Quote:
Originally Posted by Pat@sonictuning
Good looking car. Besides missing a manual how was the overall driving experience with the ISF versus the BMW?
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My candid thoughts are that the ISF is an incredibly capable car both on the street and on the track. (Yes, I've had it at Summit Point one time...actually at the BMW CCA performance driving event last month) It's got gobs of power in some areas where the 335 is lacking a bit. The sound is entirely different and is usually described by most who ride in the car as "intoxicating" which is downright "un-Lexus-like". I love the way both the ISF and the 335 sound...particularly the 335 when mated with a free-flowing exhaust and dual cone filters that allow you to hear both the exhaust and the turbos spooling. As for shifting the car shifts .1 of second slower than an F1 car and some of the shifts will make the tires squeal and it's very easy to modulate with the paddles or the actual gear lever.
The downsides for me are that the ISF is not available in manual transmission and I really miss having 3 pedals and a traditional shift knob which is purely my preference now...I'm sure there will come a time when i'm ready to have just an automatic or auto w/ paddles but, I misjudged my being ready for that. Moreover, it gets pretty bad gas mileage compared to what I got in my 335 with the ISF getting 16-17 mpg average mixture highway/city driving and about 21 mpg on the highway when cruising in 8th gear. It's probably not terrible but I think it's exaggerated for me given that it only has a 14 gallon tank which makes for frequent fill-ups.
And on a side note, I really enjoy the process of modifying cars and there is virtually no aftermarket for this car which is shocking given that it's a japanese performance car. Aside from the usual intake, headers, exhaust, suspension, and wheels there is really no "room for growth". That said, I don't find myself really yearning for more power per se with the ISF but, I really miss the feeling when you add part to your car and can feel the difference that it made.