Unlike the GS, the IS will live on as the car we know but with a number of upgrades.
One upgrade may be the return of the 5.0-litre V8, if only for a short while.
Rumour has it the next IS will be sourced in part from Mazda, remain RWD and get a straight-6.
There’s no need to argue: The last two, of three, generations of the Lexus IS never lived up to expectations and the hype that the first-gen IS created. Thankfully, the IS always retained its RWD or AWD layout but it never managed to threaten the Germans, once more, as the 1998-2003 IS did. The current Lexus IS was introduced for the 2013 model and id ageing. A full overhaul was expected however it would seem as though it will only be updated.
The “bad news” is that the Lexus IS will carry on with only aesthetic changes both inside and out – changes that are unlikely to increase the car’s appeal, which has dwindled quite a bit over the last few years. We say “bad news” as fundamentally, the IS is not a bad car. The “good news” is that when it will be updated, assumingly for the 2021 model year, Lexus will drop a 5.0-litre V8 under its bonnet for the final time. All of this comes from allcarnews on Instagram.
At one point, all thought that Lexus was to set up a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 in the car but we think costs were a factor in going with the superbly smooth and responsive 5.0-litre. If you’re keeping tabs, the IS will become the only car in its segment with a V8, if it actually happens. Interestingly, Lexus might simply name the car IS 500 and not IS F as it once did for the V8-equipped IS.
Finally, the next-generation Lexus IS may become the Lexus IS enthusiasts all want. Rumour has it that Lexus will make good use of Mazda’s upcoming RWD platform and straight-6 cylinder engine.