A definitive run up the narrow and winding Alisal-Santa Rosa Road from Solvang to Refugio Pass encapsulated all performance aspects of the IS 300 as it hunkered low on the rumpled and potholed blacktop and clawed through each hard curve. Toggles on a fat little steering wheel enable an aggressive driver to shift up and down sans clutch with only a flick of the thumb and without removing hands from wheel. Using the device makes you feel like a Formula One racer tearing through the esses on some Grand Prix circuit. A lively suspension system employs an independent double wishbone design with front upper control arms mounted high to block any nose dive when braking hard but also check against lateral roll when steering around a corner at speed. Steering, through a rack and pinion mechanism with power assistance, samples engine speed to adjust the power boost, so the wheel turns more readily at a lower rpm for parking lot maneuvers but feels stiff and firm at higher speeds on the road.
Power also applies to brakes, with big ventilated discs up front and solid ones in back.
In this application, the plant produces 215 hp at 5800 rpm and torque tuned to 218 lb-ft at 3800 rpm, with the intelligent Lexus continuously variable valve timing system operating to optimize valve overlap through the entire range of engine speeds. It's capable of propelling the car from zero to sixty miles an hour in only seven seconds. Heavy mechanical components stick between front and rear wheels to effect ideal chassis balance, with 54 percent of the total weight distributed on the front wheels and 46 percent sitting on the rear. At the rear, a stubby tail treatment reflects unusual clear-lens taillights remindful of those on the GS 300. Safety systems illustrate the Lexus commitment to engineer sturdy vehicles with structural integrity and multiple devices on hand working as active and passive safety measures.