Here in the UK, we must confess to being pretty jealous of just how many naturally-aspirated V8s those of you in North America have had access to over the decades.
While the tide has turned recently as the Ford Mustang and Chevrolet Corvette have officially become available here, and the concept itself has begun to reach extinction, there’s still one we can’t have that we’re almost spiteful of.
That being the Lexus IS500, a 2UR-GSE-powered saloon. We have had that engine in the RC F until recently, but that doesn’t stop us from being any less jealous.
Well then, North America, enjoy your newest version of it. Meet the Lexus IS500 Ultimate Edition, a sort of celebration of its status as one of the last remaining naturally-aspirated V8s on the market.
Just 500 will be made, and each will be painted in a new colour called Wind. Perhaps an odd name given wind itself has no physical colour, but it’s more interesting than ‘another shade of white’, we guess.
That’s contrasted with new 19-inch BBS alloy wheels painted in matte black, while behind those on the front axle sits a new set of Brembo brakes. The six-piston aluminium callipers clamp onto larger 380mm ventilated discs. Oh, and they’re red, naturally.
Speaking of, the interior gets a slathering of new red throughout (although, handily, Lexus has not published any images of it). Those include the seatbelts and a bit of the artificial leather, part-Ultrasuede seats. There’s also a plaque inside that will tell all of your passengers this is a one-of-500 car.
Despite paying tribute to its V8, there are no changes to the 5.0-litre lump. It still produces 472bhp and 395lb ft of torque, delivered to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox.
No word yet on pricing, although expect the Lexus IS500 Ultimate Edition to command a bit more than its $60,595 asking price. We’d normally convert that to pound sterling, but we won’t today, out of spite.
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