Engineers at Lexus started with a new platform featuring short front and rear overhangs, where the wheels are pushed out to the corners. Designers fashioned the taut body of an athlete for the IS 300. Within the context of a wedge-shaped format with low prow and notched fastback roofline, the sedan shows a stubby nose and brief tail with sharp-edged shoulders yet flat flanks between bulging wheelwells and blackened B-pillars that effect the sporty profile of a coupe.Creased lines etched into the subtle stepped hood flow down from raked A-pillars to a face defined by the familial Lexus trapezoidal grille ringed with chrome and bordered by jewel-like headlamp clusters inscribed with High Intensity Discharge (HID) lamps. Individual round halogen foglamps shielded behind trapezoidal composite lenses stand below these HID headlamps in the air dam. In back, the curt tail treatment reflects unusual shapes for clear-lens corner taillights inset by round red brake lights and offset round running lamps in a pattern similar to the rear of the larger Lexus GS 400 sedan. The overall shape is slick enough to slice through the air at a world-class aerodynamic rating of just 0.29 Cd (coefficient of drag), which mitigates wind noise and improves fuel efficiency. As a departure for a brand heretofore known for sedate automotive statements, the IS 300 shows up in paint shades never seen before on Lexus sheetmetal, such as an aggressive citrus yellow.
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