Lexus might be about to ditch the 2UR-GSE 5.0-litre V8 in favour of something a little smaller and armed with fewer cylinders for the next-generation IS F, the performance variant of the automaker’s small saloon contender, due to return in the IS’ next evolution for the 2022 model year.
In the compact super saloon game, the Germans reign supreme with such titans as the BMW M3, the Mercedes-AMG C 63, and in spite being a wagon, the Audi RS4 can’t go without mention either. Recently, the Alfa Romeo Giulia QV joined the ranks with its 375kW Ferrari-derived bi-turbo V6.
The common thread shared by all those European rivals was that they too have succumbed to downsizing and forced-induction. Granted, the M3 had always been turbocharged ever since sprouting two rear doors in the F80 generation, but the rivals from Ingolstadt and Affalterbach had previously fielded some mighty atmospheric motors.
Who would have thought that Lexus, the premium arm of the same Toyota that championed petrol-electric hybrids, would be the final bastion of the free-breathing V8? However, perhaps those days too are numbered as according to Japanese outlets Spyder7 and Response, the company’s next-generation IS will feature a range of all-new engines from Toyota’s Dynamic Force family.
Crucially, the roadmap for a high performance variant is supposedly on the cards, but missing the screaming V8 it was so associated with. That said, at least we might be getting a full-fledged IS F instead of the pumped-up F-Sport variants available in the current XE30. Technically, the world is already accustomed to an entire IS generation sans V8.
In its place, the upcoming IS F could instead house a 3.5-litre V6 under its bonnet and behind its complicated spindle grille, flanked by twin-turbochargers to yield an output of around 320kW to match the older eight-cylinder, but outgunned by the likes of every other competitor from the west especially given its projected debut. The horsepower race is ongoing and won't wait for Lexus to catch up.
As tradition holds, this new car will be driven by its rear wheels via an automatic transmission. While the slush box is earmarked to be Aisin’s versatile new 10-speed torque converter, the fact that the every rival it will eventually face has adopted or will likely adopt all-wheel drive, the IS F may yet again lose out on paper. The only question is, will it even matter?
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