The ever-tightening emission regulations are squeezing out V8 and V12 engines faster than most of us anticipated. They’ll soon be relegated to history books and museums. Mercedes recently announced that smaller 4-cylinder engines would power its entire line-up of next-gen C-Class — including the AMG C63 –. But guess what? The rumors of a V8-powered performance Lexus sedan that have been doing rounds for a while have turned out to be true. Introducing the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance packs a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 producing 472 horsepower and 395 pound-feet of torque. Its arrival has brought back a naturally-aspirated V8 back into the line-up, making it the spiritual successor to the discontinued Lexus IS F, and we couldn’t be more excited. The new IS 500 F Sport Performance gains all the upgrades received by the refreshed Lexus IS range, including all the exterior and interior changes.
In terms of aesthetics, the IS 500 F Sport Performance gets a more aggressive look than the IS 350 F Sport, a bulge on the hood that creates an additional 2.0 inches of clearance for the bigger-sized V8 engine. It also gets flared fenders to make room for Enkei-sourced 19-inch wheels that feature a split-10-spoke design. The other distinct design feature on the IS 500 F Sport Performance is stacked dual exhaust pipes. The performance sedan comes standard with the Dynamic Handling Package, including an adaptive suspension and Torsen limited-slip differential. In addition to that, it comes with a Yamaha-sourced rear performance damper that provides additional stability. The V8 engine is paired to an eight-speed automatic gearbox that powers the rear wheels. Lexus claims that it can make the 0-60mph sprint in 4.5 seconds. The 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance goes on sale this fall, and the pricing will be announced closer to the launch.
[Via: The Drive]
