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2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance Launch Edition inaugurates the revived V8

Lexus is kicking off its V8 revival with a limited-run Launch Edition model of the 2022 IS 500 F Sport Performance. Painted in "Incognito" grey and exclusive to the North American market, the Launch Edition will be constrained to just 500 units, each boasting a serialized plaque and other unique elements.  In addition to the aforementioned paint finish (and it is indeed the only option for Launch Edition), you also get a set of 19-inch BBS wheels borrowed from the standard IS 350 F Sport's dynamic handling package, shown here in a nice gunmetal finish. As an added bonus, Lexus says they weigh about four pounds less per corner than the regular F Performance wheels. Not bad.  2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance Launch Edition View 33 Photos Inside, you get a handful of unique interior bits, headlined by the serial number plaque on the center console. Other nice touches include a (heated) silver ash wood steering wheel with faux suede inserts (which you'll also find on the seats, door accents and center console) and a "Launch Edition" animation in the instrument cluster.  Despite the lack of strict mechanical upgrades (unless you consider wheels to be in that category), the F Sport Performance Launch Edition's performance qualifications are pretty sound. You get the same 472-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 with 395 pound-feet of torque, which is the same V8 Lexus has utilized elsewhere in recent F models. It currently powers the RC F coupe and, until last year, was also found under the hood of the larger GS F sedan. Like the BMW M3 it matches for power, the Lexus will come standard with rear-wheel drive and a limited-slip differential, making it a convincing performance offering, but Lexus cautions that while it is certainly more potent under the hood than the original IS F, the F Sport Performance will not represent the pinnacle of its "F" brand. Power will go to the rear end by way of the same eight-speed automatic that Lexus uses elsewhere. Just 500 examples of the Launch Edition will be built, and it will be exclusive to North America. Pricing will be announced a little closer to the IS 500 F Sport Performance's on-sale date, which Lexus has not yet shared.  Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2014 Lexus IS brings boldest design yet to entry-level luxury

Lexus is evidently dead serious about removing some of the starch from its collar, as evidenced by the boldly styled new IS sedan just unveiled here at the Detroit Auto Show. We didn't know what to make of Lexus' entry-level sport sedan when we first saw images of it earlier this week. Dominated by the gaping maw of a spindle grille and flanked by headlamps with Nike swoosh daytime running lamps, the photos showed a distinctive (if not completely cohesive) design. Having now seen the design in the metal, we have to admit it comes together better than it does on screen.
The new model will feature both rear- and all-wheel drive models in both 2.5-liter V6 (IS250) and 3.5-liter V6 (IS350) trims. Lexus also showed an IS300h hybrid model at the reveal, but it is earmarked for Lexus' home market of Japan, along with Europe and other markets. No word yet on why the model probably won't be sold here in North America, but our AutoblogGreen compatriots are looking into it.
Aside from its bold new look front and rear, the IS carries forward a lot of the ideas seen in other newer Lexus models, namely the GS. Hidden beneath the IS' sheetmetal is the multilink rear suspension from the GS, along with its electric power steering setup. The new IS rides atop a three-inch longer wheelbase for better rear seat room, but during our brief time sitting in the car at the press conference melee, it still didn't feel terribly roomy (it rarely does in this class). At least the seatbacks fold 60/40 for the first time for additional utility.

Lexus is legitimately releasing a 60,000-hour version of its 'Takumi' documentary

In an age when many people determine expertise and authority by a blue check next to a Twitter, Facebook, or Instagram account, the idea of a true expert at his or her craft has been somewhat washed out. It is no longer an expectation, it's a rarity, and Lexus is honoring those who show true dedication to the art and science of practice. On March 19, Lexus will release a documentary about reaching takumi status, the highest level an artisan in Japan can attain by putting in 60,000 hours of work. Lexus first debuted this documentary, "Takumi – A 60,000-Hour Story on the Survival of Human Craft," at the DOC NYC film festival in New York. The film, which Lexus calls a character-driven study, has two forms. The feature version will debut on Amazon Prime and other streaming services, but that's technically a cut from the full-length 60,000-hour version. Yes, 60,000 hours, that's not a typo. The elongated cut will feature loops and repetitions of various skills as a way to imitate and display what it takes to become a takumi craftsman. (In case you're wondering, 60,000 hours translates into 7,500 eight-hour workdays, or more than 20 years if the artisan never took a single day off. Twelve-hour days would achieve true takumi mastery in under 14 years. To watch the full-length documentary, running nonstop 24 hours a day without bathroom breaks, you'd need 2,500 days, or nearly seven years.) The timing of the Clay Jeter-directed (Chef's Table) documentary is no coincidence, as manufacturing and production has been hit hard by machinery and artificial intelligence. Paired with the idea that everybody now wants things instantly, there is legitimate worry that the art of human craftsmanship is dying. There are four subjects in the movie: Lexus craftsman Katsuaki Suganuma, carpenter Shigeo Kiuchi, paper artist Nahoko Kojima, and chef Hisato Nakahigashi. Each has an inspiring mentality and story regarding a principle we've all been hearing since we were children: "Practice makes perfect." But a real takumi knows there is no such thing as perfection, only the path toward it. Watch the trailer for the documentary above.