Lexus has shared an early look of their next vehicle launch with Lexus Enthusiast, giving us an advance teaser before any other media outlets. But what does this teaser image reveal? Look closely enough, and there’s plenty of information that can be deciphered — let’s take a deep dive and see what’s what.
Despite the blurry details, this is clearly the same cover used on the 2UR-GSE 5.0L V8 engine from the RC F & GS F:
There are certainly no rules in regards to engine cover design, and there’s every possibility of a new powertrain lurking under this plastic shield. However, for the sake of analysis, let’s assume the V8 is the engine. The major difference is the logo — instead of the stylized F of the Lexus high-performance F brand, this new vehicle will be released as an F SPORT product.
The LC 500 is the only existing model to have the V8 and not offer a F SPORT option, but it feels too late in the coupe’s lifecycle to introduce such a model (Lexus does not generally change the engine cover as part of the F SPORT package). It could also be a V8 option for the LS, though again, the timing doesn’t seem right and the chance of aggravating current LS owners seems too great a risk.
All of this runaround logic brings us to the most obvious option — Lexus trademarked the IS 500 nameplate last year, and rumors from the usually-reliable Best Car Magazine suggest a V8 version of the IS has been in the pipeline for some time.
If this ends up being the vehicle behind the teaser, there’s really only one question left — will it simply be an engine option, or will it lead to bigger changes to the sports sedan? Are we about to see the return of IS F, albeit with a different nameplate?
More details are sure to come in the following days, stay tuned for more updates about this vehicle as we get closer to the reveal date.
