Lexus Performance Driving Academy at Fontana

[79TA]

So this morning I went out to the California (Auto Club) Speedway for a 2 hour driving clinic that was put on for free by Lexus. I got in on a waiting list after the expanded the event to Thursday (then there was lots of room.)

They started off by lecturing about the basics of car control and the racing line. Our group of 28 split into two groups of 14 and each one went out to an autocross track where there were 5 Lexus's just waiting to be thrown around the course. The 5 cars were an IS250, an IS350, a GS450, a GS450H, and an IS250 with manual transmission.

http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/9807/1006392hs3.th.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006392hs3.jpg) http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/2452/1006393me4.th.jpg (http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006393me4.jpg) http://img98.imageshack.us/img98/8027/1006394sj0.th.jpg (http://img98.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006394sj0.jpg) http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/7446/1006395de8.th.jpg (http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006395de8.jpg)

I Drove the auto IS250 on my first run of two laps and then got stuck in the big ol' hybrid for the next 2 after that. I drove my 3rd and final autox session in the IS250 with the manual. I kept forgetting to look up at the clock after each run so I'm not sure how well I did. My cousin, who went with me, saw one of my times, a mediocre 28.9 (from when I drove the GS450H), so I figured that was fairly representative of the rest of my times. The track record was a 22 something put up by a pro driver. My cousin set the course record for a student with a 25.08. He and some guy who had been autocrossing for years ran the best times. The guys who brought driving shoes and helmets and then posted lame times were kind of entertaining. The autox was really great fun though. I'd really like to get my mustang in an autox event before summer ends.

http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/6341/1006396kn4.th.jpg (http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006396kn4.jpg) http://img48.imageshack.us/img48/8878/1006397az8.th.jpg (http://img48.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006397az8.jpg) http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/8597/1006401up3.th.jpg (http://img47.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006401up3.jpg) http://img47.imageshack.us/img47/5121/1006402an3.th.jpg (http://img47.imageshack.us/my.php?image=1006402an3.jpg)

Next, we did a follow the leader session on the infield road course in IS-F's. This was my favorite part. The instructors leading each group of 3 cars didn't get hard on the throttle or brakes during the straights, but did make sure to bring the smally convoys to each corner at a nice speed. I did hang back a couple of times so I could get on the gas a bit in the longest straight. I'd say they were driving at 6/10's. It was still a blast. Lastly, they'd put 3 students into one car along with a pro driver so they could demonstrate what the IS-F was really capable of.


I was impressed with how well the Lexus's took the punishment. They'd have to go all day long like they were without any real service. Of course, the abuse was diluted by the large number of IS-F's they had available to drive on the road course. The same wasn't true about the 10 dedicated autox cars.

Sorry that the pictures are really not very good at all . . . I had other things on my mind, like driving.

[HeilSvenska]

Cones. They remind me of the nightmare that is the Gran Turismo Coffee Break. Speaking of Gran Turismo, how did actually driving the IS-F compare to driving it on the Gran Turismo 5: Prologue hooked up to a Virtual GT machine? ;-)

[79TA]

Well, after the first good hard sweeping turn, I had the immature thought that, "this is like Forza 2!"

While the simulator at the Grand Prix anesthetized the experience with all sorts of aids and a lack of feedback, this was much more communicative, but actually not too different. GT5P seems to have gotten the IS-F sounds down along with the driving dynamics as well. In short, GT5P would have been better had some of the aids been off . . . GT5P aids do not, of course, mimic the aids in the actual particular cars.

In GT5P , the IS-F's limit of grip was discernable only by loud tire squeeling and even louder squeeling. The simulated feedback always just feels kind of on-off and random. In reality, there is good feedback, inertia, and the tires do not scream arbitrarily or so absurdly loud. Unsurprisingly, the real gas and brakes had a much better feel in reality than did the sim. When you floor it and let the car go through the gears itself, it really does look and sound like the IS-F in GT5P. Of course, the real thing is much more visceral.

High speed in the IS-F was interesting. The pro driver got us up to 110 on the straight but it didn't feel exciting enough to be that fast. I'm inclined to think it felt too numb, but I guess that's what you'd call refinement, so good job Lexus.

[ae86_16v]

Wow, that's pretty damn cool. How/Where/When did you get to sign up for this. Definitely want to try it out next time. :)

Thanks for the write up and pics.

Yeah I live in Walnut right now, which is only about 15-20 mins away from there.

[Mattk]

Autocrossing in a GS450? Not the most likely candidate! Looks like you had fun.

[79TA]

. . . the GS450H no less, lol. Autoblog posted something about it. It was invitation only, but you could sign up on a waiting list to and hope some people didn't make it. I signed up despite all of the slots being completely filled and then they added a full day, Thursday, to the schedule. Then I was confirmed and was even able to invite my cousin.