So what do you think? Oh it wasn't the blue vehicle from a lightweight sportscar manufacturer that also begins with L and has 5 letters? Oh Cooper, you think you are so smart with your words.
Well it's my money and my thread. So there.
Anyway….
I've just been welcomed aboard European Causeway by what sounds like Richard Hammond's uncle and whilst being informed of the wide range of drinks and snacks at the Poets Bar, I thought I would share my initial thoughts on what has become a somewhat iconic and equally maligned rear driven vehicle.
First of all, why? And you know what, it was a case of why not. The Lexus IS200 is about to celebrate it's 20th birthday. Values have pretty much bottomed out, whilst popularity in local circles (geddit) has gone through the roof. Not a minute goes by on the in dash screen of @chris_b's M3 that, at some stage during an Oliver Conlon country rendition, there isn't a peroxide haired lass from the west of the country threading an IS in the vacinity of a traffic cone.
Like the little engine that could, a light went on in my head: that blonde could be me.
The Evora was hastily advertised, buyer found and it moved to pastures new just recently. And the search began. Gumtree. Ebay. More Gumtree. And in the sea of SE cars and automatics, the holy grail appeared. A genuine sport. Still in its natural English habitat. Just waiting to be outed.
And so a price was agreed, and before I knew it ferries were booked. The excitement palpable. Anyone could see it. Neck of red. Checked shirt glued to my armpits. All the signs were there.
As a point of note, there was some sort of important sheep sale in Scotland, so on tonight's ferry you would have been forgiven for thinking it was an outing of the local IS enthusiasts cars and coffee, and donuts.
So yes the car, you want to hear about the car. Well what can I say. With the turn of the key, all remaining horses (of 2001's original contingent of 155bhp) barked into life. And before I knew it I was extracting all power available through the closely stacked Sport gearbox. Did I say it was a genuine sport?
Sport etched in the window quarters. Alloy pedals (classic ripspeed design, well done Toyota). And of course the fabled differential of limited slip. We look forward to testing that, when the car develops enough power to do so.
And so as I devour a lovingly prepared cube of italian food on the Causeway, complete with chips and carrots, I look forward to bringing yet another IS200 straight outta England.
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