Lexus IS500 Preview

is500_2.jpg

Nihon Car and Bike posted these scans from a Japanese magazine offering a look at how the Lexus IS500 looks like. The Lexus IS500 is Lexus’ opponent for BMW’s M3 and the Mercedes Benz C63 AMG.

Quad tailpipes on the rear are a tell tale of the enormous power than lurks under the hood, rumoured to be Toyota’s 2UR-FSE engine – a 5 litre V8 that makes 420hp at 5,800rpm and 550Nm of torque at 3,800rpm.

Another front shot after the jump.

is500_1.jpg

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Paul Tan

After dabbling for years in the IT industry, Paul Tan initially began this site as a general blog covering various topics of personal interest. With an increasing number of readers paying rapt attention to the motoring stories, one thing led to another and the rest, as they say, is history.

 

Comments

  • Isamu (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 6:02 am

    Design-wise, I really have to admit that the Lexus brand really improves a lot in the recent years.. Fantastic-looking car..!!

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  • maxtek (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 6:31 am

    Personally, I think Lexus shouldn't try to be "better" than the continental cars, instead stay in the range of affordable jap cars with luxury values.

    By the way Lexus, your trick-or-treat costume looks like the homologation version of the Limited Edition BMW 3 Series. (Stealing designs, that's what I truly hate.)

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  • OtakOtak (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 6:42 am

    Guna AP impot masuk sebagai CBU dengan ED/ST NAP, harganya ahem …… sekurang-kurangnya RM 1 juta sahaja …….

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  • mystvearn (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 7:10 am

    Rear looks like new Camry, front looks like Current Accord

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  • ryan_foong80 (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 7:12 am

    lOOks sO pOwErFul …!!!! Grrrrr…

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  • jtshin (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 8:00 am

    aiks… looks like the BMW 5..

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  • topgunthang (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 8:10 am

    i think this is what the IS250 needed…. a serious power boost plus also a simple button to shut of the electronic driving aids instead of that 10 time pedal stepping manuevure thing to do it.

    body design is already a winner for the IS250. just need better driving dynamics to compete with the 3 series.

    one of the better designs we're seeing nowadays for affordable performance luxury sedans. i think they used the design a bit for the camry instead of the other way around. nice clean design. the car certainly looks alot betteer in real life…esp in black.

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  • V_NoZ (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 8:18 am

    i guess they have made a mistake here.. if they were to launch this car anytime before the M3. iam sure bmw will not let this go by. well good luck lexus.. nice move to fit those lubang like the M3/M5

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  • king (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 9:34 am

    aren't those M3 wheels?

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  • Paul Tan on Aug 10, 2006 at 9:44 am

    http://paultan.org/archives/2006/06/03/bmw-f10-5-…

    i find the rear photo very similiar to the one in the post above.

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  • cbljkkj (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 10:09 am

    The first photo looks interestingly similar to one of the official BMW M5 wallpapers. Even the quad pipes look exactly the same as the M5 ones, design and all. The side slatts are an obvious give-away. Looks really good we can only dream that it would look like this. IMHO, photoshop of the M5 wallpaper

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  • FarinaRacer (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 2:57 pm

    if i can afford to buy bmw or lexus..i will go for lexus…its rare in malaysia and i am big fan of toyota

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  • raybrig85 (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 3:22 pm

    i agree wit u farina…3 er and dis is…i will go for this car…looks muscular…younger….and fresh…

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  • drM (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 4:56 pm

    watch out M3..your speed (and time) has been numbered.hehehehe… certainly good looking car.

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  • KY (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 5:03 pm

    looks like the 5 series from the back.

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  • kitman (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 5:05 pm

    not much originality in design …….

    it looks like a bemmer 3 & 5 series mixed. kinda remind me of those chinese clone design of rav & crv.

    if i were rich enough to choose between this and a bemmer – it will be bmw for sure. outside us, i'll have to say "lexus what?"……

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  • Akazamabamaboo (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 5:46 pm

    Nice, though I think something is not quite right with the tail lights. And the wing mirrors would look more at home on an SUV rather than on a sports saloon. If I were as rich as a Sarawakian timber tycoon, I would get one in solid black.

