great selling point though.
 

mikeavelli

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If you can't beat them join them.

I wish the F sport performance started few years back and the GS got lucky enough to get a variant. the IS500 and the GSF will definitely be cross shoped especially once the IS500 start hitting the used market. The weight is a great selling point though.

I feel the IS 500 is a bit of a spiritual successor to the beloved GS 400. That’s how I kinda see it. Nearly as big and note that fat c pillar like the GS 400.
Many of us postulated the GS F should have been a 500 and not a real F. While it handles great it is way too down on power.
 
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Faisal Sheikh

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I haven't driven the GSF but going by the reviews I've read, it had the chassis to handle M5 competition power but was given an ISF powertrain instead.

It was the 2nd gen 2UR. Is it not the same as the ISF? No, in the sense they don't share any parts except the bottom end. Without going into details, rest of it was completely new as they were aiming for a high-revving model in order to extract the 56 additional HP. The 2nd gen 2UR owners cannot swap parts with ISF and vice versa.

GSF's main advantage over the F10 M5 was that it was by far the lightest in its class compared to the F10 M5, RS7 and E63. It was undercutting them by up to 400 lbs. 4100 lbs is very light in this class. Also, the TVD helped big time in terms of responsiveness.
 
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mikeavelli

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It was the 2nd gen 2UR. Is it not the same as the ISF? No, in the sense they don't share any parts except the bottom end. Without going into details, rest of it was completely new as they were aiming for a high-revving model in order to extract the 56 additional HP. The 2nd gen 2UR owners cannot swap parts with ISF and vice versa.

GSF's main advantage over the F10 M5 was that it was by far the lightest in its class compared to the F10 M5, RS7 and E63. It was undercutting them by up to 400 lbs. 4100 lbs is very light in this class. Also, the TVD helped big time in terms of responsiveness.

Correct, I believe 70% was new. Unfortunately too many Is F guys say “iTs tHe sAmE EnGiNe”
 

Faisal Sheikh

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Correct, I believe 70% was new. Unfortunately too many Is F guys say “iTs tHe sAmE EnGiNe”

The engine was pretty much all new except the lower block.

True, I have been asked "so it has the ISF engine just with 56 more HP?". I hate sounding like a snob, but I bought the car firstly for its engine's high/free revving character. I was going to buy an '11 E90 M3 sedan with 6 speed manual before I switched to the RCF. I have driven an ISF and it is an incredible car. One of the best Lexus ever made, but the engine feels different from this 2nd gen in terms of power delivery.
 
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ssun30

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The engine was pretty much all new except the lower block.

True, I have been asked "so it has the ISF engine just with 56 more HP?". I hate sounding like a snob, but I bought the car firstly for its engine's high/free revving character. I was going to buy an '11 E90 M3 sedan with 6 speed manual before I switched to the RCF. I have driven an ISF and it is an incredible car. One of the best Lexus ever made, but the engine feels different from this 2nd gen in terms of power delivery.
Toyota made a "mistake" when the ESTEC engines were not given a new family name, hence the notion "Toyota is using 15-year-old engines" when most of them are very modern for mid-2010s ICE technology. ESTEC engines have very little parts commonality with previous generation (20-30%). In fact many car manufacturers have not caught up to ESTEC in efficiency even today.
 

Faisal Sheikh

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Toyota made a "mistake" when the ESTEC engines were not given a new family name, hence the notion "Toyota is using 15-year-old engines" when most of them are very modern for mid-2010s ICE technology. ESTEC engines have very little parts commonality with previous generation (20-30%). In fact many car manufacturers have not caught up to ESTEC in efficiency even today.

Yes exactly. It is pretty much a brand new engine, really. Only the bottom end block is the same and rest is all-new. The engine code 2UR is what makes people think it is the same engine updated. When I drove the S65 E90 M3, I wanted a high-rev V8 from that day. Finally, when I was ready to buy an E90 M3 sedan, RCF came out. Though, it does not rev to 8200 rpm, I found it to be just as rev-happy, intoxicating. sonorous and intense as the S65 V8 especially with a full exhaust.

