Verdict
S
Sport Sedan · Japan · 2008-2014
Lexus IS-F
Lexus's M3 fighter. 5.0L V8, 416bhp, naturally aspirated, manual nope.
Years
2008-2014
Generations
1
Segment
Sport Sedan
The IS-F was Lexus's first F-marque performance car — a 5.0L 2UR-GSE V8 making 416bhp dropped into the 2nd-gen IS shell. 8-speed automatic only (no manual), rear-wheel drive only, available 2008-2014. Production was small (~11,000 in America), reliability has been excellent, and the V8 sounds like nothing else in the segment. Used IS-Fs have stopped depreciating and are now creeping up. The IS-F is the cult Japanese performance sedan from this era.
Generations
Click any generation for the deep dive
2008-2014
USE20
The naturally-aspirated V8 super-sedan Lexus only built once.
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Known issues by generation
Common faults reported on each generation — useful when shopping the used market.
2008-2014 · USE20
- Variable valve timing actuator wear (late-life)
- Brembo rotor warping with track use
- Headlight ballasts fail
Rivals
BMW M3 E90 / E92 · Mercedes C63 AMG · Cadillac CTS-V