Lexus IS F: Um ... sporty

The words "Lexus" and "sporty" rarely share the same sentence, except perhaps when describing antitheticals. Lexus is synonymous with luxury cars: big, soft, quiet things. And yet the company has just launched a hard-core (that description seems like hyperbole right now, but read on) version of its IS compact sedan.

Previously, the most muscular IS was the 350, powered by a 3.5-liter straight-6. This one’s nose contains a 5.0-liter V-8 driving the rear wheels via an eight-speed gearbox. Yes, eight -- a world’s first for a sports sedan.

The apex predator of sports sedans is the new BMW M3 (also powered by a V-8), which has 414 horsepower. The IS F has 416. It hits 60 mph from a standstill in 4.6 seconds and has an electronically limited top speed of 170 mph.

Chicks dig Porsches

No, this is not a dating tip. It's just that the percentage of female Porsche owners has nearly doubled -- from -- 11.5% in 1998 to 20% in 2006. Breaking it down by model, the portion of women in the driver's seat of a 911 has grown from 12% to 22%, Boxster babes have increased from 15% to 24%, and the share of female Cayenne drivers is a considerable 35%.

The Boxster is perfectly understandable, as that car was always an attempt by Porsche to tap into the burgeoning market of well-to-do women looking for something sexy and soft-topped. But the figure for the Cayenne (pictured) just goes to show that a sizable proportion of women dig SUVs too.

There are no official figures yet on Cayman drivers, but it's fairly safe to assume that a similar state of affairs exists there. All this is good news in general for Porsche, as the company is making a tidy profit these days, thanks in no small part to the Cayenne. There's even talk that Porsche might purchase the beleaguered Volkswagen Group.

And just in case you were looking for a dating tip: Good grooming goes a long way.

-- Colin Ryan

Dodge Viper SRT10 -- the devil's handbasket

The great thing about America is that there's something for everyone. There are people for whom oil is a precious and dwindling resource that should be eked out and used efficiently, sparingly. They're the ones carpooling in a Prius. And there are others who believe that it's already too late, that the gasoline-fueled apocalypse is upon us, so we might as well have fun while we still can.

They'll be driving the 2008 Dodge Viper SRT10.

The Viper has always been a gloriously over-the-top muscle car, with its lightweight fiberglass body and V-10 engine from a pickup truck. The new version offers 600 horsepower (up 90 from the previous model) and 560 pound-feet of torque (25 more) going to the rear wheels. The extra grunt comes from enlarging displacement to 8.4 liters from 8.3, improving engine breathing and tweaking engine management.

The USA receives a smaller, cheaper Bimmer

BMW’s compact 1 Series has been on sale in Europe in hatch form since 2004. When it comes to America in spring 2008, it will be a coupe (at least initially), powered by BMW’s impressive straight-six 230-hp, 3.0-liter engine (the 128i), or its much-lauded, award-winning, twin-turbocharged, 300-hp, 300lb-ft, 3.0-liter six (the 135i).

At the same time, a 128i Convertible will also be available, although a more powerful 135i soft-top won’t arrive until the summer. Both cars have electro-hydraulically operated hoods, taking just 22 seconds to run the sequence, even on the move (up to 25mph).

Audi R8 -- the iron of choice in Iron Man Movie

Audi's R8 is the new star on Hollywood's A-list, and car-junkies everywhere will cream when they see it.  Dan Neil already (accurately) gushed over the R8 in his review, so, I'm here to tell you that now it's time for this car's movie star turn!. Robert Downey Jr. will star in the Paramount Pictures May 2008 release as Tony Stark, AKA Iron Man. It's a major role for an established star like him,  but it's a star-making role for the car!

I showed the car to both creative types and business types in Hollywood.  The questions from each respective group were predictable.

Focus on your inner-geek with Sync

The Ford Focus always handled way better than it needed to. With the redesigned 2008 model, it’s also pretty good value. The base model, the Focus S two-door, costs $14,695, which includes air conditioning and a full complement of airbags.

