[25 V8 IS]

Long story short, the actual transmission is sound. Very good feel to it. But it had been so long since I had driven a manual that the rev matching just killed the experience (yes, I know it can be disabled, but we were on a test drive and I didn't want to take the time to stop and turn it off). Seriously, who came up with rev matching? Must be for beginners.

The rest of the car was "meh". Way too cramped inside and lots of rattles (it was a 2025 model with around 6K miles). Just did not feel solidly built.

Of course, the B58 was glorious. Power delivery is great and it's very quick. I even thought the steering was better than my old M2C and also better than my IS 500 (but that's not saying much). Of course it handles on rails. But ride quality is way too rough even in comfort mode. Very similar to my old M2C.

TLDR: It's quick, handles well, and the transmission is great. It's also stunning looking. But too many rattles, and too small and cramped for my liking.