“Sport-tuned suspension. Method 1-style shifting. 215 horsepower. Introducing the high-performance IS from Lexus. Completely sudden, from the worth you all the time count on.”

Such was the transcript of a 2001-era tv business a couple of new sedan coming into the market, and over 20 years later, persons are nonetheless speaking about that automobile.

Lexus made a splash when it got here onto the scene within the Japanese luxurious market in 1989. Automakers Honda, Nissan, and Toyota had all gone upscale inside just a few years of one another with their respective marques, and the thought caught on within the North American market. Over the subsequent decade, Lexus had established an identification and a popularity below its slogan “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection.” The model’s lineup diversified, too, and in mid-2000 for the 2001 mannequin 12 months, the IS300 compact sport sedan joined the household.

Attracting Youthful Consumers

This marked a shift in Lexus’ advertising and marketing, as a result of it meant Lexus was now concentrating on youthful consumers with a performance-oriented providing. The bottom IS300 stickered at $30,805, which was a deep low cost in comparison with the model’s flagship LS400 at $54,550. By no means content material to depart effectively sufficient alone, Lexus shook up the IS300 lineup only one mannequin 12 months into its lifespan with a station wagon model known as the SportCross. The 2004 mannequin 12 months introduced a facelift, and the IS300 advanced into its second era after 2005. In all, Lexus bought 89,744 IS300s within the first era. Not surprisingly, many are nonetheless on the highway even 20 years later because of Toyota and Lexus longevity.   

IS300 Attributes

The enjoyment of the IS300 is present in its engine. Beneath the hood is the venerable 2JZ-GE inline-six. A well known relative of this engine, the twin-turbocharged 2JZ-GTE variant, grew to become well-known for powering the Mark IV Toyota Supra. Whereas provided initially solely with a five-speed computerized transmission, a five-speed handbook transmission known as the “W55” grew to become obtainable on the IS300 shortly a 12 months after the preliminary launch. The truth that the IS300 shared partial mechanical engineering with the Supra made it a preferred platform for tuners and modifiers. Some, like my brother, have constructed excessive machines out of the IS300.

Inside appointments have been revolutionary for the time. One of the vital memorable options of the first-generation IS300 was its chronograph-style gauge bezel with miniature inset gauges for voltage, gasoline financial system, and coolant temperature. The shifter was a novel metallic ball design, and expertise was easy and analog. The optionally available navigation system got here with a display that retracted into the higher sprint when not in use.

Does It Meet Expectations?

I lately seized the chance to accumulate a 2003 IS300 with about 118,000 miles on the odometer. For a 20-year-old automobile, the match and end are remarkably put collectively. The five-speed gearbox is partaking, the suspension feels tight, the facility supply is greater than ample, and the SportDesign-package provides a little bit of beauty aptitude. Included on this package deal have been distinctive badging, perforated upholstery, a one-off exhaust outlet, particular wheels, and different appointments. My favourite half is perhaps the “Thundercloud Metallic” exterior paint tone.

Certainly, this automobile impresses me in methods I didn’t count on an older Lexus to – particularly coming from a die-hard Honda-Acura background.  

Discover Your Personal

Nicely-preserved and unmodified early IS300 fashions have gotten more and more tough to trace down. Notably uncommon fashions just like the five-speed handbook variations and the SportCross station wagon variations are much more wanted. I believe this automobile suits properly into the longer term collectible class, and I will likely be discussing its deserves through the upcoming Barrett-Jackson symposium on Tuesday, January 23, 2024 at 11:00 a.m. at Westworld of Scottsdale. Come out and see what it’s all about!