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  • Akazamabamaboo (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 5:50 pm

    My God…420 horses? Sounds like a serious contender to the RS4! Now let us wait and see how it rides and handles…

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  • ckengyo (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 6:04 pm

    I dont think malaysians r wise enought 2 buy this 5000cc car from their OWN POCKET after they know how much they r going 2 pay 4 the roadtax.

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  • Hikaru (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 6:47 pm

    On paper it seems to have all the right ingredients and design wise isn't that far behind. For this Lexus to really excel, it all boils down to whether it can deliver the goods or not. We will only know when someone takes it for an extended drive.

    It's a tall order especially when the implicit target is the Ultimate Driving Machine.

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  • narrowband (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 6:49 pm

    This car is already a beauty in stock-form. Now with those sexy wheels and quad pipes… holy cow. That's orgasmic man.

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  • eric (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 7:21 pm

    you sure this isn't photoshopped? hmmm. looks agonisingly close to an M5's styling cues.. the tail lights also remind me of the new 3 series.

    but then again, am becoming more of a fan of Lexus.

    am soooo in lurve with those rims. haha.. damn the sexy. :D

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  • december (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 7:32 pm

    Every other car looks like some other car, get real, how incredibly different can a tailamp of a car be? Obviously there would be similarities, i hate comments like looks like camry, front like accord blah blah blah.Get real, thats really shallow.

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  • bummerboy (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 7:35 pm

    dont be surprised if the car is a hybrid with the 4.3l v-8 giving power output equivalent to 5l

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  • pirate (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 8:05 pm

    Lexus IS500 M-Sport anyone?

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  • mycar_stolen (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 8:08 pm

    Theophilus Chin

    is this also your pretty job ka? did you alter any M SERIes pics? hehehe just asking and compliments for all your good job on those cars.

    BTW you wont be hired by Proton..you will give hard times to them..only loser working with loser brand.

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  • V_NoZ (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 9:24 pm

    kudoS!!!! theo.. i hope to see more pic for this interesting blog! looking foward to more of photoshop stuff? anyways what programme did u use?

    cheers!

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  • szw (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 9:50 pm

    da exhaust reminds me of m5

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  • pirate (Member) on Aug 10, 2006 at 10:44 pm

    I don't think these are photoshopped pix. Notice that the 2nd pix has paper fold lines. Likely nicked from a brochure or mag.

    Overall, the IS200 is already sleeker and less fussy (read: more beautiful) than the E90. With this, it will be better than any M-Sport edition E90 (4-door sedan).

    The coupe-bodied E92 new M3 may be a different story though…

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  • ingolstadt (Member) on Aug 11, 2006 at 3:00 am

    M3, RS4, C55AMG, DEAD.

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  • topgunthang (Member) on Aug 11, 2006 at 8:36 am

    to beat the upcoming M3 is most likely impossible. i just hope it wont be too far behind. the styling is lexus's IS series. and it certainly looks alot better than the 5 series, M5 and 3 series sedan. Like pirate said, the coupe 3 series can compete in terms of looks.

    but i think this design is going to win lexus/toyota alot of fans. and i certainly hope they can improve on the lower end IS250 or 300/350 in terms of performance. more relevant to normal people. lexus quality and reliability already exceeds BMW even though not by much.

    It is the closest asia has to be called 'Asia's answer to BMW'. instead of that other company that had the ability to issue such a stupid and bold claim for such a lousy product.

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  • eric (Member) on Aug 12, 2006 at 3:12 am

    pirate, just because a picture is published in a magazine doesn't guarentee that it isn't photoshopped. :P

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  • pirate (Member) on Aug 12, 2006 at 8:09 pm

    True also dude!

    But trust me, my gut instinct sez this is the Real McCoy…

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  • topgunthang (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 2:18 am

    whether the pics are true or not. as long as they gonna enginneer a powerful engine into it and tweak the handling further is good enough since the base model already looks stunning.

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  • Bbingbong (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 9:14 pm

    aiya brg senang mcm pun bole jadi susah, if u want to know its tru or potocop, go to lexus website lar http://www.lexus.com/models/is/index.html …………benda senang pon x ble buat ka??

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  • Bbingbong (Member) on Aug 13, 2006 at 9:15 pm

    aiyakk.. this–> http://www.lexus.com/models/is/index.html

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  • BobMarley (Member) on Dec 07, 2006 at 4:38 am

    nice! Someone mentioned lexus might use a hybrid engine, I heard the same thing for the LF-H?

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