We love when a major manufacturer bucks a trend – it shows there’s more to things than just selling whatever is the current hotness. Take for example the Lexus IS 500. Where most manufacturers are running away from naturally aspirated V8s and going for turbo V6 or even turbo 4-cylinders, Lexus says no, we like the personality you can only get from the V8.
So, does that make Lexus a great hold out, or just late to the party of higher tech wizardry? Let’s find out.
Designed with Flare
The first thing you notice on our IS 500 F SPORT is the eye-searing Flare Yellow paint. We had a similar color on an LC 500 we tested, and it’s just as jaw dropping here. OK, it’s not to everyone’s taste, but that’s fine.
If you want one, you need to hustle to your friendly Lexus dealer now – it’s part of a Special Appearance Package and will be limited to 180 units. Now that is exclusive! (2 years ago, we tested another Special Appearance Package in a gorgeous Molten Pearl Paint. And that time they only made 150.)
The rest is familiar IS 500 F SPORT, which is to say aggressive yet still tasteful.
Up front, there’s the massive Lexus spindle grille, that used to look big, but these days we see Lexus was leading the way, and most manufacturers have followed suit with a big first impression. It’s also clearly a 500 with the big V8, thanks to a hood that’s been raised 2 inches, along with longer front bumpers and fenders.
The swole-up muscle look really sells the side view with rounded, pumped-up fenders, deep signature cut lines and subtle F SPORT badging. Another benefit of Special Appearance Package are the unique 19-inch Matte Black BBS Forged Wheels. Look up the definition of Badass in the dictionary and they should have a picture of this IS.
The rear finishes up the exposition of badness with a blacked-out lip spoiler, LED light bar that sweeps the width of the back and our favorite part, the black lower rear diffuser with staggered quad exhaust pipes. Searing eyes, dropping jaws, and assaulting your ears, this is one performance car that cannot be ignored.
Driver’s Cockpit
Inside, the IS 500 is starting to feel a little dated but is still inviting for the driver.
Open the door, and it’s clearly a driver’s cockpit with a tall center console creating a defined driver space. It’s made more special with the Special Appearance Package, with a Black NuLuxe-trimmed interior with suede inserts and yellow stitching to echo the exterior. There are also color-coordinated floor mats and key gloves. Nice.
If you looked at recent European imports like the BMW 340i, you’ll know the trend is to create a single wide display out of two connected displays. Here the Lexus seems less modern, with an 8-inch TFT display and a separate tablet-style display on the center console.
The displays themselves are great, however, with a gauge package with an 8,000 rpm directly dead center – perfect for serious driving – and easy to read graphics for other key data. The gauges even offer a cool party trick – the entire display slides over to reveal more info.
The center console is home to a nicely sized 10.3-inch infotainment system, with all the expected goods including standard Navigation, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, plus the suite of Lexus Enform goodies like Wi-Fi, Remote features and Destination assist. Also, kudos to Lexus for including traditional volume and tuning knobs – all the better to enjoy the excellent audio system.
You can still access much of this through a touch pad on the center console, but it’s always been fidgety and fussy, and since the display is a touchscreen, you can bypass almost all of that for a hassle-free experience.
The controls also are starting to look their age, but they do function well, with an easy-to-understand climate control system, touchpads for the heated and cooled seats and heated steering wheel, and most importantly, a large knob to dial in your choice of Eco, Normal and Sport modes. While it may also be old school we do love the analog clock in the center console.
Sporty meets luxury with loverly materials throughout the cabin, including faux-leather NuLuxe deeply bolstered front sport seats, a fat, leather-wrapped steering wheel and a chunky shift knob that feel great to the hands. There are also soft-touch materials where hands, elbows and other body parts come into contact, and satin chrome finishers and piano black trim add a touch of elegance.
The swoopy lines take a little toll on the rear seats, but they are still adult friendly, and are pretty par for the segment – you want more room, there are plenty of SUVs out there. The IS is quite practical too, with a spacious trunk with the rear seats up, and an easy split-folding design that creates loads of space when down.
Last of the V8 Interceptors
Like the movie Mad Max, the IS 500 is now a rarity, a naturally aspirated V8 in a world that is more and more becoming turbocharged 4 and 6’s.
If this trend continues – and we hope it doesn’t – this is one heck of a going away party with 5.0-liters of muscle with 32-valves, quad cams, and a gulp-inducing 472 horsepower at a dizzying 7,100 rpm, and an equally-strong 395 lb.-ft of torque at 4800 rpm.
Those staggered quad exhausts starts singing with a deep whump on startup that settles into a rich throaty burble. Promises of things to come ensue.
This is where one of the IS 500’s great party tricks comes in. If you never really get on it, there is V8-ness, but it’s mellow, subtle, and you can doddle around town like any other Lexus. But don’t do that! Step hard into the throttle, and the smoking jacket gets thrown off and as the RPMs climb the curvaceous sedan morphs into a NASCAR racer with bellowing sounds and a lovely shriek as it pulls to the redline. Goosebumps on top of goosebumps!
The power show continues with an 8-speed automatic that is equal to the engine, slurring through the gears in regular traffic, but popping off lightening quick shifts in sport mode – especially enjoyable with the large paddle shifters on the steering wheel. Traction is excellent – especially considering this is rear wheel drive, and 0-60 mph in the low 4-seconds is very, very quick. We will note that some turbo 6’s like the BMW M340i may be even faster, but they can’t match the V8 soundtrack.
This is no straight-line hot rod either. Ride and handling are beautifully balanced, and we’d say the compromise is more towards real-world livability over pure track performance. It’s a Lexus thing to be sure, but as a high-performance road car, a supple suspension with a pleasing ride yet plenty of grip is the master blend. Which is not to say you’re left hanging about, with a standard Torsen Limited slip, you lay down all that power easily and rocketing out of turns is a sinful pleasure.
That’s made all the better with a nicely weighted steering that has real feel and precision, massive brakes that haul you down easily and often, and overall feeling of broad-shouldered confidence and competence that just makes you smile no matter what the day’s driving mission requires.
How Much for the Not Yet Late, Great V8?
Well considering the rarity, it’s actually quite good. You can get into a Lexus IS 300 at $41,610. For a stylish sedan with all the Lexus goodness, a great deal The IS 500 F SPORT is the far end of the spectrum and starts at $63,670. Add in the limited-edition Special Appearance Package for $4,050, carpeted trunk mat ($120), and Destination ($1,175) and we rang the bell at $69,015.
The competition shows the move away from V8 performance. We’d still look at the BMW M340i at $68,775. A lovely driving machine, and quick with turbo 6 providing 386 horsepower, it still feels less special than the Lexus. We also like the Audi S4 at $68,845, which does feel special, but with 349 horsepower from its turbo V6, it’s over a hundred horsepower down from the IS 500 – and numbers matter in the Big Boy world.
With the thrill of pure V8 power, Lexus quality, refinement and gorgeous looks the IS 500 F SPORT is a unique and thrilling high-performance ride.
Ben Lewis grew up in Chicago, and after spending his formative years driving sideways in the winter – often intentionally – moved to sunny Southern California. He now enjoys sunny weather year-round — whether it is autocross driving, aerobatics, and learning to surf.