A seven-year production run came to an end last week as the final Lexus IS F left the Tahara facility in Japan.
Although the IS F was never a big sellerrecent estimates put its lifetime global sales at 12,000 unitsit was the first Lexus model to give the company’s reputation for high-performance vehicles credence.
Its creation is now a part of Lexus legend.
Chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi transformed the current IS sports sedan into something far more powerful with a tiny staff and a tight budget, replacing the powerplant and modifying the body till it exhaled fire. The end result was a 416-horsepower sports car that was unheard of in Lexus history.
Will there ever be a second IS F? The future is uncertain because there has been no official announcement and because the new RC F coupe, which was also created by Yaguchi-san, will represent Lexus performance going forward.
No matter what happens, I want to express my gratitude to everyone who worked on the first Lexus high-performance car.
You should be happy with what you accomplished because it was a fantastic run.
In This Article...
Has the Lexus IS F been retired?
Since the performance-focused IS F was retired in 2014, the Lexus IS lineup has had a V8-shaped hole in its core. Despite not being a full-fat F model like the RC F coupe, the recently unveiled 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance sedan should, at the very least, help quell your V8 hunger thanks to its 5.0-liter engine.
The new vehicle will be the first in the automaker’s newly revealed F Sport Performance tier, which will provide a somewhat hotter performance gradient between the moderate (and typically style-focused) F Sport trims and hot F performance vehicles. Similar to BMW’s M Sport, M Performance, and M series stratification, the three-tiered structure ought to be equally perplexing.
The IS 500 F Sport Performance, which is only available in the North American market, differs from the 300 and 350 grades thanks to an upgrade to Lexus’ 5.0-liter V8 engine. This appears to be the same 5.0L 2UR-GSE engine that powers the RC F and LC 500 coupes, producing 472 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque. Fun fact: From 2007 until 2014, this plant powered the old 416 horsepower IS F. It has been modified with better compression and output.
The powertrain is coupled to the rear wheels using the well-known Sport Direct Shift eight-speed automatic transmission, and it exhausts through a sport quad-tip exhaust system. The car is predicted to accelerate from zero to sixty kilometres per hour in around 4.5 seconds when using its sportiest Sport Plus mode. Toyota says that when you’re not hitting it, it should achieve about 24 highway mpg.
What was the Lexus IS F’s successor?
The IS500, which is referred to as a F Sport Performance model this time around, seems to be the IS F’s spiritual successor. A naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 with 472 horsepower is featured in the 2022 Lexus IS500. Instead of calling it a full F like its RC F coupe sibling, Lexus refers to it as a F Sport Performance model.
How quick is the Lexus IS F?
This video’s opening run is just a simple sprint to 100 kph (62 miles per hour). A time of 5.05 seconds is indicated by the GPS. Lexus asserts that the IS F can accelerate from 0 to 60 mph (96 kph) in 4.6 seconds.
The IS F ultimately performs the top-speed run after making a few laps by the camera to capture the exhaust and some commotion on the road. This time, 5.16 seconds are required to travel 62 mph. The time for the quarter mile is 13.06 seconds. In 16.39 seconds, 124 mph (200 kph) is reached. It takes 20.21 sec to complete a half-mile.
268 kph is briefly flashed by the GPS (166.5 mph). This one is kissing the IS F’s Vmax because 170 mph (273.6 kph) is the Lexus IS F’s official top speed. This sedan appears to be capable of approaching the top speed even more with a little more road.
Will the IS F be back?
The Lexus IS is the automaker’s final chance to maintain its position in the sports sedan industry. The Japanese company has scaled back or discontinued its other vehicleswe’re looking at you, GSand the IS has been given a V8 engine upgrade for 2022, giving Lexus one vehicle to work with. According to a recent report from the Japanese website Spyder 7, Lexus is developing a new IS F that would improve upon the IS 500’s performance.
The IS500, which Lexus introduced last year, has a 5.0-liter V8 engine with 472 horsepower and 395 lb-ft of torque. It has rear-wheel drive and an 8-speed automatic transmission. The anticipated IS F will have the same 5.0-liter engine but will gain a little power boost of about 20 horsepower.
The render’s hood has a noticeable power bulge with an air scoop, and the carbon fiber roof is also present. The IS F is unlikely to be a significant change from the car we currently see because of how similar its overall appearance is to the present IS500.
