31 August 2010 - Lexus IS sedans and convertibles are quick, stylish rear-wheel-drive cars that combine sharp handling with luxury performance features.Trim, sleek and relatively light, they offer paddle-shift transmissions, good brakes and, in the IS 350, 0-60 acceleration as quick as 5.6 seconds.They are designed to offer comparable style and performance features as the BMW 3 Series cars and Mercedes CLK 350, but at a lower price.

Lexus UK revealed today the first details about the forthcoming 2011 IS-F Sports sedan. For the first time in its history, the IS-F line will be offered not just with a limited slip differential, but also new high-tech features and a cool new all-white interior lead. The car, which is available exclusively in the UK, will come with a price tag starting at £55,595 (RM 270,000).

Thanks to its new standard limited slip differential, the IS-F offers better traction and stability in high-speed cornering. But as far as technical changes are concerned, this will be the only one the IS-F Sports sedan model will come in. Underneath its hood will be the same 5.0-liter V8 engine rated at 416 horsepower at 6,600 rpm and 371 lb.-ft. of peak torque at 5,200 rpm.

Another thing: the 2011 IS-F will also get a new satellite navigation system, powered by a 40GB hard disc drive (HDD), 14-speaker Mark Levinson 5.1 surround sound system and a new white leather interior in place of the standard black finish.

UPDATE 08/27/2010: Lexus has given out some new details for the IS-F just ahead of the Paris Auto Show. On the exterior, the sedan gets HID headlamps with integral, arrowhead, LED Daytime Running Lamps (DRL) and a new a new Starlight Black GF finish. In the interior, it gets new dark sliver fiber inserts, and a change of contrasting stitching for the leather upholstery from white to blue. A revised front seat design offers improved driver support, and a new steering wheel improves grip and feel. Check out more photos of the IS-F in the gallery after the jump.

As announced at the 2009 Frankfurt motor show, the full-blooded sports saloon gains the benefit of a new limited slip differential. Fitted as standard, it gives the IS F significantly better traction and stability in high-speed cornering: Lexus test engineers were able to improve the car’s lap time around the Fuji International Speedway by a full two seconds.

The Torsen unit is robust enough to handle the 505Nm delivered by the IS F’s 5.0-litre V8 engine, automatically directing drive torque to the rear wheel with the most grip. Out-and-out performance is unchanged, with the IS F capable of nought to 62mph acceleration in 4.8 seconds and a top speed (electronically limited) of 168mph.

In keeping with Lexus’s reputation for effective use of advanced technologies, the IS F is fitted with a new satellite navigation system, powered by a 40GB hard disc drive (HDD). It is one of the fastest-responding and most accurate guidance systems on the market, giving full-map coverage across Europe, with automatic links to local traffic information data to ensure efficient route planning.

The HDD also provides an on-board ”sound library” function, with 10GB of disc space available for owners to store tracks from CD – space enough for around 2,000 songs.

The tuner in the IS F’s 14-speaker Mark Levinson 5.1 surround sound system has been upgraded to receive DAB digital broadcasts and a USB port has been added (in addition to the Aux-in jack), to allow for fully integrated connection of portable digital music players.