If you want to reach the LGBT market, Lady Gaga (or a close facsimile) is a good place to start.

The 2014 Lexus IS, has been all over YouTube, Twitter, Facebook and everywhere buyers may be lurking. Indeed, Lexus knows how to make an entrance on social media. The company has produced several slick, high-energy videos that move fast, feature music straight from your favorite bathhouse, and star look-alikes of Lady Gaga, Robin Thicke, and someone who looks like a cross between Esperanza Spalding and Josephine Baker. In case you missed all that, here’s a clip that debuted earlier this year:

The marketing is intentionally edgy, as Lexus tries to bring the IS — now in its third generation — out from the shadows and comfort of luxury and onto the racetrack, or at least the HOV fast lane. Lexus smartly took several people to San Francisco to test drive its new baby earlier this year. The event was gay on top of gay — and great. (For some more first impressions, check out fellow writer Sam Miller Christensen’s review of the 2014 IS.)

I’m not a fast person (on the track, anyway) so testing this car on an off-track did little for me. Many writers have said that the ‘oomph’ in the Lexus IS is negligible, that you can ignore the Eco and Sport modes, set it to Normal and forget it. I couldn’t agree more.

But I will say this: there is a pep in the car that may not win at NASCAR, but it will put a kick into your weekend drive to Laguna Beach. Or Myrtle Beach, for those who still have to entertain family and say “bless your heart”.

So then, what’s so gay about the 2014 Lexus IS?

Everything. The IS is now one of those cars that screams gay, which we at Gaywheels feel is a great thing. The styling is sleeker in 2014, having long pointed lines that are both aerodynamic and seductively curvy at the same time. Rarely have limited exterior color choices of red, white, and black been so bold and so attractive. The front grilles are new, with the F Sport trim featuring a honeycombed/chainlink hood-to-ground grille, while the standard grille is called a “spindle” grille, I guess because it looks like a groovy stack of jazz records. Defined by Lexus as “entry luxury,” this is a hot car and you will indeed look hot in it.

My kitschy sense couldn’t help but notice that the new side mirrors, which are further from the car’s body to increase wind flow and speed, can make the car look like it has Shrek ears. (For the record, I like Shrek very much, thank you.) Just as President Obama’s ears are prominent and, in my opinion, quite attractive, the new side mirrors make the IS stand out in a good way, adding to its already sleek look.

The 2014 model is longer by three inches and there is an additional 1.5 inches in the back seats. The front seats have a “cockpit” feel but are easy to get into and out of, even for bears. In fact, the front seats feature a new cloth material. It feels like leather but breathes like a Martha’s Vineyard cotton shirt. Imagine: looking like leather but feeling like you’re wrapped in 600-count sheets. Finally, Mr. IML meets Bed Bath & Beyond.

The 2014 IS comes in both standard and F Sport trims, and it’s available as a 250 or 350. Unless you’re really into high energy efficiency, the 250 will be just fine in the standard trim. Reviews for the F Sport have been mixed, mostly because this trim has more power for the racetrack. I wouldn’t race this car, but I would rev it up on Halsted Street. Maybe even Lombard Street.

What’s not so gay about the 2014 Lexus IS? Price and fuel economy. Prices start at around $36,000 and mileage, while good, is a combined 24 mpg. As with all Lexi (Lexuses?), these cars are not for the struggling creative types with no trust fund or sugar spouse. I am also not wild about the navigation system and its joystick. Yet, on a recent trip to Santa Fe, I did find it to be quite good and handy, just not very user-friendly.

If looking good is important — and being gay and fabulous even more important — the 2014 Lexus IS is an A-List gay drive that really does say you’ve arrived, even before you arrive at your Sunday brunch or White Party. Just remember that being gay and fabulous with a Lexus will cost you. But then again, haven’t you already paid in blood, sweat, and tears for the right to be out and proud? You really should have something to show for it.