Lexus IS 500, Supra Takes On Scores Of BMWs In Epic Drag Race

V8 Revival

As enthusiasts are already well aware, the Lexus IS 500 marks the return of the naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V8 to the luxury brand's popular sedan, which is certainly worth celebrating. It may not be the hardcore Lexus IS F revival that we all wanted, but we'll take what we can get before EVs take over the world. In the meantime, it's worth watching the IS 500 take on all sorts of other vehicles in this recent video from Hagerty.

Sound Champ

Packing an impressive 472 horsepower underhood, the IS 500 isn't the quickest thing in the world, thanks to its hefty curb weight. However, it certainly sounds better than anything else in this comparison, as those vehicles are powered by things with fewer cylinders.

Easy Win

First, the IS 500 takes on the Toyota Supra, which is a smaller, lighter machine, albeit with less grunt - 382 horsepower, to be exact. Regardless, the Supra manages to take home that victory, handily beating the luxurious sedan to the finish line.

Few Clicks

The Supra - which shares an inline-six cylinder engine with the BMW M240i xDrive and M340i also seen in this test - weighs around 600 pounds less than the IS, however, which more than makes up for its power disadvantage. The Supra winds up running a 12.2-second quarter-mile at 114 mph, versus the IS 500's 12.8-second ET at 112 mph.

Interesting Finish

Against the 240i and M340i, things get even more interesting, as the Supra winds up splitting the pack. The M340i gets the jump off the line thanks to its all-wheel-drive configuration, then never looks back as it takes home the easy win. The Supra winds up beating the 240i despite sharing the same powerplant with all of them.

Limited Powerplant?

What's particularly interesting about these results is the fact that the Supra shares an engine with both of those cars, and it weighs around 400 pounds less. As such, it should easily handle the competition, but it can't quite do that in the real-world test, making one wonder if BMW limits it just a tad.

Traction Over Power

For the final test, we get to see the M4 Competition take on a 1,400-horsepower MkIV Supra, which is pretty interesting as well. While one might think the older car is a ringer, it winds up stumbling a bit at the start before blasting past the BMW, proving that traction sometimes trumps outright power.

>>Join the conversation about this drag race right here at ClubLexus.com.

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