The Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance continues to be the only compact performance sedan on the market equipped with a V8, and Lexus has just given buyers one more reason to buy one. The automaker on Monday announced the new IS 500 Ultimate Edition, a special edition available for the 2025 model year and limited to just 500 units in North America.
- Base Trim Engine
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5.0L V8 Gas
- Base Trim Transmission
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8-Speed Automatic
- Base Trim Drivetrain
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Rear-Wheel Drive
The special edition is a celebration of the Lexus IS nameplate, which is now 25 years old in North America. It adds unique design details to the IS 500 F Sport Performance flagship, as well as extra standard equipment.
Unique Design Details Inside And Out
On the outside, the car is fitted with 19-inch BBS wheels featuring a matte black finish. The BBS wheels are normally an available feature on the IS 500 F Sport Performance and help boost performance by reducing unsprung mass compared to the stock 19-inch wheels. Other visual tweaks include an exclusive red finish for the standard Brembo brake calipers, and the newly available color ‘Wind’ – Lexus describes it as a metallic light gray finish.
Inside, the car features a combination of red and black for the trim. The seat belts are also red, and the red color extends to the laser etching in the dash clock. A serialized badge on the center console and sill plates with the “Ultimate Edition” script further emphasize the uniqueness of the car. The start-up animation for the infotainment system is also unique to the car, Lexus said.
Standard safety includes the Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 suite of electronic driver-assist features. Among the included features are automatic emergency braking with pedestrian and cyclist detection (for both forward collisions and left turns in front of oncoming vehicles), emergency steer assist, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, traffic sign recognition, and more.
No change has been made to the 5.0-liter V8 under the hood, meaning the performance is unchanged from the standard model:
- Engine: 5.0-liter naturally aspirated V8
- Transmission: 8-speed automatic
- Power: 472 horsepower
- Torque: 395 lb-ft
- Drivetrain: Rear-wheel drive
- 0-60 MPH: 4.4 seconds
Market Launch In The Fall
Pricing information will be announced closer to the market launch this fall. As a guide, the standard 2025 IS 500 F Sport Performance is priced from $60,345, including destination.
Lexus also previously announced a Special Appearance Package for the 2025 IS 500 F Sport Performance’s better-equipped Premium version. Announced last fall, it was limited to 180 units and included 19-inch BBS wheels, Flare Yellow paint, black leather trim with yellow accent stitching, and color-coordinated floor mats.
Fate Of The IS Unknown
The current IS represents the third generation of the nameplate and traces its roots back to the 2014 model year, making it one of the oldest vehicles on the market – though multiple facelifts have helped keep it fresh.
Lexus has already confirmed the IS’s related coupe sibling, the RC, will be discontinued after the 2025 model year, though the automaker hasn’t indicated any future plans for the IS. The name of this special edition may serve as a clue, though, as if Lexus is adhering to the true meaning of the word ‘ultimate’, this could be the final edition send-off for the IS 500. We can only hope that’s not the case.
Sources: Lexus
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