SwedeSpeed - Volvo Performance Forum banner

S60R vs. IS350

7K views 26 replies 16 participants last post by  RainyS60R 
#1 ·
No. Not yet...I haven't raced one...but I will.
A buddy at work is saying he will get one. Which got me thinking - would the R be able to beat an IS350?

what about an R with ECU/dp/exhaust. I woudl think an R with bolt ons and good gas would eat one up. I've seen some numbers from C&D claim 1/4 mile as low as 13.7 but then I've also read that is way optimistic and it's more like 13.9 which is about the same as a stock R.

anyone come across one or test drive one and care to tell us how it is versus an R in terms of performance?
 
See less See more
1
#3 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (23109VC)

Quote, originally posted by 23109VC »
No. Not yet...I haven't raced one...but I will.
A buddy at work is saying he will get one. Which got me thinking - would the R be able to beat an IS350?

what about an R with ECU/dp/exhaust. I woudl think an R with bolt ons and good gas would eat one up. I've seen some numbers from C&D claim 1/4 mile as low as 13.7 but then I've also read that is way optimistic and it's more like 13.9 which is about the same as a stock R.

anyone come across one or test drive one and care to tell us how it is versus an R in terms of performance?
I have beaten one pretty badly without the nitrous. So I would think that you could beat one pretty easily.
 
#6 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (awd)

I went looking for performance results from magazine tests and there was a wild disparity (reminds me of the R results) for the IS350.
IS350:
Car and Driver - OCT 2005 - 108 deg F = 5.1sec 0 to 60 / 13.7 sec @104mph 1/4 mi.
Road and Track - OCT 2005 - 93 deg F = 6.0 sec 0 to 60 / @98.6mph 14.5 sec 1/4 mi.
This was still an auto tranny. If they'd stick a manual in it, it could really be a fun car.
R:
Car and Driver - AUG 2003 - ?? deg F = 5.5 sec 0 to 60 / 14.0sec @101mph 1/4 mi.
Car and Driver - OCT 2005 - 108 deg F = 6.5 sec 0-60 / 14.6 sec @98mph 1/4 mi.
Were the OCT 2005 results just bad launch(es)? A bad test car? Heat? Didn't have DS disabled and car in advanced mode? Did Volvo change something? Is that Atacama leather really that much more heavy than regular leather?

SUMMARY:
So, the hotter it gets outside the fast a regular aspirated engine is and the colder it gets, the faster a turbo based engine is. Probably not true, but the magazine results are just too screwy IMO.

At altitude here in Colorado, I'll stick with the Volvo's turbo for performance. I may still saunter by the Lexus dealer and take a test drive. Now, if they do the IS500 and Volvo skips making the next generation R, then it may be time to leave Sweden and sail on over to Japan.

- Polartek
 
#9 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (23109VC)

Quote, originally posted by 23109VC »
what about an R with ECU/dp/exhaust. I woudl think an R with bolt ons and good gas would eat one up. I've seen some numbers from C&D claim 1/4 mile as low as 13.7 but then I've also read that is way optimistic and it's more like 13.9 which is about the same as a stock R.

13.9 is VERY fast for stock. I was very happy with 14.2, even in cold weather.

This if from Doug,s car, who has stock/no sock filter, Evolve 93 ECU, DP and exhaust. Also has sport package and lowering springs.



(ignore the first run, there was a bad launch and police concerns). If you average his last three times, you are looking at 13.67 @ 106.4 mph, and 0-60 in 5.53 seconds.

Interestingly enough, my other friends car with the BSR was faster in gears 1-3, but Doug's car accelerated a little faster in 4th every time (note high trap speeds despite slower 0-60). Then it hit me, his is lowered over an inch with Eibach springs, and he has the sport package. By the time you get to 4th gear, you are going over 80 mph, so aerodynamic drag comes into play.
 
#10 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (jdog)

Well funny this comes up today, just ordered one Sunday for my wife, IS 350 loaded. Wicked fun car in a test drive, great electronics etc with Lexus quality. Quiet and smooth on rough roads and the freeway. I liked the variable power steering, wheel felt more responsive than the R.

I would agree that against a stock R the "race" depends on the driver and road course. On the curves or in the wet, slight edge to the R. Better driver in the IS 350 whom knows how to handle a rear wheel drive, then....

Don't forget the IS is lighter than the R - look at the brochure, all the photos are in Germany. This is a dagger aimed at the BMW 3 series. Lexus may not take them at first, but if BMW gives them too much time


IS is built at the Lexus plant in Japan, whom many will say is the most advanced production facility in the world. Over time, with the labor costs in Europe and older plants, the Germans and Swedes will be looking over their shoulder if Lexus wants a piece of their market space!

