Lexus has closed out the IS 25th Legacy Tour with a limited-run tribute to its long-serving sports sedan, unveiling the 2027 IS Special Appearance Package in Miami. Built on the IS 350 F SPORT and capped at just 350 examples for North America, the package wraps the car in a new green paint called Envious, adds forged BBS wheels and a green-stitched cabin, and, notably in 2026, keeps its naturally aspirated V6.
Context & Background
The IS has been a fixture of the compact luxury sport-sedan class for a quarter-century, and Lexus has leaned into that history. The Special Appearance Package was revealed as the final stop of a four-city summer tour celebrating the model's 25th anniversary. Since 2022, Lexus has released a new Special Edition or Special Appearance Package each year, using colour, wheels and trim to keep an established car feeling fresh and to reward loyal IS owners with something more exclusive.
That strategy matters because the current IS is, mechanically, a known quantity. Rather than re-engineer the car, Lexus has kept refining its presentation, and this year's version stands out for what it does not change. In a segment increasingly defined by turbocharged fours and hybrids, the IS soldiers on with a naturally aspirated V6, a formula enthusiasts have grown nostalgic about.
Key Details
The package is built on the IS 350 F SPORT, so the running gear is familiar. Every 2027 IS uses a naturally aspirated 3.5-litre V6 rated at 311 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque, driving the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic or all four wheels through a six-speed automatic. On top of that, the Special Appearance Package bundles in the Handling Package, with a sport-tuned Adaptive Variable Suspension, Drive Mode Select and, on rear-drive cars, a Torsen limited-slip differential, along with a Technology Package that adds Traffic Jam Assist, Lane Change Assist and Front Cross-Traffic Alert. Triple Beam LED headlamps, a moonroof, a Panoramic View Monitor, a power rear sunshade and Mark Levinson audio round out the standard kit.
| Detail | Spec |
|---|---|
| Base model | IS 350 F SPORT |
| Engine | 3.5L naturally aspirated V6 |
| Output | 311 hp / 280 lb-ft |
| Drivetrain | RWD (8-speed auto) or AWD (6-speed auto) |
| Exterior | Envious green with 19-inch black BBS forged wheels |
| Production | 350 units for North America |
Exterior
The visual signature is the colour. Envious is a deep metallic green that Lexus says has real depth in the light, and it is paired with 19-inch black BBS forged alloy wheels, a genuine enthusiast touch that sets this car apart from the standard F SPORT. The rest of the exterior carries over the IS 350 F SPORT's aggressive fascia and spindle grille, but the green-on-black combination gives the limited edition a distinctly moodier presence.
Interior
Inside, the theme continues in a lower key. The cabin pairs black F SPORT perforated NuLuxe seats with Ultrasuede inserts, picked out with green contrast stitching that ties back to the exterior, and satin chrome-finished trim in place of the usual gloss. It is a restrained, sporting treatment rather than a wholesale redesign, in keeping with a package that is about curation more than reinvention.
What It Means for Buyers
For buyers, the appeal here is exclusivity rather than novelty. With only 350 cars destined for North America, the Special Appearance Package is aimed squarely at collectors and existing IS fans who want a distinctive, low-volume version of a car they already like, not shoppers cross-shopping the latest German rivals on spec sheets. The BBS wheels and unique colour do the heavy lifting; the mechanical package is proven.
There is also a subtext of finality. As the industry moves to electrified powertrains, an annual celebration of a naturally aspirated V6 sedan reads, increasingly, like a long goodbye. Lexus has not framed this as the IS's send-off, but for buyers the calculus is simple: cars like this, rear-drive, six-cylinder and analogue in feel, are becoming rare, and a numbered edition is a way to own a piece of that before it disappears. The catch is that Lexus has yet to announce pricing, so how much that exclusivity will cost remains an open question.
- ✓Genuinely limited: just 350 units for North America
- ✓Enthusiast-grade 19-inch black BBS forged wheels
- ✓Distinctive Envious green paint with green-stitched cabin
- ✓Retains the naturally aspirated V6 in a turbo-and-hybrid era
- ✓Handling and Technology packages included as standard
- ✕No performance gains over the standard IS 350 F SPORT
- ✕Pricing and full specifications still unannounced
- ✕Underlying car is a long-serving, ageing design
- ✕Torsen limited-slip differential is rear-drive only; AWD misses out
The 2027 Lexus IS Special Appearance Package is due to reach dealerships later this year, with pricing and complete specifications to follow closer to launch. For anyone who has watched the compact sport sedan drift toward electrification, it is a reminder that Lexus is still willing to celebrate the old formula, at least 350 times.
