Lexus IS F confirmed with 417hp under the bonnet

[Plex]

Despite Lexus showing off its new sports sedan back in January at the Detroit Auto Show the company has been surprisingly tight-lipped about the number of horses kicking under the hood. However, today�s Japanese launch of the IS F allowed to officially state the figures as well as other details it hasn�t revealed before. The 5.0L V8 will develop 417hp (311kW) at 5,500rpm and 372lb.ft of torque, putting the IS F squarely in the same region as the BMW M3 and Audi RS4, its main competitors.

The engine will be mated to an 8-speed paddle-shift gearbox based on the one found in the LS460. Lexus has modified the transmission to offer a �M� mode for fast acceleration in first gear, while potentially limiting any damage caused by careless driving. The gearbox will also blip the throttle during downshifts to avoid jolts. The IS F has also had numerous suspension modifications, including new springs, shock absorbers, stabilizers tuned for the performance car. Sitting on 19in tires, the IS F uses large-diameter, wide 225/40R19 tires at the front and 255/35R19 tires at the rear for gripping the road and also gets a performance brake package.

Top speed is estimated by Lexus to be over 185mph, though the IS F will be limited to just 180km/h in its home market. Tellingly, the company forecasts just 500 sales a year in Japan but expects to sell over 5,000 in the U.S.

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