What on earth is going on at Lexus’s styling department? From the looks of things, it seems hell bent on producing the most bizarrely styled cars on the road and I can’t help but think that, in the long term at least, it’s an exercise in futility to make cars that are so divisive that you attract as many haters as you do admirers.
I’ve tried my best to accept that “spindle” grille but I’ve given up. If I stare at it any longer I’ll probably see a rabbit or something – this Lexus IS350 could well be the world’s first four-wheeled “magic eye” optical illusion.
This is a pity because the rest of the car’s exterior is pretty smart, so the best thing to do is forget about what everyone else will see in their rear-view mirrors and enjoy the many delights on offer within the car’s interior. This isn’t an entirely new model (the engines, for instance, are carried over from the outgoing one) but the improvements that have come to pass are significant over the old IS, with more space, a more contemporary and unique design and a greater impression of prestige than ever before. Which, when you’re dropping Dh230,000 on a car, is exactly what you should expect.
Do not confuse this with the storming IS-F. The IS350 F-Sport, to give this car its full title, is definitely aimed at driving enthusiasts rather than the luxobarge market that’s cornered by the LS range. Its natural rival is BMW’s truly superb 335i – they’re similarly sized, 3.5L, six-cylinder saloons and they’re closely matched on price, too. BMW’s engine is a twin-turbo, multi-award winning masterpiece that the Lexus can’t hope to compete with, although it’s rumoured that the new IS-F, when it arrives, will downsize from a V8 to a blown V6.
What the IS350 F-Sport does bring to the table is some of the LFA supercar’s attitude, at least when it comes to the driving environment. A chunky, lovely-feeling steering wheel sits in front of digital instrumentation that’s legible and easy to use. The dashboard is stylish and there’s a large, central display screen that is streets ahead of recent fodder by both Lexus and Toyota. The seats are supportive and the materials used, while not as nice to the touch as those used in the German competition, are still a marked improvement over other Japanese cars. So far, then, so good. But what is it like as a driving machine?
There are four driving modes at your disposal here: Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+. In the car’s default Eco mode, there’s a definite blunting of performance, but the others are much more in keeping with the car’s aspirations, with Sport+ providing a proper punch, but you really do have to stamp on the throttle to get that. When the revs soar, so does the sound from the V6, carefully channelled into the cabin to provide some sonic character.
It’s a pleasing sound, make no mistake, and if you push the Lexus beyond its comfortable cruising zone (Sport+ and using the steering wheel gear shifters) it eventually rewards with a dynamic drive that’s almost (but not quite) as brilliant as the BMW’s. It just doesn’t feel anywhere near as rapid as the 335i and the sound isn’t as inspiring, either. But even in its most focused driver setting, it remains comfortable and extremely refined with none of the bone shaking tendencies of some other vehicles.
Its brakes and steering are commendable, too, with plenty of feel from both, and the eight-speed automatic transmission shifts around without histrionics – although it doesn’t do much to help its fuel economy, which is on a par with cars much more powerful. But the thing that really impresses about this Lexus is just how solid the entire thing seems – there’s an overriding impression of absolute quality in everything; except perhaps, for some of the interior surfaces. It shows just how far Lexus has come in recent years, inasmuch as it feels decidedly European rather than Japanese or American. And, despite my misgivings about the way its nose looks, there isn’t a single moment during my few days with the car when I feel a sense of regret about having to drive it.
The IS350 F-Sport faces competition from more than BMW, however, in the shape of Audi’s A4, the Merc E-Class and the astonishingly good Cadillac ATS, and in fairness it doesn’t disgrace itself in front of any of them, offering a genuinely capable alternative from the established norm and, at the very least, managing to distance itself from the “posh Toyota” tag that Lexus has been tarred with from the very beginning. With a bit more power, a bit more class and a bit less styling madness, who knows? It still might get to trounce the best of Bavaria.
khackett@thenational.ae
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BORDERLANDS
Starring: Cate Blanchett, Kevin Hart, Jamie Lee Curtis
Director: Eli Roth
Rating: 0/5
Confirmed%20bouts%20(more%20to%20be%20added)
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Abu Dhabi racecard
5pm: Maiden (Purebred Arabians); Dh80,000; 1,400m.
5.30pm: Maiden (PA); Dh80,00; 1,400m.
6pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (PA); Group 3; Dh500,000; 1,600m.
6.30pm: Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan National Day Cup (Thoroughbred); Listed; Dh380,000; 1,600m
7pm: Wathba Stallions Cup for Private Owners Handicap (PA); Dh70,000; 1,400m.
7.30pm: Handicap (PA); Dh80,000; 1,600m
Greatest of All Time
Starring: Vijay, Sneha, Prashanth, Prabhu Deva, Mohan
Company%20Profile
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Company Profile
Name: Thndr
Started: 2019
Co-founders: Ahmad Hammouda and Seif Amr
Sector: FinTech
Headquarters: Egypt
UAE base: Hub71, Abu Dhabi
Current number of staff: More than 150
Funds raised: $22 million
RESULT
Huddersfield Town 2 Manchester United 1
Huddersfield: Mooy (28'), Depoitre (33')
Manchester United: Rashford (78')
Man of the Match: Aaron Mooy (Huddersfield Town)
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What is dialysis?
