Top 10 Lexus Performance Models Ever Built
Lexus may be best known for building reliable luxury cars, but they have also built some stunning performance models. Here are 10 of the best.
Intro
When most people think of Lexus, they think of reliable luxury vehicles. And for good reason, because Lexus builds some of the most reliable luxury vehicles on the planet. They have been doing this for over 30 years. However, Lexus has also built several stunning performance vehicles over the years. Sure, they may not have a performance vehicle portfolio to match Porsche or Ferrari, but Lexus has built some performance models that will thrill you. And with one notable exception, the Lexus models are considerably less expensive than anything out of Stuttgart or Maranello.
Today we are listing the top 10 Lexus performance models ever built. Some of them are obvious, but others may surprise you. We have them listed from oldest to newest. Are there any others that you would add to the list?
1. 1992 – 2000 SC 400
In 1992 Lexus gave us the SC 400. It was essentially the coupe version of the LS 400 sedan. While the LS was the flagship luxury car, the SC was more about style and sportiness. The SC 400 used the same wonderful 250-horsepower 4.0L V8 as the LS model. However, the SC 400 was nearly 250 pounds lighter than the sedan and used a shorter first gear. The result is a car that scoots to 60 mph in 6.7 seconds, compared to 7.9 for the sedan. The SC 400 also has significantly better grip than the LS. A lot of folks may have forgotten about the SC 400, but it is one of the best Lexus performance vehicles of all time. (It was also a secret Supra.)
2. 1998 – 2000 Lexus GS 400
"Something Wicked This Way Comes" was the marketing tagline when, for the 1998 model year, the Lexus GS 400 was the "fastest production sedan in the world." All thanks to the 4.0L 1UZ-FE V8 producing 300 peak horsepower and 310 ft.-lbs. of peak torque, which helped the GS 400 gallop to 60 mph in 5.7 seconds. Sure, one model year later, vehicles like the E39 BMW M5 eclipsed the GS's capabilities. But Lexus really went for broke with the second-gen GS, a vehicle that remains one of the all-time greatest sleeper sedans.
To quote MotorTrend from November 1997, "We're willing to bet the GS 400 will be a real impact player in the class of '98. This new Lexus is quicker 0-60 mph than a Porsche Boxter, stops shorter than a Ferrari F355, and outhandles a Jaguar XK-E. And it'll let you take four friends and their luggage along for the ride." MotorTrend ultimately dubbed the GS 400 the 1998 Import Car of the Year.
3. 2008 – 2014 IS F
The SC 400 and GS 400 may have paved the way, but the IS F was a full-on performance machine. The car surprised everyone when it was released. A 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 making 416 horsepower, in a Lexus? Yup. Lexus was aiming squarely for the benchmark sports sedan BMW M3. It was a hell of a first effort, and the car only got better as the years went on. The power stayed the same, but Lexus managed to soften the jarring suspension in the later model years and produced a car with sharp handling and a compliant ride.
4. 2010 – 2012 LFA
Do we even need to tell you about the LFA? If the IS F was a surprise when it was released the LFA was simply shocking. The screaming V10 engine, the UFO looks, the staggering price tag. The LFA wasn’t a performance car, it was a hypercar. Lexus never built anything like it before or since. If you want to buy one today your bank account statement better have a total with a couple of commas in it. The LFA is THE Lexus performance model.
5. 2013 – 2017 LS 460 F Sport
In 2013, Lexus decided to spice up their flagship sedan a little bit. The result was the LS 460 F Sport. This car retained the standard LS 460 360-horsepower V8. However, the F Sport got some suspension modifications, including beefier anti-roll bars, additional bracing, and sportier tuned shocks. The LS 460 F Sport sits 0.4 inches lower than the regular LS 460. Lexus also tweaked the variable gear-ratio steering system to make it a bit more aggressive. The front brakes were upgraded to 6-piston Brembos. The car was surely no replacement for the now departed LFA, but the chassis tweaks made for a sporty drive in a full-size luxury sedan.
6. 2015 – 2025 RC F
The RC F packs some serious power and was more in line with the IS F, except with two fewer doors. Over the span of a decade, the RC F came in a number of configurations. It culminated in the 2025 RC F Final Edition, which combines some of the best bits from all the previous configurations. There is the 472 horsepower V8 engine, a bunch of carbon fiber bits and some fancy interior trim. The car rips to 60 mph in about 4 seconds flat and is one of the best Lexus performance models ever. We are sad to see the RC F go.
7. 2016 – 2020 GS F
If the IS F and RC F were targeting the BMW M3 and M4 models, the GS F was hunting the M5. Again, Lexus turned to its 5.0L V8 engine, making 467 horsepower in GS F tune. 60 mph arrives in less than four and a half seconds, and the car keeps accelerating until 168 mph. This is all in a generously proportioned sedan that weighs more than two tons. It's not as wild as its German competitors, of course, but we'd argue that it sounds better and it's turning out to be much more collectible.
8. 2018 – Current LC 500
The LC 500 has been around since 2018, but it still looks fresh and exciting. It manages that because the design is sharp and, sadly, Lexus doesn’t sell many of these, so you don’t see them very often. It's a shame because the 471 horsepower V8 engine sounds marvelous. It's probably the second-best-sounding Lexus of all time after the LFA, thanks to the way its exhaust was tuned and the LC's usage of a 10-speed transmission. If you just heard one go by, you would probably not guess that sound came from a Lexus. You can also get the LC with a hybrid powertrain, but we would skip that and stick with the V8. This luxurious GT car is one of the best performance models Lexus ever made.
9. 2022 – Current IS 500 F Sport Performance
Lexus no longer makes an IS F, so the IS 500 F Sport Performance is the closest we can get. And it is not a bad consolation prize. The 5.0L V8 makes 472 horsepower and scoots the car to 60 mph in about 4.3 seconds. The car rips in a straight line and sounds great doing it. However, since it is not a full-on F model, it doesn’t have all the handling or braking chops. So, it is not a razor sharp around the bends as you may hope when you start really pushing. But when you are zipping around at anything less than eight tenths, the IS 500 F Sport Performance is a thrill.
10. 2025 – Current LX 700h
You might be saying, there's no way a 3-ton+ hybrid SUV deserves to be on this list. Well, hear us out. First of all, we never said this was a list of the best Lexus performance vehicles around a racetrack.
Off-road performance can be fun as well, and the LX 700h offers plenty of that. And it gets you to your favorite trail in supreme comfort. But this vehicle is not just a giant luxo-barge. It has a combined 457 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. That gets this heavy beast of burden to 60 mph in just 5.5 seconds, faster than the first couple of models on this list. The LX 700h offers, speed, off-road ability, space, luxury, and one of the most impressive Lexus suspensions ever engineered, all in one dynamic SUV. That makes it one of the best Lexus performance models of all time.
Images: Lexus