In recent years, the Lexus portfolio has included a number of F Sport versions, including those for the RX, RC, IS, GS, and many more. The first IS F made its debut in 2007 and ran for several years. The 5.0-liter V8 engine in the F. A two-stage intake system, 416 horsepower, and 371 lb-ft of torque are all included. The IS F’s transmission and engine oil system were built for high-speed cornering, and at launch, it completed the 0-60 mph sprint in 4.4 seconds.
It’s wonderful to hear of a new IS F, but it’s wise to keep your hopes in check. Most of Lexus’ other vehicles, notably the LX, have stopped using V8 engines, and the LC is not likely to receive a high-performance F model. However, the IS 500 already brings us 80% of the way to a full-fat F vehicle, so Lexus doesn’t really have a long way to go.
According to reports, the IS F will land in Japan in October 2022. A release in the US won’t likely take long if it occurs. Price-wise, the Performance Premium variant of the current IS 500 F Sport Performance starts at just over $62,000, while the Performance model starts at about $58,000. A new IS F model would cost more than any of those vehicles and may have an MSRP as high as $70,000.
What caused Lexus to stop making the IS?
Lexus IS sedan, RC coupe, and CT hatch will no longer be available locally. Three well-liked models from Lexus’ lineup have to be discontinued because of new side impact crash test regulations that took effect in November 2021.
The Lexus IS F: Is it any good?
On open highways, the Lexus IS F is a lot of fun. While the IS F isn’t as composed in corners as a BMW M3, that only adds to its attractiveness, the massive V8 produces a lovely exhaust noise and generates a lot of power. The eight-speed automatic gearbox is another attractive feature. Eight gears may seem like overkill to some, but the box shifts easily whether you use the paddleshifters or just let it do its thing.
The quickest Lexus is which?
Discover the most potent car that Lexus has ever produced. The Lexus GS F flawlessly mixes power, style, and grace into one ideal performance vehicle, with an amazing 467 horsepower and top track speed of 168 MPH.
What does the Lexus RC stand for?
How different just one letter can be. Radical Coup is the moniker given to Lexus’ mid-size premium sports car, and the RC looks great in all of its iterations. But what sets apart the “F” version? We’ll elaborate.
How many Lexus Lfas exist worldwide?
During production at the Motomachi facility, LFA Chief Engineer Haruhiko Tanahashi is pictured with a piece of foamcored CFRP material in front of the LFA body.
The LFA went on sale for Lexus on October 23, 2009. Lexus chose its customers carefully in the second quarter of 2010. [46] December 2010 saw the start of production. With a starting price of $375,000, just 20 cars were constructed each month for the global market’s total of 500 cars (340,000). Each car has to be ordered specifically for the customer. [47]
After the LFA was debuted at the Tokyo Motor Show, Lexus unveiled a website with a “LFA configurator” that let users choose exterior and interior colors, brake caliper colors, seats, steering wheel leather, and other interior designs.
[48]
[49] Over 30 billion different combinations were available in total. [49] At Toyota’s Motomatchi plant in Aichi, Japan, a committed production team of engineers and specialists hand-built each LFA. [50] [51] [52]
150 vehicles were first offered for sale in the North American market via a two-year lease arrangement. This was done to stop owners from profitably reselling the car. [47] To conduct test drives to potential purchasers and show off the car’s capabilities at Auto Club Speedway, racing driver Scott Pruett was hired. At the end of 2009, Toyota Motors USA’s Lexus division ceased taking orders. At that time, they intended to start talking to the lessees about a purchase plan. Later, Lexus reversed course and permitted outright purchases, but only if the buyer signed a contract giving the dealer the first option to acquire the LFA back if the owner decided to sell it during the first two years. The used LFA might be purchased back by the dealer for the lower of fair market value or the original sticker price. [53] The only Lexus outlet in Park Lane, London where customers could order the LFA for the European market was an outright purchase. [54]
Haruhiko Tanahashi, chief engineer of the LFA, in front of an autoclave for curing CFRP components
Each LFA was given a plaque with a unique number that identified its position in the production run during its manufacture. Each LFA V10 engine bore the expert’s signature from the assembly process. [51] The LFA was produced from December 2010 to December 2012 at a rate of 20 units per month. The final vehicle, which had the Nrburgring package and an exterior finish of white, was completed on December 14th, 2012, marking the end of production. There was no planned successor when manufacture halted. With a limited staff, the LFA plant in Motomachi carried on producing parts. [55]