Lexus will not have a performance sedan that can compete with the new BMW M3.
According to Lexus, there are no plans for a ISF Lexus sedan. Scott Thompson, the boss of the brand in Australia, said that there are no plans to release another model.
Thompson does not give an explanation for why an IS F was not built. He however suggests that it is due to the demand for performance versions of the brand’s products. According to Motoring, he admits that F trim models the company sells in Australia are “smaller” than those of German competitors.
According to rumors, the next-gen Lexus IS will arrive in the second half of 2020. There are many rumors about its powertrain range. The same BMW B58 3.0-liter Inline-six, which produces 335 horsepower (395 kilowatts) & 365 pound-feet (495 Newton meters), is being considered for the next-gen Lexus IS. There is also a report that the IS uses Toyota’s new inline-six.
Other engine options include turbocharged 2.0 and 2.4-liter four cylinders. Some markets might also get a 2.5-liter hybrid powerplant.
Underpinning the new IS would be a rear drive version of the TGNA modular platform. According to reports, the switch helps reduce weight by around 342 pounds (155 kg) when compared with the current sedan.
Rumours of a new IS F were already circulating in 2022. It would have been powered by the LS’s 3.5 liter twin-turbo V6 engine and 10-speed automatic. It is possible that Lexus engineers would have increased the output to match the 416 horsepower (310 kW), the mill produces in its flagship sedan.