If you took a gander at the performance car industry 20 years or so ago, you’d find that it was awash with a wide range of naturally aspirated machines. From the fire-breathing Mercedes-Benz C63 AMG with its mighty 6.2-liter V8, to the BMW M5 E60 with its wailing V10, you generally had to go out of your way to find an engine equipped with a turbocharger or supercharger. Wind the clock forward, and things have changed drastically.
In the interests of fuel efficiency and looking after the environment, most manufacturers have adopted turbocharging as the main way of extracting power from their performance offerings, not to mention their cheaper vehicles. This can be seen clearly within the sports sedan market, as you can no longer purchase an NA V8-equipped specimen in the US. The closest you can get is by opting for one of the latest examples of the final model, the Lexus IS 500. As it turns out, that may be more financially challenging than you’d first think.
The IS 500 Kept The NA V8 Sedan Flag Flying
2025 Lexus IS 500 Driving Front 3/4Lexus
The IS 500 deserves to be remembered as a hero of the performance world, simply as it meant gearheads had the option of buying an NA V8-powered sports sedan for much longer than they otherwise would have been. The likes of Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz adopted turbocharging full-time years earlier, whereas the Chrysler 300 was killed off without a successor in 2023. The 5.7-liter Hemi-powered American muscle car was the only other car other than the IS 500 to use an NA V8, so it became a one-horse race beyond its axing.
2025 Lexus IS 500
Engine
5.0L NA V8
Transmission
Eight-speed Auto
Power
472 hp
Torque
395 lb-ft
0-60 mph
4.5 seconds
The IS 500 therefore became one of our favorite sports sedans, as its Yamaha-tuned powerplant offered a thrilling song that its turbocharged rivals could only dream of singing. Plus, the lack of turbo-lag meant its throttle response was as crisp as a cold Colorado morning, which afforded greater driver engagement and confidence as a result. It was a real breath of fresh air from the turbocharging epidemic, but sadly, its continued presence was always going to be short-lived.
The Last NA V8 Sports Sedan Was Also Pretty Affordable
2025 Lexus IS 500 Rear ExhaustLexus
Lexus was always destined to follow a similar route to its rivals, since a turbocharged engine could provide more power pound-for-pound than an NA unit, and from a smaller engine no less. Turbocharged engines help to reduce weight, as well as improve fuel efficiency, plus they emit fewer nasty emissions. With brands now harshly judged by governments around the world in this regard, the NA V8 had been issued its death warrant in the mass market.
The IS 500 thus met its maker at the end of the 2025 model year, with the smaller-engined IS 350 F Sport remaining as the range-topping variant. Its death was notable, seeing as the last NA V8-powered sports sedan had left the building. That said, the departing Lexus was pretty cheap compared to other powerful sports sedans. Whereas the BMW M3 demands $76,000, and the Mercedes C63 asks for $86k, the IS 500 could be snapped up for just shy of $60k.
Buying An IS 500 Is Vastly More Challenging Now
2025 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Ultimate Edition Side ViewLexus
Should you fancy getting your hands on an IS 500 now, you perhaps have waited a little too long to strike. The model has already achieved somewhat of a status as a collector’s hero. This title, when compared with its tire-bursting performance, has led to dealers pushing their luck when it comes to selling final model year examples of the car. Amazingly, official Lexus dealerships are now demanding up to $80,000 for 2025 IS 500s, a full $20k premium on the MSRP from just a year ago.
A clear example of this can be found through Sewell Lexus of Dallas, which is currently selling a silver example with just 66 miles on the clock for $80,125. There is nothing special about the vehicle when compared to other IS 500s out in the wild, it’s simply that dealers reckon they can get away with slapping huge markups on the last remaining new examples due to their desirability.
The IS 500s Collectibility Led To These Sky-High Prices
2025 Lexus IS 500 F Sport Performance front 3/4Lexus
While the IS 500 is already a compelling sports sedan purchase thanks to its refreshing and, these days at least, rather unique powerplant, the reason that 2025 specimens are being priced so high runs a little further than that. Plenty of attributes go into making a car a collector’s darling, and one of the primary ones is the car playing a significant part in history. As the last NA V8 sports sedan, the IS 500 marks the end of a beloved era of motoring, making it a very special nameplate indeed.
