With that said, on looks alone the IS is up to the task. If you're a regular reader, you'll know that a few of us within our three Canadian
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| Given that blending into the crowd is no longer part of the corporate agenda, the new IS looks bold and beautiful. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
offices are fans of the new L-Finesse design language, the tool that Lexus has armed itself with to create a new, younger, sportier image. Given that blending into the crowd is no longer part of the corporate agenda, and inoffensive styling is so "last year", Lexus has chosen the perfect time to show that it can be recognized on its own merit, and not just a brand that builds glorified Japanese domestic market Toyotas.
Where the old IS was an oddity in the luxury division's range, the latest car actually defines what Lexus, under its new L-Finesse styling direction, is. As this is the smallest and sportiest Lexus, it retains some of the previous IS' sharp edges and spunk, which contrasts the softer, rounder GS, and the recently announced LF-Sh concept. The IS is attractive, and through its scalloped doors, character lines that sweep from bumper through hood, and angular lights, it catches the eye without resorting to a garish grille treatment or frumpy bottom. Even
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| More amazing still, is the fact that the new IS looks as good as it does and produces an aerodynamic drag coefficient as low as it does. (Photo: Justin Couture, Canadian Auto Press) |
though the trademark clear taillights have disappeared, the short overhangs and upright rear end design strengthen the link between old and new model.
More amazing still, is the fact that the new IS looks as good as it does and produces an aerodynamic drag coefficient as low as it does. The biggest and most expensive Lexus, the LS 430, slips through the air with efficiency, due as much to its flush surfaces as to its carved-block shape. And the shapely IS? Surprisingly close to the LS at 0.27 Cd, even when fat tires, rakish body panels and wing mirrors appropriate for a jumbo jet are factored in. Hidden tricks such as tail lamp fins reduce drag, and air-splitters in front of the wheels and valance give this "un-spoilered", and therefore unspoiled sedan zero body lift, a major contributor to the sticks-like-glue feeling it achieves at higher speeds.
