2008 Lexus IS F

2008 Lexus IS F - This first F (there’ll be more Lexus models with the F treatment soon, most likely) is a V-8–powered sledgehammer that rockets to 60 mph in 4.2 seconds—fleeter by 0.1 second than the new M3—has a 172-mph speed governor, and generates 0.92 g on the skidpad. It also keeps us grinning through hard track laps, even though the frequent fill-ups of premium were inhaled by street driving at the rate of 16 mpg. We’ll have to wait until March, 2008, when the IS F goes on sale at an expected price around $59,000 to see how many buyers are interested in a wicked-performing Lexus.

Developed in cooperation with Yamaha, the IS F’s engine, or the 2UR-GSE as Toyota calls the 416-hp variant of the 389-hp 5.0-liter V-8 found in the LS600h hybrid, sans hybrid gear, is peakier, actually losing 17 pound-feet of torque on the operating table as the changes pushed the horsepower and torque peak higher up the revs. Solid lifters and titanium intake valves with 10 percent more lift reside in new higher-flow cylinder heads. At full throttle above 3400 rpm, a barn door in the box snaps open with vacuum released from a small reservoir, and the unleashed induction noise is raw and thrilling.

At leisure speeds, the air is hushed, Lexus-like, with just a distant snort from the engine and the extra thrum of the fat summer Michelins disturbing the peace. Given the low profile of the rubber mounted to the 19-inch forged aluminum rims, the ride is tightly controlled but commendably mellow. The ride-and-handling balance is perhaps the IS F’s biggest achievement. It makes allowances for road fissures and drops the body into holes with cushioned lurches.

The all-important sport button also perks up throttle response and relaxes the stability-control system to allow some controlled tail-out action. Lexus also allows you to shut the system completely off, but the shutdown can only be called for while at full stop. Brembo-sourced front calipers on broad cross-drilled rotors deliver solid braking but with a soft pedal.

The muted interior, the slightly watery controls, the heavy price tag; the IS F is at core a Lexus with extra muscle, not as raw as the BMW M3 or Mercedes C63 AMG. The next steps for F may decide if the performance sub-brand thrives or is only a brief experiment.

2008 Chevrolet Corvette

2008 Chevrolet Corvette - It’s an annoying trait. Although a Corvette can be driven at ludicrously high speeds around a racetrack—an ’07 Vette outran an Audi R8 and Porsche 911 Turbo in our second-annual Lightning Lap runoff at Virginia International Raceway [August 2007]—it can make even experienced drivers nervous on a challenging public road. The Porsche 911, for instance, may not be as quick on the track as a Vette, but it’s far more satisfying because it imparts the same level of confidence that one gets from driving a Mazda Miata.

Our hope was that, with the “improved steering feel,” the Vette would now be as user-friendly as it is fast. To help discover if this were the case, we brought along a 2007 model for comparison.

We drove the old car first and immediately were reminded of the numb steering we’d noticed before. The effort is light at parking-lot speeds but then abruptly gets heavier with no apparent benefit as the speed rises. When driving through a turn at moderate speeds, the steering is heavy enough to give the impression that the car is working hard, when in fact it’s not.

Most of the curvy roads near our offices have broken pavement and are bumpy—this is Michigan, after all, a place where blacktop is beaten up by the weather and a shrinking state budget. These bumps, especially when they’re in the middle of a turn, still present a problem for the Vette. The car will skip sideways, which makes drivers understandably nervous.

Even so, we found ourselves driving through the turns 5 to 10 mph faster in the new car than in the old. Because both cars had the same unchanged-for-2008 Z51 suspension package that includes larger brakes, shorter gear ratios, and a stiffer suspension, we didn’t expect such a dramatic difference. We even rechecked the pressures in the Goodyear tires to make sure they hadn’t been overinflated, which would make the new Vette jumpy over the bumps, but they were all at the factory-recommended setting of 30 psi. Clearly, then, the changes have made a huge improvement in the Chevy’s handling.

Since there were no changes to the brakes or tires, the skidpad and braking measurements remain about the same as the old car’s. The Vette requires 161 feet to stop from 70 mph and grips the pavement to the tune of 0.95 g, both stellar results.

Potential buyers should definitely pop for the $1195 optional exhaust system. This freer-flowing system uncorks another six horsepower, thanks to a vacuum-operated butterfly valve that opens at 2850 rpm, but more important, it gives the Corvette the raucous roar it deserves.

We also recommend the new, optional upgraded interior. It unfortunately comes wrapped in the 4LT group that includes side airbags, a power-telescoping steering wheel, a Bose stereo and CD changer, and heated seats, so it’s pricey at $8005. But the stitched leather that covers the dash and door panels gives the interior a much more expensive look than the base model’s.

Other changes for ’08 include new wheels—the only exterior difference—and a standard auxiliary input for the radio. The best things about the Corvette remain, however: It’s comfortable, with its surprisingly compliant ride, excellent automatic climate control, and light clutch effort that’s now complemented by a shifter that glides relatively easily into gear. (The engineers redesigned the shift linkage for lighter, more direct throws.) The Vette is one of those sports cars that you wouldn’t hesitate to drive daily. It even has a roomy 22-cubic-foot rear cargo area.

2008 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro Roadster

2008 Audi TT 3.2 Quattro Roadster - For 2008, the TT—still largely based on the latest Golf platform, but with extensive use of aluminum throughout—has gotten an overtly sporty makeover, starting with a crisper, chiseled evolution away from its rounded-sheetmetal roots. That philosophy also carries over into steering that’s quicker to react (although it doesn’t offer much feedback), deeply sculpted seats, and a far stiffer structure. Audi isn’t shy about this, having tuned the TT’s suspension in a way that introduces you to each and every pothole.

The makeover worked: In our June $35,000 coupe comparo [“Four of a Kind”], a TT 2.0T finished second to a Mazda RX-8, and we said the Audi “performs like a proper sports car.”

The fully automated clothtop is a model of simplicity, as it folds neatly behind the seats in just 12 seconds. Even better is a power-operated wind blocker that noticeably reduces top-down turbulence in the cabin. That cabin, by the way, is extremely well finished—with beautiful gauges, top-notch brushed-aluminum trim, and an R8-like flat-bottomed steering wheel—but lacks the thoughtful design of the original.

The new demeanor is backed by a credible 0.91-g skidpad run. Although some lift-throttle oversteer can be induced, the TT is still fighting a front-drive layout with front-heavy weight distribution. Combine bumps with turns, and the TT gets flustered.

All S tronic–equipped TTs now come with launch control, which, in this case, brings engine revs to 3200 rpm and then dumps the clutch with a satisfying squawk from the front tires. Above 4000 rpm, the iron-block V-6 snarls with an athletic rasp absent in other cars with this engine. However, getting to 60 mph in 5.8 seconds and through the quarter-mile in 14.5 at 95 mph is nothing to get excited about in this class, and it’s just 0.1 second quicker in the quarter than the 2.0T coupe from the comparo.

Which brings us to the problem that inevitably emerges when scrutinizing VW/Audi products with these two engine choices: We can’t justify stepping up to the 3.2, no matter how much more standard equipment it includes. The 3.2 roadster (with S tronic) starts at $46,675, which is more than the better-in-every-way (except looks, perhaps) Porsche Boxster. Meanwhile, the 3.2’s performance isn’t hugely better than a 2.0T roadster’s, and the extra 300 or so pounds make the 3.2 feel much heavier and less willing.