Dead: Lexus IS Sedan

The Lexus IS sedan is no more, or at least so it seems as Toyota’s luxury division celebrates with a swan song model. That’s right, the rear-wheel-drive luxury compact sedan that’s sold over 1.3 million units globally since it was introduced in 1999 is going the way of the dodo.

Toyota has recalled almost half a million Tundra pickups.

The 2025 Lexus IS 500 Ultimate Edition is a fitting way to celebrate this legacy. After all, it has a thumping naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 under the hood, looks amazing, and is quite exclusive with only 500 units destined for North America.

With 472-horsepower and 395 lb.-ft. of torque on tap, the 2UR-GSE V8 works with an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive for plenty of thrills. Considering V8s are disappearing from many mass-produced vehicles, that alone will make this car desirable.

Adding to this special edition’s unique looks are 19-inch forged allow BBS wheels, which are supposed to be lightweight and exceptionally rigid. Peeking through those are Brembo brakes with 6-pot calipers and pillar-fin ventilated discs.

Speaking of looks, the IS 500 Ultimate Edition wears a metallic gray paint called Wind that’s a new edition to the F Sport line. That pairs nicely with the Black and Circuit Red interior, which also features a steering wheel and shift knob inspired by the mighty LFA supercar.

While this special edition of the Lexus IS hasn’t been acknowledged as a celebration of the end of the model line, the press release for it sure hints at that heavily. Those combine with rumors we’ve been hearing since last year that the IS, just like the two-door RC, is being retired.

In a market that’s too dominated by crossovers, in our opinion, this is sad news. We hope Lexus has a new sport sedan and coupe planned, but our fear is the gap in the model line will be filled by a “sporty” compact crossover.

Image via Lexus