latest car (new)

A downsized engine (with potentially upsized power)

We’ve known Lexus had a toe in the water with an IS two-door. The company fist took a stab at an F coupe with the LF-CC Concept Car that debuted at last year’s Paris Motor Show. It’s what resides under this IS coupe’s hood that’s entirely up for speculation. The outgoing car’s all-motor 5.0-liter V8 was suitably muscular, but in today’s emissions-sensitive global marketplace, a smaller-displacement engine with fewer cylinders and forced induction is well within the realm of possibility. Note the test car’s hood scoop in addition to the pronounced intakes on the front bumper.

A downsized engine (with potentially upsized power) would position the performance Lexus more in line with the upcoming BMW M3 and M4. Those models are set to dump their current V8 mill in favor of force-fed a six cylinder. Also, while this coupe is clearly IS-derived, it’s also unknown whether Lexus will retain that moniker for the 2-door or give it a different name, as BMW and Audi both do for their coupes.