You can tell we’re nearing the end of performance era. Muscle cars with their V8 engines are slowly dying off in favor of small, turbocharged and electric motors. It is as if it is the 80’s all over again, minus the electrification.  So, to see Lexus sending off their rear-wheel drive IS sport sedan with its iconic 5.0-liter V8, you can tell its days are numbered. 

For the longest time we sort of poked at Toyota/Lexus with their special edition models. We always saw it as a way to extend another year out of model that was long overdue for an update, whether refreshed or completely revamped. But as for the Lexus IS 500, this is it, the last “special edition”. The last of its kind. And considering its base price of $59,420, it’s darn near a bargain at that.  

Believe it or not, this is not a new generation of the IS F. What we have is simply an IS 350 mechanical refresh with much bigger balls under its trousers. The 3.5-liter V6 gets replaced with the same 5.0-liter V8 found in the RC F that makes a heart thumping 472-horsepower and 395 lbs-ft of torque delivered to the rear wheels. Besides the engine, the only mechanical changes are the larger front & rear brakes and a new rear chassis damper. Everything else, including the 8-speed automatic transmission, limited-slip differential and F SPORT tuned adaptive suspension all remain straight out of the standard IS 350 F SPORT.  

Ironically, Lexus made an engine swap look like a cake walk. Very little modifications went into making the V8 engine fit with some tweaked fenders and a two-inch bump in the hood to fit the massive intake manifold. Ultimately, it is almost like Lexus went out of their way to make this look like a sleeper. There is hardly any indication that this car has beastly kahunas under its belt apart from the stacked exhaust and rear IS 500 badging.  

Like a good American muscle car, the IS 500 is all show with very little go. And that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Especially given that it can still run a 0-60-mph sprint in about 4.5-seconds. But when it comes to its modern rivals with their twin turbo’s and launch control, you get a sense the IS 500 is out here to do its own thing. And when it comes to the sound, Lexus makes it addicting to hear the raw snort as the rev needle climbs closer to the redline. The closer it gets the more intoxicating the sound becomes. And even though there is some fake sound pipped through the interior speakers, just roll the windows down and listen to that Orquestra, we don’t care either way, it sounds that good. 

The problem with most of the upgraded performance variants like the BMW M3 or Audi RS3 is that, in order to maximize their experience, it really is idealistic to be on a closed course where there is nobody to crash into but yourself – plus it saves you from being a YouTube sensation. The IS 500 however, since it’s not really an ‘F’ in a sense, it doesn’t really compete against the M3 or RS3 but more or less the BMW M340i, Audi S4 and perhaps the Mercedes-AMG C43. It’s the kind of performance that is usable every day. 

Getting the IS 500 to misbehave is a different matter, like having your mom in the passenger seat. It won’t let you light up the rear wheels, it doesn’t have launch control, trying to do a brake-gas stomp will cut the power and the manual shifting tends to disagree when you think you would like to downshift. If anything, it is keeping us in line and well behaved and out of timeout.   

Despite this, the IS 500 is still fun. There is a raw, analog-ness to it… and we’re not talking about the old-fashioned clock in the center of the dash. The limited-slip differential likes to play around that lays the power out wonderfully and lets you have a little bit of oversteering fun, right before the traction control steps in. Even the steering almost feels hydraulic with quick responsiveness. And then there is the ride, which you would think would be hard and bouncy, but because it’s the same setup in the IS 350 F SPORT, it’s as supple and absorbent as any typical Lexus.  

As for everything else, there is not much difference to be said, it’s the same car we’ve adored and praised for the better part of a decade. The interior has received its fair share of updates over the years like the form fitting wide screen infotainment system with wireless CarPlay and Android connectivity. And the mouse-like puck is gone leaving a frustrating touchpad interface in place. Luckily, the screen is now touchscreen, leaving the touchpad a moot point.  

In a world surrounded by electrified torque and turbocharged over-boosted engines, the IS 500 feels analog in a digital world. And seeing that it calls for the better half of $66,000 may seem like a steep price for essentially a car that is a decade old, just remember, this is the last naturally aspirated Japanese muscle V8 that will make you feel like a cheerleader going to prom every time you start the engine. So, what are you waiting for?