Let's go boys. Forget all the marketing spiel about more women being attracted to the Lexus IS200 than ever before. This is an out-and-out boy's toy.

From the Brietling chronograph wristwatch-styled instrumentation to the howl from the straight-six 2.0-litre engine, this is no car for girlies.

Take 150-plus horsepower, mix in six-speed manual transmission and rear-wheel-drive and you have a heady mix.

If you are looking for techno gimmicks like automatic wipers, twin-zone air conditioning and an on-board computer to remind you of your Mum's birthday, you have come to the wrong place.

The IS200 was built for people who care whether there is a limited slip differential in the powertrain, appreciate the finer points of race car-like styling such as aluminium pedals and understand that a double wishbone does not come from an oversized chicken.

This is a compact, executive saloon designed for someone looking to stand out from the crowd -- not too difficult with whopping great 17-inch alloy wheels, dark tinted glass and a rear spoiler.

What the spoiler hints at, the car delivers. The drive does not disappoint. This is a sharp-handling, precise saloon that delivers a secure and comfortable ride on all but the roughest surfaces.

The smooth, powerful engine is matched by equally powerful brakes, with the extra benefit of a brake assist system, which interprets a sudden push on the brakes as emergency braking and cuts in automatically with the anti-lock braking system to maximise the braking power. As you ease off the brakes, so the system cuts the amount of help put in.

The Sport model on test offered figure-hugging full leather upholstery, eight-speaker stereo with in-dash six-disc CD changer and climate control air conditioning.

In some respects, particularly the interior styling, the IS200 is beginning to show its age and, as it has been on the market for six years, that is perhaps hardly surprising.

Fear not, an all-new IS has started to make its show debut around the world and is due to be with us by the end of the year. I can't wait.