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Get ready to pour one out for the last V8-powered compact sedan on the market. Lexus has just confirmed that the IS will end production in November, and that means the IS 500 F Sport Performance flagship will also be gone. Order books for the current 2025 model are still open, but probably not for long, as production is due to wind up in just five months.

The news of the IS 500 F Sport Performance’s demise isn’t a huge surprise, as Lexus has already revealed a special Ultimate Edition for the US and a similar Climax Edition for Japan. Still, it’s a significant moment, as the car’s demise marks the end of a truly golden era for performance fans seeking extra seats for friends or family, but not keen on switching to an SUV.

No Country For V8 Compact Sedans

It wasn’t long ago that buyers looking for a compact sedan with a V8 were spoiled for choice. Prior to the IS 500, Lexus offered the more focused IS F (from 2008-2014), while at the same time you could also buy a BMW M3 and Mercedes-Benz AMG C63 with a V8.

Fast-forward to today, and the M3 now rocks an inline-6, while the AMG C63 makes do with a lowly inline-4 paired with a plug-in hybrid system. The Audi RS4 is no longer in production, but the last one used a V6 and was only available as a wagon – which is why Audi stopped selling it in the US. In this company, the IS 500 is definitely a rare breed. With its starting price of $60,345, including a $1,175 destination fee, it’s also a bargain to boot.

Unfortunately, stricter emissions rules and rising gas prices make it harder to introduce new V8 models, especially for brands like Lexus that operate globally. And while the V8’s popularity may still be strong in the US – where Detroit brands continue to find huge success with their V8 pickup trucks – with Ram even recently reviving the V8 in the 1500 after dropping it with the light pickup truck’s 2025 update, sedans as a segment are on a downward trend. Combine this with buyers of compacts typically favoring decent mileage over performance, and it makes it hard for automakers to justify launching new compact sedans with a V8 under the hood.

Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance Specs And Driving Impressions

The IS 500 has been available since 2022, and while it directly replaced the IS F, it wasn’t billed as a direct successor. That’s because the IS 500, which features Lexus’ tamer F Sport Performance branding, was developed more as a fast car for grand touring rather than for sprints at the track. At its launch, Lexus said it had plans to elevate future dedicated F models to a higher level of performance, particularly in terms of track capability, leaving a gap for vehicles like the IS 500.

Behind the wheel, the IS 500 leans more in curves compared to the IS F due to a softer suspension tune, including when dialed into its Sport or Sport+ modes. It also understeers more, though this is easy to counter with extra throttle. Being a naturally aspirated car, you need to build the revs to get the IS 500 to hustle, but in doing so, you are rewarded with arguably the best soundtrack in the class. The peak power and torque arrive at a lofty 7,100 and 4,800 rpm, respectively, and it feels like Lexus programmed the transmission to allow the engine to rev as high as safely possible in each gear.

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But that’s not necessarily a bad thing.

The IS 500 stands out from the rest of the IS range with its subtle power bulge in the hood, a front fascia positioned slightly forward to make space for the V8, a set of quad exhaust tips, and 19-inch Enkei wheels. The car also comes with a powerful brake package combining four-piston calipers and 14-inch rotors up front and single-piston calipers and 12.7-inch rotors at the rear. A Dynamic Handling Package is also included, featuring adaptive dampers and a Torsen limited-slip differential, plus a separate laterally mounted damper at the rear designed to absorb vibrations and flex – helping with high-speed agility and stability.

The Fate Of The V8 At Lexus

The IS 500 isn’t the only V8 car on its way out at Lexus. The RC F, which shares many of its components with the IS 500, including its V8, will also bow out this year, along with the rest of the RC range, and with rumors that the LC is also on its way out, Lexus may soon be without a V8 in any model. That’s even more reason to snap one up while they’re still available.

All may not be lost, however. Rumor has it that the new supercar being developed alongside a Toyota GT3 race car will be sold as a Lexus and badged as the LFR, connecting it to the iconic LFA supercar from more than a decade ago. Interestingly, the rumors also suggest that the LFR will debut a new electrified V8 powertrain that could potentially end up in additional models. We should have more details soon, as the new supercar is expected to make its debut later this summer.

Rumors of an electrified V8 tie in with comments made by a senior Lexus executive in 2022. Andrew Gilleland, who heads Lexus in the US, said at the time that the future of the F performance sub-brand would tread down the hybrid route before going fully electric. This also fits the current trend in the market, where buyers looking to curb fuel consumption are opting more and more for hybrids rather than EVs.

The Future Of The IS Uncertain

Lexus hasn’t indicated what it has planned to replace the IS with once production winds up in November. One possibility is that Lexus gives the IS a major overhaul, similar to what it did with the new 2026 ES, which has a lot in common with its predecessor, including a shared TNGA-K platform.

There’s also a chance that Lexus doesn’t replace the IS, given the car’s relatively low sales and Lexus’ future plans to launch a compact electric sedan, which the automaker previewed in 2023 with the LF-ZC concept. At its debut, Lexus said the LF-ZC would spawn a production model around 2026, though the launch is thought to have been pushed back to around mid-2027. The concept measured 187 inches long, making it only 1.5 inches longer than the current IS. The only other information about the concept was that it is based on a new modular EV platform that will also be used for future Toyota models. The platform was also claimed by the automaker to be able to deliver a much greater range than current EVs from Lexus and Toyota, as well as much quicker charge times.

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And from 2026, 500 miles from a 20-minute charge.

IS sales in the US, the Lexus brand’s top market, reached a total of just 18,946 units in 2024, down 15.9% from the year prior. In contrast, the ES sold 43,156 units over the same period, and with the 2026 redesign of the ES, Lexus may target both IS buyers and the traditional ES crowd – at least until the production version of the LF-ZC arrives. All in all, it seems highly likely that the days of a V8 compact sedan from Lexus will soon be over. Given how Lexus models tend to hold their value, opting for an IS 500, either new or used, could prove to be a shrewd move down the road.

Sources: Lexus