Lexus plans Launch Edition for IS 500 performance sedan

Lexus will produce a limited edition and serialized 500-vehicle run of the 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance to launch the sports sedan in North America.

The Launch Edition will feature two-tone black and gray trimmed front and rear seats, door accents and center console, Lexus says. In addition, the steering wheel is trimmed in a silver ash wood treatment. Special Launch Edition badging will be used throughout, along with an exclusive startup animation on the instrument cluster, the Japanese luxury brand says.

The limited edition will ride on special 19-inch matte black wheels and will be produced in just one color: a grayish tone that Lexus calls Incognito.

The 2022 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, initially revealed in February, is equipped with the same 472-hp 5.0-liter V-8 engine as the RC-F, which adds 161 hp and 115 pound-feet of torque compared with the IS 350 F Sport’s engine.

Lexus says the IS 500 F Sport Performance is capable of accelerating from 0 to 60 mph in 4.5 seconds but can achieve up to 24 mpg highway. The variant will be exclusive to North America, Lexus said, and is expected to arrive at U.S. dealerships late this fall.

Pricing information has not been released.