Official: US Market Getting 245 HP Lexus IS 200t In 2016

Hey Lexus! Take this four cylinder turbo and stuff it into the Scion FR-S…please.

According to our friends over at Autoblog on their piece that they dropped earlier yesterday (June. 30, 2015), it looks like Lexus will either axe the Lexus IS250 altogether or add in a variant of the IS with the 2016 Lexus IS 200t. This is good news all around for fans of the IS as we’ve all grown to love or hate the paltry V6 that Lexus threw our way in the base model Lexus IS 250. What dropping 2 cylinders and adding in a turbo does is add about 37 HP and 73 lbs-ft of torque to the 3,500 lb sedan. This is a big deal people.

Lexus has done their fare share of engineering to make sure that this four cylinder turbo is up to snuff. Lexus has utilized a very clever 4-2 exhaust manifold to make sure that exhaust gasses from different pairs of cylinders don’t mix creating power robbing back pressure. In addition, the air to liquid intercooler makes sure that turbo lag is minimized during times of low engine load. Like lots of exhaust manifolds these days, this one is built right into the cylinder head to aid catalyst warm up.

There’s also direct injection, the same fuel injection system found in the Scion FR-S. The press release goes into all the metallurgy that went into the head and block of the all new four-cylinder engine as well as special lubrication properties to ensure that friction is mitigated in the turbo and valvetrain area. Long story short, this four cylinder turbo is well and good efficient.

Finally, if and when this IS 200t makes the jump across the pond, it will come with two extra gears in the automatic. For the longest time, American drivers have been getting by with just six. That means quicker shifts and better fuel economy. Sorry, there won’t be a manual. Expect the jump to 60 MPH to take 7 seconds and a top speed limited to 142 MPH.