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2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance brings back the V8

The 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance revives the dormant IS F formula, bringing V8 power back to the compact luxury Japanese sport sedan for the first time since 2014 and confirming rumors of a new series of V8-powered performance (small p) cars from Lexus. Very little surprises us these days, especially in the luxury segment, but if you'd told us a month ago that we'd be confirming a V8-powered Lexus IS and a new, all-four-cylinder lineup for the Mercedes-Benz C-Class in the same week, we'd have called you crazy. Parent company Toyota's presence in Texas may have rubbed off on Lexus, though, because after a years-long hiatus, the V8-powered IS sedan returns. That's right. A V8. In a brand-new compact sport sedan. In 2021.  The new sport sedan will pack a 472-horsepower, 5.0-liter V8 with 395 pound-feet of torque, making it the spiritual successor to the discontinued Lexus IS F. For those keeping track at home, yes, that's the same V8 Lexus has utilized elsewhere in recent years. 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 true performance machine. Power will go to the rear end by way of the same eight-speed automatic Lexus uses elsewhere as well. Sorry, folks, there's no stick, but hey, the IS F didn't have one either, so let's not get too picky. The original IS F also offered just 416 horsepower and 371 lb.-ft. of torque, so remember, this is all upside here. The original also launched without the LSD, if you'll remember; that came later.  2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance View 26 Photos The other significant edge the IS 500 F Sport Performance will have over its two-generations-removed predecessor will be the benefit of almost a decade's worth of interior development. While the IS platform was not significantly overhauled for the 2021 "re-imagining" (as Lexus puts it; we prefer the term "remodel"), the interior was, and the IS 500 F Sport Performance will benefit from all of the base sedan's upgrades, including a thoroughly overhauled infotainment system, which is night-and-day better than what was offered previously.

Aston Martin will race the Valkyrie hypercar at Le Mans in 2021

Aston Martin will challenge for outright victory in the Le Mans 24 Hours race in 2021 with its Valkyrie hypercar, the British luxury sportscar maker announced on Friday after race organizers rewrote the rules. The governing FIA, who oversee the World Endurance Championship, and race organizers Automobile Club de L'Ouest, revealed earlier that hypercar derivatives would replace prototypes as the top category starting in the 2020-21 season. Aston Martin will field two works Valkyries, powered by V12 normally-aspirated engines, as part of a multi-year commitment to a championship currently dominated by Japanese manufacturer Toyota. The announcement comes 60 years after Aston Martin's sole overall triumph at Le Mans in 1959 with Britain's Roy Salvadori and American Carroll Shelby. Le Mans winner Toyota, meanwhile, has committed to staying in the WEC after 2020 subsequent to the hypercar rules. The Japanese manufacturer said in a statement before this weekend's race at Le Mans' Sarthe circuit that it would continue in 2021 with a hybrid-powered prototype based on the GR Super Sport road car. Track testing of the new car will begin next year. Defending champions Toyota will start on pole position on Saturday after sweeping the front row in qualifying for the third year in succession. "This new era of competition is a fantastic opportunity to demonstrate our credentials not only as a race team against some of the best in the business, but also as a sportscar manufacturer," said Toyota Gazoo president Shigeki Tomoyama. The 2021 Le Mans will also be the 100th anniversary of Aston's first entry at the Circuit de la Sarthe. "I think you'd say from the brand's point of view, there's a little bit of unfinished business to be done," Group Chief Executive Andy Palmer told Reuters. Top Formula One designer Adrian Newey, who has won championships with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull, helped create the Valkyrie. The limited edition road legal version costs in the region of 2.5 million pounds ($3.17 million). "We don't under-estimate the difficulty of an outright win at Le Mans and you never under-estimate the tenacity and resources of Toyota," said Palmer. "On the other hand, we're not coming just to make up the numbers. We're coming here to give it a bloody good shot." Palmer said the new regulations would significantly reduce the costs of competing, without giving details about the likely budget, and hoped commercial rivals McLaren and Ferrari would take up the challenge.

Scion trying to build business case for FR-S convertible as Subaru bows out

Hope may remain for a convertible version of the Scion FR-S, according to a report from Ward's Auto. You'll recall that rumors were swirling about the feasibility of a rear-drive Toyobaru convertible as early as October, and that back in November, Subaru - which makes the FR-S, Subaru BRZ and Toyota GT86 - essentially nixed the idea of an open-topped variant.
"We make the car, so if we don't make it, it can't happen," brand chief Yasuyuki Yoshinaga told Automotive News, according to Ward's, at the Tokyo Motor Show. "Our engineering department told me that losing the entire roof requires a complete redesign of the structure. It would need a big change."
Despite Yoshinaga-san's arguments against a droptop variant, Toyota is apparently still considering the model. Speaking to media at the 2014 North American International Auto Show, Scion's US vice president, Doug Murtha, hinted that the rear-drive droptop was in the works.