Lexus Explains Why The New IS 500 Is Not A Full-Fat F Model

It was only hours ago when Lexus introduced a new performance badge in its IS line – the Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance. We know, it's a mouthful, but there's more to the new moniker than just another badge. Speaking to Lexus Enthusiast, the Japanese marque explained why the IS 500 F Sport Performance, despite carrying a lot of oomph, isn't exactly a replacement for the full F models.

As it turns out, it has something to do with its positioning within the Lexus IS range, plus a guarantee of better things to come for the performance models of the luxury automaker.

According to Lexus, the F Sport Performance line of cars, which the new IS 500 spearheaded today, slots in between the F Sport models (like the IS F Sport) and the full F models (as in the RC F). While the IS 500 F Sport Performance already boasts impressive numbers from its normally-aspirated V8 and other performance upgrades, the F model will still be Lexus' "highest expression of power and performance" and will receive the automaker's "most innovative engineering and advanced driver-inspired technology."

With the IS 350 F Sport in place at the launch last year and the IS 500 F Sport Performance now sitting on top of it, this means a full-fat IS F is still coming with all the bells and whistles from Lexus – though that last bit wasn’t explicitly mentioned in its interview with the website.

In case you missed the debut earlier today, the IS 500 F Sport Performance's naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 mill produces a healthy 472 horsepower (352 kilowatts) and 395 pound-feet (535.5 Newton-meters) of twists, sent to the wheels via an eight-speed automatic. It comes with a Dynamic Handling Package that includes adaptive suspension and Torsen limited-slip differential, with a 3,891 pounds (1,765 kilograms) weight at the scales.

Pricing wasn't disclosed at the launch of the new and interim range-topper IS sedan. But we know that the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance is scheduled to go on sale this fall, so expect more details as we draw closer to the market launch.