500 F Sport (2022 to 2025)

The Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, manufactured globally from 2022 to 2025, served as the glorious "swan song" for the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 in a compact luxury sedan. While it was never officially sold new by Lexus Australia due to local safety design regulations (specifically ADR 85), the model has finally reached the end of its global production run in 2025 with the limited Ultimate Edition in North America and the Climax Edition in Japan. In the 2026 Australian market, the IS 500 has become a mythical "forbidden fruit," with desirability reaching extreme levels among V8 purists and Japanese domestic market (JDM) enthusiasts who are now turning to specialized grey-import channels to bring them to our shores. The buyer pool in Australia is highly focused, consisting of hardcore performance collectors willing to pay a premium for a rare right-hand-drive Japanese import and technical enthusiasts who value the car's 352kW output and its more relaxed "grand touring" character compared to the older, track-focused IS F. Locally, market value is exceptionally strong for these imported survivors, often fetching six-figure sums in 2026, as buyers prioritise their status as the very last of the high-displacement, non-turbocharged Lexus sedans ever built.

The Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance, manufactured globally from 2022 to 2025, served as the glorious "swan song" for the naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 in a compact luxury sedan. While it was never officially sold new by Lexus Australia due to local safety design regulations (specifically ADR 85), the model has finally reached the end of its global production run in 2025 with the limited Ultimate Edition in North America and the Climax Edition in Japan. In the 2026 Australian market, the IS 5… Read more