My two cents worth, unitil I can get the IS 350 on a track later this year
 
#11 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (FireR)

Quote, originally posted by FireR »
Don't forget the IS is lighter than the R - look at the brochure, all the photos are in Germany. This is a dagger aimed at the BMW 3 series. Lexus may not take them at first, but if BMW gives them too much time

I would so take the IS350 or the G35 over the 325 any day. Even the 330 (although it is more expensive and still slower) wouldn't be an option if I decide I don't want AWD for my next car in 2009.

Course, my friends car is wicked fast now with BSR... still scary when getting on the auto bahn what gears 3-5 do. Seriously, not used to how fast it is. The R was 38K, plus 3K in performance mods. 41K aint bad for a safe, luxury family sedan that will do 13.3 @ 107 and 0-60 in 4.7.
 
#13 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (FireR)

Quote, originally posted by FireR »
the on going question is where will Lexus be in several years...

They moving to Detroit? Munich? Ingolstadt? Stuttgart?
 
#14 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 ("R" Kelly)

Sorry, I meant taking market share from BMW's 3-series, which is their cash cow in the US. All Lexus has to do is get the high end handling more responsive and the auto magazines will start placing Lexus on the 10 best list and their goes some sales for BMW
 
#15 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (FireR)

Quote, originally posted by FireR »
Sorry, I meant taking market share from BMW's 3-series, which is their cash cow in the US. All Lexus has to do is get the high end handling more responsive and the auto magazines will start placing Lexus on the 10 best list and their goes some sales for BMW

Funny thing is, C&D (who are devoted BMWphiles) had to "cheat" to keep the IS350 from winning their Oct 05 $35K sport sedan test.

Even with inflating the subjective "fun-to-drive" and "gotta-have-it" categories for the BMW in the test, the Lexus actually tied the BMW in point totals. But they "accidently" added an extra point to the BMWs total, placing the BMW in first place by itself.

When readers pointed out that they didn't know how to add up their own test scores, they printed a small correction on their editorial page, citing rounding errors.


Now I love C&D, still the best and since they switched their policy to more objective testing for their comparisons a few years ago, it makes it easy to judge for yourself. Just delete the "gotta have it" category and re-figure point totals, it REALLY changes results. You can also give more weight to particular categories (is back seat space more important to you than them?) and reduce others (like the "fun to drive" category, their other bastion of subjectivity).

When I did this for the R in that comparo, it jumped from 7th out of 8th to 5th. Moot point though, I wanted 300hp, AWD and a stick while in Germany, so still the R is still the only choice for me. Now, when I'm back in the states in Florida or the southwest, it won't be anymore.

Bottom line, for a RWD automatic, IS350 rocks.
 
#16 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (Polartek)

Quote, originally posted by Polartek »
Were the OCT 2005 results just bad launch(es)? A bad test car? Heat? Didn't have DS disabled and car in advanced mode? Did Volvo change something? Is that Atacama leather really that much more heavy than regular leather?

The test was conducted in California, so it was most likely a combination of 91-octane pi$$water gas and triple-digit heat. That's a combo that turns the R into an r, as we know all too well here in Colorado during the summer.
 
#18 ·
I just ran both cars in this car simulation program I have: CarTest 2000.

The 2006 S60R went 14.29
The 2006 Lexus IS350 went 14.58

This simulation takes in account every parameter immaginable, including drag coefficient, ambient air temp, track temp, weight ratio, shifting time, etc.
It is very very accurate, but whatever minimal external factors that this program doesn't account for will obviously affect both vehicles, so I do believe that the R will win hands down.
 
#19 ·
Whoops,
I ran a different model.
The IS350 went 13.9, which is similar to what edmunds.com claims.

Guess it depends on the driver at this point
 
#20 ·
Re: S60R vs. IS350 (IwantaS60R)

Whoops...looks like my link doesn't work.....sorry

this link does.....

http://briefcase.wt.net/bc/w/t...d.mpg

Shows a stock IS350 doing 13.7 @ 100 at a local 1320
 
#22 ·
how did you run a 13.62 on a stock R when boosted has all these mods and can only get 13.5???
 
#25 ·
Re: (phuz)

Quote, originally posted by phuz »
how did you run a 13.62 on a stock R when boosted has all these mods and can only get 13.5???
Mine is an auto remember but he had a great start low 1.9 is very very good I am hopiing for high to mid 12's soon once all my tuning is done.
 
#26 ·
Re: (BOOSTED S60R)

Those results are totally off. 109 trap is impossible with a stock R. Also from the other thread we have learned that roll out isn't set to 0 so the times are minimum half a second positive if not more.
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top