On what might be the best temporary 'cone and line' track I've ever driven around, the IS impressed. My novice interpretation of
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| On what might be the best temporary 'cone and line' track I've ever driven around, the IS impressed. (Photo: Lexus) |
a racecar driver, filled with shaky inputs and innate jabs at the brake and throttle, promptly caused a frenzy of light-flashing and the on-alert response of the safety nets to cut in. This, mind you, is to be expected. With the aid of Lexus' professional staff on hand, showing proper technique, I quickly found myself slicing through cones faster, without forcing the electrics into five-alarm state.
My hat is tipped to those in charge of the development; provided you know what you're doing, the system stays quiet and should keep enthused drivers pleased. Initial impressions of agility and balance give way to a surefooted confidence created by the well-weighted, if not slightly artificial steering, and the tail end's vice grip on the road. The VDIM's advanced program allows you to actually make good use of its g-force generating brakes,
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Switching from RWD to AWD, the same good news can be applied, with a few minor exceptions. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)
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perfect weight distribution and nimble agility, at speeds and situations otherwise unimaginable. Nail the throttle midpoint in a corner, and prepared to be greeted with the tail stepping out. Big smiles? You bet.
Switching from RWD to AWD, the same good news can be applied, with a few minor exceptions. Like the GS, it's a permanent system that utilizes a multi-plate clutch to distribute power between front and rear axles with a standard rear bias. It's not as advanced as some of the other all-wheel drive systems on the market, but it does the job, delivering up to 50 percent of the power to the front wheels. With power flowing through a differential at the front end, the IS AWD is slightly less eager on turn-in and understeers more at its limit, but it makes up for it on faster corners where all four wheels simply grip and go.