This sentiment will only get stronger as it ages, and by the time it starts being seen as a classic in two decades or so’s time, its value has a good chance of skyrocketing. Dealers know this, so they reckon they can charge the extra markup as they’re well aware that collectors will be interested in snapping up final edition examples with the view of holding onto them for many years, before selling them at a juicy profit. Values may well reduce if they struggle to sell them, but if they don’t, keep your hopes lower if you fancy securing one at its old MSRP. Unless you opt for an earlier model year, of course.
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The IS 500 Will Thrill You With Its Purity
2023 Lexus IS 500 V8 engine topLexus
While the IS 500 can’t match the poise offered by the likes of the mighty M3, it’s hard not to love it due to the simplicity of its powertrain. The awesome-sounding 5.0-liter V8 fires 472 horsepower to the rear wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission, which grants the machine a 0-60 mph sprint time of just 4.5 seconds. It’s possible to find more outright grunt and pace from one of its turbocharged rivals, but this is more than enough speed for the vast majority of road users. Plus, being able to have the power on tap precisely when you need it is a luxury that never gets old.
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The IS F Provides More Hardcore Performance, But For Less
2008-2010 Lexus IS F Red Rear Angled ViewLexus
2008-2014 Lexus IS F
Engine
5.0L NA V8
Transmission
Eight-speed Auto
Power
416 hp
Torque
371 lb-ft
0-60 mph
4.5 seconds
Average Used Value
$32,439
Should a more focused drive interest you, then the Lexus IS F model may be more up your street. While it may seem logical that the IS 500 is the successor to the IS F, you’d be wrong. Whereas the IS F was designed to directly take on the C63 AMG and M3, the IS 500 was envisioned as more of a comfortable cruiser, but with a commanding engine out front that could inject a bit of life into your drive at any given moment. The IS F has stiffer suspension and more aggressive styling, as well as more direct steering and a more ferocious throttle and shifting profile.
The Lexus IS F dates back to a splendiferous era in the go-faster compact luxury sedan segment. All of the competitors were V8-powered, and I was lucky enough to have a BMW M3 long-term test vehicle when the IS F came for a week-long test. As a young man, I obviously dismissed the IS F because the Bimmer was manual, and more fun.
15 years later, and I find myself often staring at used examples of the IS F because it has aged much better than I have. Out of all its German and American rivals, it’s easily the most reliable, and the eight-speed automatic is a much better option when all you want to do is get home and watch sitcoms with the kids. It is a bit on the stiff side, but Lexus fixed that problem when it launched the IS 500 Performance. You still get that sweet 5.0 NA V8 engine and all that lovely induction noise, but wrapped in a much comfier package. Gerhard Horn, CarBuzz Senior Editor
Traditionally, you may think such a car would be worth more, but at the moment, that isn’t the case. The average price of the model currently sits around the $30k mark, around half even the base MSRP of the IS 500, and nearly a third of the cost of the current marked-up specimens. If you fancy finding yourself an ultra-low-mile IS F, expect to hand over closer to $50k, which is decent value given what you’d have to put down on a softer IS 500.
Lexus’ Luxury Coupe Could Go The Same Way
2020 Lexus LC 500 Inspiration Series rear 3/4 angle in greenLexus
Should you not find the IS 500’s current markup particularly appealing, there is perhaps another option if you want to secure yourself a potential future investment. Lexus is slowly discontinuing its NA V8 models, but there is still one left on the market. The LC 500 is the brand’s high-end luxury coupe, which is built to the same kind of philosophy as the IS 500. It may have a sleek two-door silhouette, but the LC 500 is geared towards being a softer and more comfortable proposition, as opposed to a back-breaking sports car. It has the same 5.0-liter V8 as the IS 500, though this time in a slightly retuned form that provides a little extra torque, and a smidge less power.
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It’s more expensive than its sedan sibling was, at a cool $100,250 for the base coupe without any options, but there’s every chance it’ll start getting marked up once it exits production at the end of the 2026 MY. If you can get in there early, you may be able to secure yourself a handy profit on a final model year car much faster than you might have thought. There’s a good chance it could be worth even more than the IS 500 in time as well, given it’s built in smaller numbers, and will have the title of being the final NA V8-powered Lexus. The darkness is closing in on the NA V8, so you’d might as well try to earn some profit and have some fun in doing so as you bid to hold the tears back.
Sources: Lexus.
