2022 Lexus IS 350

LEXINGTON, Ohio — That feeling of driving inspiration I tend to get after a long day of watching racing hits me hard. Hours of observing others — professional racers — tear it up on track always leaves me with a desire to do the same, which in reality, is a dangerous feeling to have. Outside those racetrack grounds are public roads with speed limits, other motorists and a million other factors. Nevertheless, I’m feeling rather giddy in the 2022 Lexus IS 350 F Sport after leaving the Lexus Grand Prix at Mid-Ohio Sports Car Course. Lexus invited me down to watch the race where a pair of Lexus RC Fs run by Vasser Sullivan Racing were competing. I rode along for a hot lap in a modified IS 500 F Sport Performance with one of the team’s pro drivers between races, and while that car’s V8 is rather intoxicating, I still find myself really digging the 3.5-liter V6 in the humble IS 350 F Sport on Ohio’s winding back roads. Before leaving the track, I check the box on Google Maps to “avoid highways,” and point the IS down any road vaguely heading in the right direction that looked curvy in search of somewhere to enjoy Lexus’ recently-updated sport sedan. Being the F Sport model, there is some hope for fun. All IS 350 F Sports get a unique (and louder) exhaust, 19-inch wheels, larger 265-section-width rear tires, a cold air intake and an interior “sound generator” that pumps some extra noise into the cabin. What this car doesn’t have, is the Dynamic Handling Package available on IS F Sport models. This adds an adaptive suspension and lighter BBS forged wheels. Additionally, this IS is the all-wheel-drive version, so it doesn’t have the Torsen limited-slip rear differential or the extra-sporty “Sport S+” drive mode available on the rear-wheel-drive version. Despite this IS 350 F Sport being in mildly sporty dress, the trip starts out on a promising note. Much of the happiness derived from driving this sedan comes courtesy of its naturally aspirated V6 engine. It puts out a healthy 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque, good enough for a 0-60-mph sprint of 5.7 seconds. Peak power is made at 6,600 rpm, which means you need to keep the pedal buried and work for the acceleration.  Others in this sport sedan class have long since made boosted four-cylinders the go-to powertrain, making this naturally aspirated engine a breath of fresh air. It may not have the low-down, effortless torque of a BMW 330i or Alfa Romeo Giulia, but it makes up for that in a trumpet of angry bees reverberating throughout the interior at full chat. The F Sport exhaust, intake and synthesized noise combine for a sweet, sweet sound that I call upon over and over. Even with the windows down and wind whipping through the cabin, that V6 sings clear as day. Each trip up the tachometer isn’t as quick as it should be though, and the …
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