Lexus is Set To Cut Long-Running Models Within the Next Year
The long-running Lexus IS and RC will be discontinued late this year, with production of the cars expected to end in November. While that's a bummer, especially the loss of Lexus' excellent V8 in those models, neither car is particularly modern or competitive in its class, with the IS having been on sale since 2014 without a generational update.
Lexus' Japanese website states:
"Thank you for considering our vehicles. Production of the IS 500 / IS 350 / IS 300h (AWD) / IS 300 / RC 350 / RC 300h, and RC 300 will end in November 2025. Sales will end once orders reach the production numbers for November. Depending on when you consider purchasing a vehicle, some packages may no longer be available. Please contact your Lexus dealer for details."
The automaker is expected to release a next-generation IS as soon as 2026. Like the new ES, the IS will likely arrive with more electrified options, but the IS 500's iconic V8 probably won't return. The RC may not get a replacement, but spy shots and rumors point to a new sporty Lexus coupe in the near future.
Lexus also confirmed the RC F Final Edition has sold out with the following message on its Japan site:
"Thank you for your continued patronage of our products. We regret to inform you that the RC F 'Final Edition' has reached its limited number of 200 units and is now sold out. We would like to thank you for your continued patronage of the RC F. The RC 'Final Edition' will be on sale until production ends in November 2025."
Other departures include the LC, which is expected to end production next year, and the UX 300e will end later this year. Reports state that the UX 300h is next, with production ending in March 2026.
Related: Report: Lexus Isn't Cool With Younger Car Buyers
All of this probably makes it sound like Lexus is having a tough time of things, but it's more likely that the automaker has reached a natural stopping point for those models. The new ES sedan was just announced, offering compelling new powertrain options, and the all-electric RZ just received an update with more power and faster charging. That's in addition to the brand's wildly popular gas models, which include the new GX, RX, and others.
Copyright 2025 The Arena Group, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
2 hours ago
Australia selects Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for $6.5B warship deal
WELLINGTON, New Zealand -- WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia said Tuesday it accepted a Japanese company's bid for a lucrative and hotly contested contract to build Australian warships, expected to be worth 10 billion Australian dollars ($6.5 billion). Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Mogami-class frigate won the deal over rival Germany's MEKO A-200 from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. Japan's government lobbied heavily for the deal after missing out on Australia's submarines contract to a French company in 2016. 'This is clearly the biggest defense industry agreement that will ever have been struck between Japan and Australia,' Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters when he announced the deal Tuesday. 'In fact, it's really one of the biggest defense exports that Japan has ever engaged in.' The fleet of 11 naval vessels will replace Australia's ageing fleet of ANZAC-class ships. Three of the frigates will be built in Japan, with the first scheduled to be operational Australia in 2030, and the remaining eight due for construction in Australia. Australian news outlets reported that the German company's bid had emphasized their vessel's cheaper price and their greater experience building ships abroad. But Pat Conroy, Australia's Minister for Defense Industry, said the Mogami-class frigate was a 'clear winner' when assessed by 'cost, capability and meeting our schedule of delivery.' The vessels have a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 kilometers) and 32 vertical launch cells capable of launching long-range missiles. The frigates can operate with a crew of 90, compared to the 170 needed to operate the ANZAC-class ships. Mitsubishi's win was a boon for Japan's defense industry, which has not built naval vessels abroad before. Japan, whose only treaty ally is the United States, considers Australia a semi-ally and has increasingly sought to deepen bilateral military cooperation amid ongoing regional tensions in the disputed South China Sea. 'We welcome the decision by the Australian government as a major step to further elevate Japan's national security cooperation with Australia, which is our special strategic partner,' Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday. Nakatani said co-developing the frigate will allow the two countries to train and operate with the same equipment and further improve operability and efficiency. Japan set up a joint taskforce of government and industry in an effort to win the bid. Australian officials said work on a binding commercial contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the government of Japan would now begin, with a finalized agreement expected in 2026. They did not say how much each ship would cost or confirm a total figure for the package, citing ongoing negotiations. But Conroy said the government had allowed AU$10 billion for the project over the next 10 years. It forms part of the AU$55 billion that Australia has budgeted for the navy's entire surface combatant fleet during the same period. —-
San Francisco Chronicle
2 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Australia selects Japan's Mitsubishi Heavy Industries for $6.5B warship deal