The S65 V8 was my benchmark when I drove the RCF first time. The biggest difference I found was, power delivery. Even though, RCF is about 300 lbs heavier, I found the power delivery a lot more powerful everywhere in the rev range in the 2UR. You can really feel the additional 100 ft-lbs of torque everywhere over 3000 rpm. On the other hand, it feels just as inertia-free as the S65 despite the 1.0 Liter additional displacement. The S65 engine was absolutely a laggard until 6500 rpm. After 4 years, I think now the 2UR is actually superior to the highly acclaimed and adored S65 V8. Lexus really created a masterpiece here.

Relevant to the thread, this is a list of all of the new things they released in 2015 for 2UR in the RCF press release. Rev limit was raised by 500 rpm to just under 7.5K.




New or redesigned parts include:

  • Cylinder heads and cam covers
  • Crankshaft: crank pin diameter, connecting rod big-end bearing size and crank counter-weight size are all reduced, to reduce reciprocating weight
  • Crank main bearings and caps
  • High-strength forged connecting rods
  • Pistons and piston rings
  • Titanium inlet and exhaust valves
  • Intake manifold and throttle body
  • Redesigned Variable Valve Timing-intelligent Electric motor (VVT-iE)
  • Revised Lexus D-4S dual injection system
  • Four-into-one exhaust headers and heat insulators
  • Oil pan and baffle plate
  • Alternator clutch system
  • Engine and transmission oil coolers
  • Spark plugs

Digging Into the Metal

  • The new cylinder heads improve the 2UR-GSE engine’s breathing with improved porting and a high-flow/high tumble ratio. In addition, intake surge-tank capacity has been optimized, as have the intake manifold runner length and diameter.
  • The new oil pan baffle shape reduces agitation and hence friction, while new air-to-oil coolers for the engine oil and transmission fluid increase track suitability.
  • The Lexus D-4S dual-injection system has been redesigned, with higher injection pressure of 2,611 psi and improved fuel atomization.
  • The throttle diameter was increased by 10 percent, from 3 to 3.3 inches (84 mm).
  • A new intake camshaft profile increases valve lift and suits the Atkinson cycle, while improvements to the electronic VVT-iE system have expanded its range of operation for increased fuel economy and performance.
  • New four-into-two exhaust headers help reduce interference and hence further improve engine breathing. The larger-diameter exhaust system is designed to reduce backpressure and sound amazing, especially under acceleration. At the same time, the main muffler keeps things from getting too rowdy at lower speeds.
  • As a final touch, the new 2UR-GSE engine has a one-way clutch on the alternator pulley
 
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Levi

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Toyota made a "mistake" when the ESTEC engines were not given a new family name, hence the notion "Toyota is using 15-year-old engines" when most of them are very modern for mid-2010s ICE technology. ESTEC engines have very little parts commonality with previous generation (20-30%). In fact many car manufacturers have not caught up to ESTEC in efficiency even today.
True. But no one calls the S55 the same as the N55, S58 the same as the N58, and S63 the same as the N63. And no one cares the most expensive new BMW X8 will come with a 14 years old V8.
 

supra93

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In addition, there is information that "F" is planned for Lexus IS and LS, and it will debut at the earliest this year. The IS is the V8, 5L NA installed in the US specification "F Sport Performance", and the LS is the newly developed V6, 4L twin turbo. The IS F will be 481ps and the LS F will be 660ps.
 
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I'll be purchasing a used GS F later this year (assuming i can find one in the Canadian market once i return home as they are pretty rare to find). I will have my eyes set on a used LS F next year or the year after (also assuming it comes out this year) :D
 

flipside909

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I'll be purchasing a used GS F later this year (assuming i can find one in the Canadian market once i return home as they are pretty rare to find). I will have my eyes set on a used LS F next year or the year after (also assuming it comes out this year) :D

A pre-owned GS F in great condition is starting to get hard to find.
 
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A pre-owned GS F in great condition is starting to get hard to find.
I was thinking about the IS 500 as well as i wanted a sports turned sedan style V8 from Lexus. But the IS series has much less back passenger room than the GS series. I was really surprised when they announced the GS series would be discontinued