My Next Car

Armed with killer looks, deadly dynamics and a build quality to die for, the new Lexus IS 250 has the BMW 3-series squarely in its sights.

Built on a shortened platform of the new GS (the 5-series contender), the IS 250 is sizeably longer, broader and taller than its predecessor. Its wheelbase has grown by 60mm, translating to more legroom, although recesses under the front seats could still be roomier. The design is mouth-watering. While previous Lexus models looked like they could've come from different manufacturers, the new range of cars - starting with the GS and IS - have family resemblance. The IS and GS sport BMW-like 'Hofmeister kick', a section of the rear-quarter window that sweeps back towards the front. They also have a high waistline. Yet, they are very much their own cars.

Like the GS, the IS exudes athleticism previously absent. Looking at the IS 250s parked in the drizzle, it will sell on style alone. The car is equally sumptuous inside. High quality materials, brilliant white cabin lighting, an instrument panel that is high-tech yet fuss-free, and a smart one-piece centre console incorporating a Mark Levinson hi-fi that drives 14 speakers throughout the car. It's not a hotch-potch of features assembled mindlessly either. Everything is coherent and the ergonomics beyond reproach. It's one of those cockpits that makes you wish you lived farther from work. The drive is just as rewarding. Instead of inserting and turning a key, you push a button to fire up the IS 250.

Its 2.5-litre V6 stirs silently, Lexus-like. But when you gun it, it hits all the right notes - the endorphin-releasing, pulse-raising ones. The engine is a direct-injected high-compression affair with dual VVT-i, and replaces a simpler and bulkier inline-6. Just 10 per cent heavier than the IS 200, the car has 35 per cent more power on tap. A more muscle-bound IS 350 is available, but the IS 250 will do nicely for most occasions. Accompanying the engine's stirring sound is a worthy performance. Throttle response is immediate once you get the revs up to 3,000rpm; and 100kmh comes in 8.4 seconds, although the laps on the Fuji Speedway seem to say it arrives sooner.

On the fly, you can waltz the car through its six gears via steering-mounted paddles - a much nicer option than the four-speed auto in the previous car. But leaving it in S-mode and alternating between kickdown and hard braking - which the car obliges uncomplainingly - is sufficient on most days, even if you're hurtling down a road where speed limits are a private matter between man and machine. The IS 250 is exceptionally poised, and not at all edgy. Its speed-sensitive steering feels lighter than it should at higher velocities, but that may be because of the wet circuit. It is a sharp and agile dancer, twirling round the slalom section more effortlessly than some supercars. Changing lanes at 90kmh is almost a non-event.

Dynamically, the car is exceptionally sound. It attacks the roller-coaster circuit with abandon, ricocheting from one cone-marked apex to the next with as much precision as the driver is accustomed to. It doesn't even twitch when you lift off in mid corner. Fundamentally, the inevitable question arises: Will this babe beat the 3-series? For a definitive answer, you'd need a real-world road test. But at this stage, my prognosis is in favour of the IS.

This is a WINNER!!

Price tag: $139,000 (Basic Model)