Special Lexus limited to North America
Lexus is one of the few remaining champions of the big gas-engined car. The 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance arrived in February, reintroducing the former model's V-8 engine, tweaked to produce 472 horsepower. Now the Japanese luxury automaker is announcing a range-crowning trim — at least until the actual F model arrives — with the IS 500 F Sport Performance Launch Edition.
Lexus is only offering the 2022 IS 500 F Sport Performance to North America, with 50 en route to Canada and the remaining 450 bound for the States.
The Launch Edition will have the same 5.0-L engine as the Sport Performance, but differs visually in a number of ways, starting with the exterior colour. Lexus has taken its muted crayon collection to the Launch Edition to give it a unique grey shade that it's calling Incognito.
Wheels are 19-inch split-sevenspoke forged alloy matte black BBS'S that are each four pounds lighter than those on the base F Sport. Inside, beyond the expected badging, a two-tone black and grey Ultrasuede appears on the door, centre console and seats, while the wheel gets a silver-ash wood treatment. The digital instrumentation also notifies the driver they're not in an ordinary IS 500, with a special startup animation.
Pricing hasn't been released from Lexus, but is expected soon because the IS Sport Performance Launch Edition is scheduled to arrive in dealerships this fall.