WELLINGTON, New Zealand (AP) — Australia said Tuesday it accepted a Japanese company's bid for a lucrative and hotly contested contract to build Australian warships, expected to be worth 10 billion Australian dollars ($6.5 billion). Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' Mogami-class frigate won the deal over rival Germany's MEKO A-200 from Thyssenkrupp Marine Systems. Japan's government lobbied heavily for the deal after missing out on Australia's submarines contract to a French company in 2016. 'This is clearly the biggest defense industry agreement that will ever have been struck between Japan and Australia,' Defense Minister Richard Marles told reporters when he announced the deal Tuesday. 'In fact, it's really one of the biggest defense exports that Japan has ever engaged in.' The fleet of 11 naval vessels will replace Australia's ageing fleet of ANZAC-class ships. Three of the frigates will be built in Japan, with the first scheduled to be operational Australia in 2030, and the remaining eight due for construction in Australia. Australian news outlets reported that the German company's bid had emphasized their vessel's cheaper price and their greater experience building ships abroad. But Pat Conroy, Australia's Minister for Defense Industry, said the Mogami-class frigate was a 'clear winner' when assessed by 'cost, capability and meeting our schedule of delivery.' The vessels have a range of up to 10,000 nautical miles (18,520 kilometers) and 32 vertical launch cells capable of launching long-range missiles. The frigates can operate with a crew of 90, compared to the 170 needed to operate the ANZAC-class ships. Mitsubishi's win was a boon for Japan's defense industry, which has not built naval vessels abroad before. Japan, whose only treaty ally is the United States, considers Australia a semi-ally and has increasingly sought to deepen bilateral military cooperation amid ongoing regional tensions in the disputed South China Sea. 'We welcome the decision by the Australian government as a major step to further elevate Japan's national security cooperation with Australia, which is our special strategic partner,' Japan's Defense Minister Gen Nakatani said Tuesday. Nakatani said co-developing the frigate will allow the two countries to train and operate with the same equipment and further improve operability and efficiency. Japan set up a joint taskforce of government and industry in an effort to win the bid. Australian officials said work on a binding commercial contract with Mitsubishi Heavy Industries and the government of Japan would now begin, with a finalized agreement expected in 2026. They did not say how much each ship would cost or confirm a total figure for the package, citing ongoing negotiations. But Conroy said the government had allowed AU$10 billion for the project over the next 10 years. It forms part of the AU$55 billion that Australia has budgeted for the navy's entire surface combatant fleet during the same period. —-
Business Insider
2 hours ago
- Business Insider
Japan's new stealth warship just won over a big buyer, in a historic first for its post-WWII weapons industry
Japan's new stealth frigate has officially won a buyer, marking a new step for the country as it clinches its first warship export deal. Australia announced on Tuesday that it is buying 11 of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries' 5,500-ton Mogami-class frigates. "This is clearly the biggest defence industry agreement that will ever have been struck between Japan and Australia. In fact, it's really one of the biggest defence exports that Japan has ever engaged in," Richard Marles, Australia's defense minister, said in a statement at the country's parliament. Canberra is expected to pay $6.5 billion for the entire fleet, with three vessels to be built in Japan and the remaining eight to be built later at a port in Western Australia. The Japanese warship is replacing Australia's older fleet of Anzac-class frigates, which are gradually being decommissioned as each hits about 30 years of service. The Mogami sale is a breakthrough for Japan's weapons export industry, which Tokyo is trying to grow after lifting a decadeslong self-imposed ban on foreign arms sales. Japan adopted the ban in the aftermath of World War II as a way of renouncing war, progressively restricting itself until it outright blocked all weapon exports. However, in 2014, then-prime minister Shinzo Abe partially lifted the measure to allow for limited exports and weapons development with friendly countries. Six years later, Japan sold the Philippines $100 million worth of air surveillance radar systems. Then, in 2023, Japan revised its policy to allow its companies to sell lethal weapons to partner nations — a response to growing cooperation between its rivals, North Korea and China. With the Mogami confirmed to have won the Australian bid, the Japanese warship beat out competing vessels from Germany, Spain, and South Korea. The 427-foot Mogami frigates are some of the world's newest warships. Built in 2019, the first of these vessels only entered service in Japan in 2022. The vessels are armed with two Type 17 anti-ship cruise missile launchers, a 16-cell vertical launch system, two .50 caliber machine gun turrets, two Type 12 torpedo tubes, a five-inch main gun, and space at the rear for a Seahawk helicopter or drones. An upgraded version of the ship boasts a 32-cell vertical launch system instead, but it's unclear if Australia will be acquiring this model. A key selling point of the Mogami is that many of its functions, such as navigation and weapons handling, are automated. This allows it to be run by a smaller crew of about 90 people. By comparison, some warships of its size may require crews of up to 200. Japan and Australia have been steadily deepening their military ties in the last few years, especially in light of China's growing might. They're one half of the Quad, a four-nation group with India and the US that was created as a counterbalance to Beijing in the Indo-Pacific. The Mogami sale comes after Australia has been searching since last February for an interim warship program while waiting for six locally built Hunter-class heavy frigates. The first of these local ships is due in 2034.
