Nother CarGuy

When it was updated for the 2021 model year, people accused the IS 350 F Sport of needing a little more engine. Well, Lexus has listened. The brand announced that it is stuffing its naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 under the hood of its smallest (North American) sedan and calling it the IS 500 F Sport Performance. Needless to say, this mechanical set-up is a dying breed in the age of smaller, force-fed or even electrified engines, and if anything, Lexus deserves our praise for giving it what could very well turn out to be a last hurrah. So strained is the IS to contain the engine’s heft that the hood has been raised two inches to accommodate it. Despite making 160 more horses than the V6, though, the 3,891-pound IS 500 weighs just 143 lbs more than the IS 350. The engine, which you may recognize from the RC F, makes 472 HP at 7,100 rpm and 395 lb-ft of torque at 4,800 rpm. That’s around about the same amount as the base M3, which gets 473 hp and 406 lb-ft of torque out of its twin-turb...

The facelifted 2017 Lexus IS range is celebrating its European debut at the Paris Auto Show, five months after the  refreshed model  was revealed online. For the 2017 model year IS, Lexus opted to remain true to the outgoing model's bold design, but have updated it on a few fronts. For starters, the front fascia has been revised and now incorporates updated headlights with a slightly different shape, a revised version of the Japanese marque's customary spindle front grille as well as a different bumper with larger air intakes. The new dark chrome front grille of the updated IS range also now incorporates functional brake ducts on either side.  Elsewhere, the exterior of the model has been updated with new 16-, 17- and 18-inch wheel designs as well as a reshaped character line stretching the length of the car. Changes at the rear include new taillights, rectangular and chrome-finished exhaust tips. In Europe, Deep Blue Mica and Graphite Black have been added to the ext...

Like some humans, cars also go through a mid-life crisis and try to look younger by going under the knife, as  did the Lexus IS sedan  that was presented today in a world premiere at the 2016 Beijing auto show.  The  most notable change on the outside  concerns the fascia that gets an uninterrupted, full-height grille in both regular and F-Sport models, together with a new bumper housing huge cornet air ducts, and reshaped headlamps while keeping the divisive "L"-shaped, according to Lexus, “Nike” logo-shaped, according to consumers, Daytime Running Lights (DRL). A new set of tail lamp fixtures with more pronounced "L"-shaped LED light guides, rectangular chrome exhaust tips, newly styled alloy wheels and two new paint schemes called Deep Blue Mica and Graphite Black Glass Flak, complete the exterior revisions.  Inside, the multimedia display screen has grown from 7 inches to 10.3 inches, while there are also new colors for some markets, a slightly revis...

Three years after its introduction, the  third generation  of the IS will receive a makeover in time for the Chinese auto show  For the moment, Toyota's luxury brand isn’t keen on releasing anything on it, except that it will use the L-finesse design philosophy, using words such as "bold evolution" in its description that accompanies a teaser image revealing a new shape for the headlights, sitting on top of the  LED DRLs , redesigned bumper and imposing signature grille with chrome surrounds. On the other end, the IS is believed to sport redesigned taillights, while the exterior should be completed by a fresh wheel lineup. Lexus hasn’t announced anything on possible  interior changes  or engine revisions, so we will have to wait for the "new" IS to make its public debut on April 25 to learn more about it.  Currently, the IS engine ranges includes a 2.0-liter turbo, producing 244 PS (241 HP) in the  IS 200t  and a hybrid set up, with a 2.5-...