Making predictions is not our specialty. If it were, we wouldn't stay home on Saturday nights waiting for a respectable episode of SNL to come on. Instead we'd know that every episode would be crappy and spend our time at clubs waiting for women to finally break down and let us take them home. But with the release of the all-new Lexus IS 250 and IS 350, predicting the future became a lot easier. Nostradamus would be proud of us.
The new IS family will undoubtedly become the hottest rides on the 2006 market. But before we reveal any information on this new luxury sports sedan, let's take a look into the future (The future, Conan?), and explore the impending effects the IS 250 and IS 350 will have on our industry.
We envision customized IS 250s and IS 350s adorning the cover of every tuner magazine in the industry. Car shows will be littered with them, uptight rich kids will ask their parents to get them one, and some crazy Japanese aftermarket company will trick one out for drifting. We will see turbochargers, body kits, suspension parts, and air fresheners made specifically for the car. Rappers will rhyme about it, R&B cats will drive it in their music videos, and R. Kelly will pee on it. It's the wave of the automotive tuning future.
Coming in three different models (IS 250, IS 250 AWD, and IS 350), the longer, wider, and roomier IS sedan exceeds its predecessor, the IS 300, which was slower and sported an outdated, boxy look. The new IS line will offer a high-output, direct-injection V6 engine, arriving in either a 2.5L (4GR-FSE) or 3.5L (2GR-FSE) version. The motor will feature a dual VVT-i all-alloy construction and unique castings for the cylinder head. The 2.5L will run on a 205hp output, while the 3.5L will use all of 306 hp to help run down the likes of BMW, Mercedes Benz, and Acura with a speed of 0-60 in 5.6 seconds. Each model will sport the Smart Entry and Start (first in its class), which will allow you to start the car at a push of a button, while liberating your pockets of annoying keys.
The drivetrain comes in either a new six-speed manual or a sequential-shift six-speed automatic. The manual transmission is only available on the IS 250, in order to take full advantage of its free-revving 2.5L engine. The automatic will be available for all models, providing smooth and crisp shifts for comfort and response. Steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters are also available for the automatic to help the driver feel like an F1 racer and to help you keep both hands on the steering wheel. The most radical change is the all-wheel-drive alternative, becoming the second in the Lexus family to offer the platform, after the 2006 GS 300.
The exterior styling has drastically improved with a strong body structure and smoother lines. And, of course, Lexus got rid of the awful IS 300 taillights (the Altezzas, remember those? Bleh!) and replaced them with a taillight that features an air kicker, clearing the airflow around the rear corners to reduce drag. The new look is sportier and meaner than the IS 300, making it less of a girlie car. The wheels and tires will probably see more of the garage than the road since the first thing a tuner will do is get some 18-inch wheels and high-performance tires. But we'll talk about them briefly, for the sake of getting a description ready for eBay once you decide to sell the set. The IS will come standard with 17-inch alloys and all-season tires, with optional 18-inch wheels and Dunlop SportMaxx performance tires if you're feeling frisky. The one fancy aspect about the stock wheels is that they have a tire pressure warning system to notify you of a flat tire before you careen off the road. But if you do crash, you'll be safe with airbags galore to protect your grille, knees, and ribs. Even your passengers will be safe with double-row curtain shield airbags. Of course, the IS cars will also come with seat belts (Thank God for that!).