Would you believe a street rumbler sports sedan from quiet, luxurious Lexus? That's exactly what Lexus has in the 2008 Lexus IS-F, the company's first truly high-performance car. Base price is $57,300, and it's a honey. I've driven it, and was pleasantly shocked at just how aggressive and dominating this car is on the road.

The Lexus IS-F is by almost any measure a brutish looking, ground hugging, take-no-prisoners, high-performance sports sedan that will likely shock a good number of enthusiasts and others this year.

Lift that hood and you'll find an engine that will deliver 416 horsepower from a 5.0-liter V-8 (16/23). That's not all. The engine has specially engineered cylinder heads fed by a two-stage intake system.

There's more. The IS-F is equipped with engine-oil and transmission-fluid coolers for high-speed performance, and a cylinder-head-scavenging oil pump for high G-force driving.

Be prepared for some big differences in ride compared with Lexus models you've driven. You will know what every tire is doing, and because the suspension is so firm, you'll feel a lot more of the road action and the surface of the asphalt than you may be accustomed to in the IS-F. But that's true of any high-performance car. I suspect, though, that the typical Lexus buyer will be in for a surprise with this one.

Another interesting point: The IS-F sits about an inch lower than the typical IS Series model, making for a very cool, very aggressive look.

You may wonder why the company is using the "F" designation for this model. The "F" originates from the "Circle-F" internal code for what became the Lexus Division nearly 20 years ago. Since then, the "F" code has come to signify a special vehicle program within Lexus that falls outside the normal engineering and development process. Much of the IS-F development was at Fuji Speedway and the Higashi-Fuji Technical Center in Japan.

The IS-F is, however, only the first of a line of F models I expect to see in the showroom someday.

One technical highlight is that the engine for the IS-F will use Lexus' first eight-speed direct sport-shift transmission -- and will include paddle shifting. As a result, the IS-F will zoom to 60 in an astonishing 4.8 seconds or so. That's at least as fast as a Corvette.

The IS-F features an all-new, three-mode version of the Lexus Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management system. In addition to the Normal mode, this new version of VDIM features a Sport mode that allows the driver to push the car even further before its braking-, throttle- and steering-control systems kick in. The third VDIM system mode is "Off," which allows the driver to push the IS-F to its ultimate level of handling performance on a racetrack.

The IS-F brakes are brutally strong and designed to draw attention from onlookers.

That's because these are gargantuan heavy-duty Brembo brakes that include 14.2-inch perforated front discs and six-piston aluminum calipers. High-friction brake pads are fitted all around.

Prices start at $57,300.

On other IS series models, there are a number of significant refreshment-oriented changes. You'll find hew taillights, grilles, fascias, wheels and a lot of work on the interior. Prices start at $32,000 for these models, which can be had with either a 2.5-liter, 204-horsepower V-6 or a 3.5-liter, 306-horsepower V-6. Fuel economy ranges between 16-21 and 23-29 miles per gallon.