I had a chance to drive both the 350C and a manual 250 C
last Saturday at the Lexus event at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, CA. The top drops on both cars in 21 seconds while you hold the button down the full time. There is a gage/meter on the instrument panel, ala a computer program meter, to let you know the progress of the top drop, kind of cool.
The IS 350C had the "Full F" package, though the people there could not tell me what that was. It did have the "F" brakes, the exhaust, was lowered, but I could not see under the car to see anything else "F" wise. It was a fun ride with minimal wind nose even up around 60 MPH, the fastest I was able to take it due to traffafic on the prescribed road route. The leg wells are about 2-3" deeper then a normal IS due to the lengthened doors and frame siffening required for the drop top. Sound wise the F exhust is a waste of money on the C models as with the top down you can't hear the all to quiet F exhaust hardly at all. All in all a nice convertible ride.
Next I drove the IS 250C which had the true manual 6 speed tranny. Though 200 plus HP less then my IS-F, and 100 plus HP less then the IS 350 C, it was a blast to drive. The very nice clutch pedal let off and short throw shifter and TRUE manual tranny made this a fun car to drive. It supposedly had the "F" sway bard\s and brakes on it also though I could not see the "F" bars even though I got down on my hands and knees and tried to see it. But the car pointed in very nicely, responded to all driver inputs very well and really felt like it wanted to "run" and have some fun on the curvey course we went out on. Though I would LOVE to see the IS 350 with a true manual, the IS 250C with the manual was a ton of fun to drive.
The one limiting factor on all of the C cars IMHO, including the BMW competing line, is the total lack of trunk space when the top is down. There might be room for one golf bag, but no way could two fit in. And maybe you might get two small overnight bags in the trunk, but no 26" lug and tug suitcase is going to fit with the top down. Guess we'll have to drive to our weekend resorts with the top up and only put the top down once we've unloaded the trunk at the Resort?
Great fun with both cars and I highly suggest you check them both out at your local Lexus Dealer.
last Saturday at the Lexus event at the Pelican Hill Resort in Newport Beach, CA. The top drops on both cars in 21 seconds while you hold the button down the full time. There is a gage/meter on the instrument panel, ala a computer program meter, to let you know the progress of the top drop, kind of cool.
The IS 350C had the "Full F" package, though the people there could not tell me what that was. It did have the "F" brakes, the exhaust, was lowered, but I could not see under the car to see anything else "F" wise. It was a fun ride with minimal wind nose even up around 60 MPH, the fastest I was able to take it due to traffafic on the prescribed road route. The leg wells are about 2-3" deeper then a normal IS due to the lengthened doors and frame siffening required for the drop top. Sound wise the F exhust is a waste of money on the C models as with the top down you can't hear the all to quiet F exhaust hardly at all. All in all a nice convertible ride.
Next I drove the IS 250C which had the true manual 6 speed tranny. Though 200 plus HP less then my IS-F, and 100 plus HP less then the IS 350 C, it was a blast to drive. The very nice clutch pedal let off and short throw shifter and TRUE manual tranny made this a fun car to drive. It supposedly had the "F" sway bard\s and brakes on it also though I could not see the "F" bars even though I got down on my hands and knees and tried to see it. But the car pointed in very nicely, responded to all driver inputs very well and really felt like it wanted to "run" and have some fun on the curvey course we went out on. Though I would LOVE to see the IS 350 with a true manual, the IS 250C with the manual was a ton of fun to drive.
The one limiting factor on all of the C cars IMHO, including the BMW competing line, is the total lack of trunk space when the top is down. There might be room for one golf bag, but no way could two fit in. And maybe you might get two small overnight bags in the trunk, but no 26" lug and tug suitcase is going to fit with the top down. Guess we'll have to drive to our weekend resorts with the top up and only put the top down once we've unloaded the trunk at the Resort?
Great fun with both cars and I highly suggest you check them both out at your local Lexus Dealer.
