Autoblog

FiveAxis Lexus IS-F at the 2007 LA Auto Show

When Lexus set out to target the likes of the BMW M3, Audi RS4 and Mercedes C63 AMG with its spankin' new IS-F, they weren't kidding. The V8 super-sedan turned out to be an astonishing departure for the Japanese luxury brand that cut its teeth on rock-solid reliability and luxurious comfort. Not content resting on its laurels, rumors are surfacing that Toyota is hard at work preparing an even more extreme variant, being dubbed in the motoring press as the IS-F/R.

Reports have Lexus tweaking an extra 12 horsepower and 4 lb-ft of torque out of the Yamaha-sourced 417-hp/372 lb-ft, 5.0-liter V8 for an increased output of 429 hp and 376 lb-ft of torque. A modest increase, it would seem, until you look at the targeted 220-lb weight reduction. And as we all know, a little more power unburdened by significantly less weight is a winning formula. Just ask the likes of the Ferrari 430 Scuderia, Lamborghini Gallardo SUperleggera, Porsche 911 GT2 et al.

The rumored price of admission? A whopping 11 million yen in Japan, compared to the 7.7 million yen for what suddenly looks by comparison like a rather ordinary "standard" IS-F. Pursuit of Perfection, indeed.

[Source: Winding Road]

click the image above for the gallery

Here's Top Gear's cure for their idiot dyno test that proved nothing. As much as we love Top Gear, their derision of the GT500 for producing a "mere" 447 horespower on a chassis dyno is pure BS. A 10-percent loss through the drivetrain is stellar, yet the spin from our snarky British friends was that it was somehow subpar. Kenne Bell has the antidote, and it's available in several stages of tune, from streetable to antisocial.

Since the GT500 is factory-equipped with a supercharger, the engine internals have been beefed up for boost, and a water to air intercooler is in place. The Kenne Bell system replaces the stock Eaton blower with its trademark Twin Screw system. The throttle body is also upsized to 75 millimeters versus the stock 60, but the rest of the intake tract remains stock. Rounding out the Stage 1 tuning is an ECU flash, and the end result is 606 horsepower at the rear wheels. Take that, Hamster and Clarkson! Changing out a few other intake components and fiddling with the drive pulley's diameter will net you Stage 2 or 3 tuning, delivering up to 692 horsepower on the rollers. Maybe this kit will serve to quiet some of the carping from the Top Gear pundits, but we think they just don't understand muscle cars. It's a different flavor of performance, that's for sure, and the Kenne Bell upgrades add even more spice.

Thanks for the tip, Drew

[Source: Mustang Life]

No ersatz diamonds here, but the Zirconia based coating from Zircotec in the UK will help your vehicle be more durable and powerful. The Zircotec ceramic coating was developed for the nuclear industry and has been proven in automotive applications by several Formula 1 teams. The purpose of the coating is to increase engine efficiency, improve aesthetics and improve thermal management. Older cars don't have the ability to manage the heat generated by their powertrain as effectively as more modern designs. There are also those pesky laws of thermodynamics and physics – a turbocharger housing is going to get bloody hot, no matter what. With a cherry red turbo snail, you'd best make sure anything that can burn or melt is well insulated. Coating parts like exhaust manifolds will improve engine efficiency by keeping the ambient temperature of the engine bay down, a by-product of which is lower intake plumbing temperatures. Turbocharged engines will also see a performance increase. The turbine is driven by the expansion of exhaust gas as it cools, and keeping the heat in the exhaust stream allows the turbos to spool harder. Engine blocks and intake manifolds also see benefits when coated, due to better insulation.

The Zircotec coating is so good at providing a thermal barrier that a motorcycle racing team discovered they could remove exhaust pipes without gloves, while the gasses coursing through the pipes were, uh, piping hot. The Zircotec coating sounds like it's well-suited to keeping your vintage sports car from cooking you, or making sure that the 502 you stuffed in your Chevette doesn't blister the paint on the quarter panels due to heat coming off the headers. We'd love to try it out and see for ourselves. No longer burning our fingerprints off on the hot parts underhood sounds like it might be worth the shipping.

More photos after the jump.

[Source: gizmag.com]

Everything new out of Mercedes-Benz doesn’t always reach our radar… that is until the acronym AMG enters the picture. Such is the case with the new generation E-Class. Announced at the New York Auto Show, we weren’t too taken aback by the new E-Class on account of its evolutionary upgrades, including a subtle restyle that begs not to be noticed.

If you feel a little too wet behind the ears to handle the 514-hp E63 AMG, then you could opt for the new AMG sports package that adds unique items like a new front apron with larger cooling inlets, a pair of chrome-tipped tailpipes and 18-inch five-spoke alloy wheels. While the sports package isn’t a true AMG overhaul since the engines in the E350 and E500 have been left alone, their suspensions have been firmed up with steel springs and their steering sharpened a bit. Cross-drilled rotors and special silver calipers also portend this package’s sporting intentions.

Inside the cockpit the AMG treatment continues with unique color combinations and the use of special ARTICO man-made leather. The seats have been recontoured to provide better lateral support and the stock steering wheel has been replaced with an AMG ergonomic sports steering wheel.

Despite the lack of engine upgrades, an E-Class with the AMG sports package will accelerate faster thanks to the 7G-TRONIC Sport transmission, which, when used in manual mode, will shave an additional .2 seconds off your blast to sixty.

Pricing for the new package ranges from € 4,611 to € 5,365 ($5,692 to $6,623 US). It will be available in June, although the fact MB provided pricing in Euro doesn’t bode well for North American inclusion anytime soon.

Follow the jump for more pics and DCX’s official release.

[Source: DaimlerChrysler]

Time was when the notion of "Lexus performance" was measured in terms of panel gaps and service intervals. But as part of Toyota's plan to add driving emotion to the brand, the upscale marque is reportedly considering opening a series of high-performance driving schools... not unlike that of Ferrari or Land Rover. 

According to Inside Line, the academy could possibly focus on more driving-dynamics oriented models, like the 2006 IS 350.

[Source: Edmunds Inside Line]