2008 Tokyo Auto Salon: Lexus IS-F racer unveiled
click above for high-res images of the IS F Racing Concept from TAS
Lexus quietly trotted out its IS-F Racing Concept last week at the Tokyo Auto Salon, but despite the official unveiling, more questions than answers remain about the future of the DTM-inspired sedan.
According to Winding Road, the racer was the brainchild of the IS-F's chief engineer, Yukihiko Yaguchi, who wanted to create a vehicle that further expanded the credentials of the IS-F. Unfortunately, when Peter Nunn questioned the Toyota folks about what plans it had for the concept, he was met with resounding silence.
Rumors are swirling that this particular concept is nothing more than a design study, with no intention of campaigning a similar IS-F competitively. However, Lexus is supposedly working on an IS-F to campaign in the SuperGT GT300 series in Japan, with the SC430-based racer soldiering on in the GT500 class. More surprising is that the IS-F currently being developed by the Japanese Bandoh team might be sporting a mid-engine configuration. We're not sure if that's going to sit well with SuperGT officials, but testing of the race car is expected to begin at Suzuka towards the end of February and we'll know more then.
Autoblog Chinese snapped off a handful of images of the IS-F Racing Concept in person while at the Tokyo Auto Salon and you can check them out in the gallery below.
[Source: Winding Road]
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Reader Comments (Page 2 of 2)
namegoeshere 3:23PM (1/17/2008)
This is a TRACK CAR.
The aerodynamic work is FUNCTIONAL.
It is completely unreasonable to compares it to a GT-R, the two couldn't be more different.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 3:57PM (1/17/2008)
Given Lexus' comments:
'Rumors are swirling that this particular concept is nothing more than a design study, with no intention of campaigning a similar IS-F competitively.'
You must have a different meaning of functional than I do. If this car were really campaigned, it would be functional, but as a show car, it's by definition for show (maybe show is a function?).
Allan 3:37PM (1/17/2008)
I want one...
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Spaceweasel 4:05PM (1/17/2008)
I love the look of DTM racers. Give me more!
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JayTee 4:02PM (1/17/2008)
Just like you can't expect a dog to sh*t gold, you can't expect Toyota to know how to build anything with a faint resemblances of a performance car...
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hokiebird 4:10PM (1/17/2008)
Does this one have an automatic transmission also?
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hashiryu 6:09PM (1/17/2008)
Assuming it is a touring type car, it would probably have an auto or sequential race transmissions. Not many, if any, real race cars today use manuals.
why not the LS2/LS7? 1:10AM (1/18/2008)
Most touring series do not allow computer shifted transmissions. So even though they have a single fore/aft bump shifter, they typically have to lift when upshifting and have to lift, blip and rev match when downshifting.
The rules vary a little by series (DTM varies a lot), but this is the general case for touring cars.
Temple 12:38AM (1/18/2008)
Mid-engined is allowed with SuperGT car, you can place the engine in any configuration as long as the engine is in mass production, but the original chassis can't be modified from the production version.
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why not the LS2/LS7? 4:13AM (1/18/2008)
What does it mean that chassis must be unmodified? The chassis in SuperGT are heavily modified. The frame is largely replaced with a tube frame.
Even wikipedia has this info.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/SuperGT
nagmashot 1:59AM (1/18/2008)
looking closely at the pictures I have the feeling that this is a real car turned into a DTM looking race car... even with the giant roll cage installed..
DTM race cars are tube frame racers with a front midengine layout with the driver sitting in a carbon crash box similar to F1 close to the rear seats of a normal road car far back in the car to improve weight balance..
The rear wing is normed for all cars. The whole body of a DTM is carbon easy to remove and only the siluett of a road going car.
DTM is by far the most extrem form of a touring race car and is as far away from production cars as a F1 racer.
Next to the overall look a DTM racer shares nothing with a production model.
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Grain 11:44AM (1/18/2008)
That looks awesome.
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nagmashot 1:02PM (1/20/2008)
This car is no Lexus...
Autobild published today the true...
Lexus bought a 2004 Opel Vectra DTM race car and modded the chassie to Lexus IS-F look... the rest of the car is orginal Opel including the V8 engine under the hood..
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