Power for all models (the other two are the SE and SES) comes from a 2.0-liter engine that kicks out 140 hp and 136lb-ft of torque yet still achieves a claimed 35mpg on the highway. The new model is 30 pounds lighter, 10 percent quieter and has three percent more horsepower.

Meet Josh Hancock –- Hollywood's auto insider

Greetings. As the Hollywood/Celebrity car blogger for the UP TO SPEED, let me introduce myself.

All over L.A., people stop and ask me, "Hey, Buddy, is that your car?"  They hope that I'm picking it up for some hot starlet, about whom I might have some inside story. However, when I explain my profession to them, it typically floors them faster than a kick to the groin. You see, one of my beats in Hollywood is to consult on scripts, and select which cars should appear in movies, to best represent the characters in the story.

Suzuki SX4 -- a good sport

The Suzuki SX4 Sport is now on sale. Granted, not many people set off the fireworks when a new Suzuki hits the showrooms (probably not even Suzuki), but there's a reason or two to be cheerful.

Considering the great motorcycles this company makes, it's always been vaguely puzzling why Suzuki has under-performed in the car world. That might be about to change, because the SX4 Sport is not only compact, perky and affordable, it's also a notch or two above previous levels of Suzuki quality, especially where the interior is concerned.

Scion sponsors film in L.A.

Thanks to Scion, Toyota's youth-oriented little brother brand, the Fine Arts Theater on Wilshire will rock for three nights, October 23, November 14 and December 7. That's when Scion puts on its independent film shows under its Route 07 banner. All films have been chosen for their groundbreaking style and subject matter.

Before the screenings, guests will be entertained by DJ Hier and there will be a Q & A session with the filmakers afterwards, plus a chance to meet them at a VIP reception.

Stealth is the new bling -- Lamborghini Reventón

This is the Lamborghini Reventón. It’s based on the hardcore Murciélago LP640 (the 640 refers to the mid-mounted V12 engine’s horsepower) and has a completely redesigned body, with panels made from carbon fiber. The name comes from a famous fighting bull back in the day. Hemingway would love it.

The cockpit looks like a modern fighter plane. TFT display screens provide a choice of information and a meter reads out cornering forces. The car might require a pilot’s reflexes too, since it can hit 60mph in a blink over three seconds and attain a top speed of 211mph. Luckily, it has four-wheel drive and a robotized gearbox.

Special XF—the new-style Jaguar

There’s a tendency for older guys who still have most of their hair to keep the style they had in their heyday. Rod Stewart is a prime example. Queen’s guitarist, Brian May, is another. This was Jaguar’s problem. Instead of coming out with breathtaking designs as it did with the old XK, C-, D- and E-Types, it was retreading past glories, creating the sort of retro-abomination that we know as the X-Type or the pastichioed S-Type.

Thank goodness for Scotsman Ian Callum. He has breathed new life into Jaguar’s design department. And it’s life as we know it, Jim. Mainly because Callum’s previous gig was penning cars for Aston Martin, starting with the DB7, a car as fetching as anything to come out of Italy. Which is why the current XK models and the back of this all-new XF look most Aston-like. The guy has his style.

Diesels in California - finally, a bluer shade of green

Apologies to Miles Davis, but Mercedes-Benz’s green initiative uses blue as its color. Unveiled at LA’s Fashion Week (although some of M-B’s execs still wore brown shoes with their black suits) in beautiful Culver City, is the new E320 Bluetec sedan. What the heck is Bluetec? Diesel technology—and it makes the car’s 3.0-liter diesel V6 engine as clean (and very nearly as quiet and smooth) as a gasoline-powered car.

So emissions-friendly that it satisfies the stringent demands of the California Air Resources Board. This will be the first diesel-powered passenger car for sale in the Golden State for years. Even Arnie sent M-B a letter of congratulations. And here’s the better news: 35mpg. From a luxury sedan.