2022 Is500 F Sport Performance: Take A Tour Around The New Lexus V8 Sedan
The Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance is the first IS with a V8 engine since the IS F’s departure back in 2014. And while it won’t be officially released until the fall, Kirk Kreifels gives us another look at the special Lexus in his latest video.
Starting with the exterior, the styling, for better or for worse, is very similar to the rest of the IS range. The most notable differences are the hood bulge, stacked quad tailpipes, and exclusive Enkei wheels framing black brake calipers. Other, smaller changes include a gloss black decklid spoiler, inverted colors on the F Sport fender badge, and black chrome trim instead of the usual brightwork.
See Also: The Lexus IS 500 Demonstrates Why We’re Sad To See Naturally Aspirated V8s Go
The inside, like the outside, remains mostly unchanged from the other IS models. Aside from a new startup animation and an F Sport Performance logo on the steering wheel, the interior is nearly identical to that the regular IS’s, which itself is only a minor update over the previous generation’s. It includes such standout features as the sliding gauge cluster and the 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, the latter of which is often considered among the best in the industry.
But the real star of the show with this car is the 5.0-liter V8 under the hood. It makes 472 hp (479 PS / 352 kW) and 395 lb-ft (536 Nm) of torque, which is sent to the rear wheels by way of an eight-speed automatic transmission. The engine has the same unique intake manifold as the other Lexus performance cars it’s found in, but it lacks the blue color of the full-fat F models.
You can get the full tour of the IS 500 F Sport Performance, as well as listen to its bellowing exhaust, for yourself in the video below