Dialysis is a way of cleaning your blood when your kidneys fail and can no longer do the job.
It gets rid of your body's wastes, extra salt and water, and helps to control your blood pressure. The main cause of kidney failure is diabetes and hypertension.
There are two kinds of dialysis — haemodialysis and peritoneal.
In haemodialysis, blood is pumped out of your body to an artificial kidney machine that filter your blood and returns it to your body by tubes.
In peritoneal dialysis, the inside lining of your own belly acts as a natural filter. Wastes are taken out by means of a cleansing fluid which is washed in and out of your belly in cycles.
It isn’t an option for everyone but if eligible, can be done at home by the patient or caregiver. This, as opposed to home haemodialysis, is covered by insurance in the UAE.
How to donate
Send “thenational” to the following numbers or call the hotline on: 0502955999
2289 – Dh10
2252 – Dh 50
6025 – Dh20
6027 – Dh 100
6026 – Dh 200
Fight card
Bantamweight
Siyovush Gulmamadov (TJK) v Rey Nacionales (PHI)
Lightweight
Alexandru Chitoran (ROM) v Hussein Fakhir Abed (SYR)
Catch 74kg
Tohir Zhuraev (TJK) v Omar Hussein (JOR)
Strawweight (Female)
Weronika Zygmunt (POL) v Seo Ye-dam (KOR)
Featherweight
Kaan Ofli (TUR) v Walid Laidi (ALG)
Lightweight
Leandro Martins (BRA) v Abdulla Al Bousheiri (KUW)
Welterweight
Ahmad Labban (LEB) v Sofiane Benchohra (ALG)
Bantamweight
Jaures Dea (CAM) v Nawras Abzakh (JOR)
Lightweight
Mohammed Yahya (UAE) v Glen Ranillo (PHI)
Lightweight
Alan Omer (GER) v Aidan Aguilera (AUS)
Welterweight
Mounir Lazzez (TUN) Sasha Palatnikov (HKG)
Featherweight title bout
Romando Dy (PHI) v Lee Do-gyeom (KOR)
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Israel Palestine on Swedish TV 1958-1989
Director: Goran Hugo Olsson
Rating: 5/5
SPECS
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Essentials
The flights: You can fly from the UAE to Iceland with one stop in Europe with a variety of airlines. Return flights with Emirates from Dubai to Stockholm, then Icelandair to Reykjavik, cost from Dh4,153 return. The whole trip takes 11 hours. British Airways flies from Abu Dhabi and Dubai to Reykjavik, via London, with return flights taking 12 hours and costing from Dh2,490 return, including taxes.
The activities: A half-day Silfra snorkelling trip costs 14,990 Icelandic kronur (Dh544) with Dive.is. Inside the Volcano also takes half a day and costs 42,000 kronur (Dh1,524). The Jokulsarlon small-boat cruise lasts about an hour and costs 9,800 kronur (Dh356). Into the Glacier costs 19,500 kronur (Dh708). It lasts three to four hours.
The tours: It’s often better to book a tailor-made trip through a specialist operator. UK-based Discover the World offers seven nights, self-driving, across the island from £892 (Dh4,505) per person. This includes three nights’ accommodation at Hotel Husafell near Into the Glacier, two nights at Hotel Ranga and two nights at the Icelandair Hotel Klaustur. It includes car rental, plus an iPad with itinerary and tourist information pre-loaded onto it, while activities can be booked as optional extras. More information inspiredbyiceland.com
The biog
Name: Fareed Lafta
Age: 40
From: Baghdad, Iraq
Mission: Promote world peace
Favourite poet: Al Mutanabbi
Role models: His parents
The specs
Engine: 3.8-litre twin-turbo flat-six
Power: 650hp at 6,750rpm
Torque: 800Nm from 2,500-4,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed dual-clutch auto
Fuel consumption: 11.12L/100km
Price: From Dh796,600
On sale: now
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
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About Tenderd
Started: May 2018
Founder: Arjun Mohan
Based: Dubai
Size: 23 employees
Funding: Raised $5.8m in a seed fund round in December 2018. Backers include Y Combinator, Beco Capital, Venturesouq, Paul Graham, Peter Thiel, Paul Buchheit, Justin Mateen, Matt Mickiewicz, SOMA, Dynamo and Global Founders Capital
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COMPANY%20PROFILE
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Dubai World Cup Carnival Card:
6.30pm: Handicap US$135,000 (Turf) 1,200m
7.05pm: Handicap $135,000 (Dirt) 1,200m
7.40pm: Zabeel Turf Listed $175,000 (T) 2,000m
8.15pm: Cape Verdi Group Two $250,000 (T) 1,600m
8.50pm: Handicap $135,000 (D) 1,600m
9.25pm: Handicap $175,000 (T) 1,600m