2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport roars in with special launch edition
The V8-powered IS is back, and the first ones Lexus will build look really sweet.
Last month, Lexus ushered in what it's calling the IS F Sport Performance label, and with it, introduced the line on the 2022 IS 500 F Sport Performance. On Friday, the company shared a special batch of these cars to mark the arrival in the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance Launch Edition. Yes, it's a mouthful of a name, I am aware, but I don't call the shots at Lexus.
What is this car? A seriously limited-production vehicle with just 500 planned. Also, North Americans are the only ones who will receive the IS 500 F Sport Performance Launch Edition. It's a safe bet most of them will end up in the US. The special edition isn't tremendously different than the standard IS 500, but it does looks really damn good with a few extra touches. Notably, the car rides on a set of 19-inch BBS wheels, which also shave 12 pounds from the IS 500's final weight. The color, named Incognito, is exclusive to the F Sport Performance Launch Edition as well and really emphasizes the black wheels and other accents. The latest IS may not be totally new, but I think the refreshed looks, overall, are stupendous. These additions look even better.
Inside, Lexus outfits each of the 500 cars with black and gray Ultrasuede material to trim the seats, doors and center console, while the steering wheel sports silver ash wood trim. F Sport Performance badging is a given here, but each car also nabs a serialized plaque commemorating each car as one of 500. Oh, and firing the car up reveals a different startup animation compared to other IS 500 models.
Lexus said it plans to share a few more details about the Launch Edition and standard IS 500 F Sport Performance closer to when the cars prepare to ship out this fall.
