Lexus says it’s getting serious about driving thrills and the first shot on that target is the newest IS. The company’s smallest sedan has been restyled and redesigned, but it’s not quite an all-new model; instead, it’s heavily reworked to be stiffer and lighter. To show that they’re serious, Lexus is offering it with a mechanical limited-slip rear (except not in Canada), and there’s a new version of the company’s active safety suite.
Because Lexus introduced the car starting with sports car racer Townsend Bell instead of a company exec, we’ll start with the chassis changes. New bracing was added as well as more welds to add stiffness, but company engineers added lighter springs, sway bars, and control arms to help trim weight, as well as swing-valve shock absorbers that Lexus says better handles road irregularities. Lighter hub bolts shed 1 kg of unsprung weight and, Lexus says, add yet more rigidity to the chassis.
Read Full Story At wheels.ca >>
0 Comments