IS/RC Toyota caught out cheating with their new Lexus IS-F racer

[monaroCountry]

Lexus IS-F racer actually a 2004 Opel Vectra DTM car?


Posted Jan 21st 2008 4:57PM by Jonathon Ramsey

Remember that luscious Lexus IS-F racer study that received its fair share of unrequited attention the Tokyo Auto Salon? According to AutoBild, it turns out the car isn't an IS-F racer at all -- well, at least not beyond the hood and fact that it has four doors. The German paper reports that the car is actually a Lexus reskin of a 2004 Opel Vectra DTM racer (above, top). Even the engine is from the Opel DTM car, and not a Toyota V8. This could explain why no one at the Lexus stand at the salon would say a word about the car.

So Lexus might get away with never claiming it was a Lexus... cough, cough... but it's a bit odd that they would let Winding Road get the idea that it's the pet project of the IS-F's chief engineer, designed to show the true potential of Lexus' hot sedan and "something of what a full race IS-F might just feel like." Perhaps what a full-race IS-F might look like. Unless Lexus really intends for a full-race IS-F to feel like a 4-year-old Opel.

Thanks for the tip, Georg!

Lexus IS-F racer actually a 2004 Opel Vectra DTM car? - Autoblog

 

[PanterroR]

 

[SDNR]

LOL .......sorry Bruce, this must hurt.

 

[Sunny]

Hahaha, Vanilla Ice anybody? But, if true, I am not surprised. They were caught cheating in WRC and banned. There Le Mans car was very controversial and many believe not with in rules. They have/had espionage charges against them in F1 by Ferrai (any idea what happened to that, seemed to have got lost in the Stepany gate saga). And now this.

 

[PanterroR]

Can it get worse?

 

[Monster]

Sweet, this is exactly the kind of stuff we do at uni. Reskinning someone's assignment and hand it in. Since I am an expert in this already, I am well qualified to work for Toyota.

 

[PanterroR]

Sweet, this is exactly the kind of stuff we do at uni. Reskinning someone's assignment and hand it in. Since I am an expert in this already, I am well qualified to work for Toyota.

Major LOL!

 

[Mr. Mercedes]

Omg!

 

[SDNR]

LOL monster

 

[coolraoul]

What the hell where they thinking?

Toyota really is Cheating Worldchampion. No competition...even by McLaren.

Honestly, did they hope jobody would get it? Are they crazy or what?

Anyway, I remember someone here said the kit looked old and unimaginative, at the see of the first pics...He was damn right!



That said, the mirrors look different. They did design something in the car!

 

[dOmInIX]

Hahahaha..

 

[Bruce]

LOL .......sorry Bruce, this must hurt.

Lol. Yes, it does hurt.

And disappoints me that Toyota isn't what they once were.

 

[warot]

Sweet, this is exactly the kind of stuff we do at uni. Reskinning someone's assignment and hand it in. Since I am an expert in this already, I am well qualified to work for Toyota.

What kind of engineer are you again? I'm mechanical... and yes, reskinning is an art form that I have mastered too.

 

[Monster]

What kind of engineer are you again? I'm mechanical... and yes, reskinning is an art form that I have mastered too.

Mechanical as well

 

[warot]

Mechanical as well

Haha hilarious. Good to know.

On another note, I think it's perfectly fair in some situations because you always work as a group (I did anyway at BMW) in a real world environment.

 

[YoUhimhER]

so this is not a joke? i hope someone post this piece of information on forums like autolies, car and driver, etc.. just wanna see what the fanboys would react to this.

 

[Centurion]

How embarrassing.