Lexus sales have been down every month so far this year, which may be due in part to its SUV and crossover-heavy lineup. It also seems that Toyota's luxury division doesn't quite have redesigns of its sedans ready yet. According to Automotive News, the automaker's smallest car, the IS, won't be redesigned for another few years. While the SC coupe/convertible is set to go the way of the Dodo, expect to see a coupe and convertible iteration of the IS sometime soon. Some sales help is also likely forthcoming from the Lexi-fied version of Toyota's next-gen Prius.

In a blow to high-performance sedan lovers, however, the rumored GS-F performance edition of the marque's rear-wheel drive mid-size sedan has been put on hold with fears that the sinking economy will shrink the market for gas-guzzlers too much to make it worthwhile. In more bad news, the $200K-plus LF-A supercar is also being delayed, reportedly in part for failing to meet its desired performance targets. Could that have anything to do with the recent Nissan GT-R and Corvette ZR-1 'Ring lap times? You bet'cha.

Source

so when will they ever discount the IS-F's?

I can't quarrel with the rest of this, but this statement puzzles me. The new IS was introduced only in 2006, so it's far from ready for replacement at this point. Most mfr's are on 5-year rollovers, so it's a little soon to start saying the IS is overdue for redesign. Ditto for the LS, GS and ES.

BTW, the IS is getting a freshening for the '09 model year, although it will not be applied to the IS-F (which ostensibly has enough charisma as it is.)

Car and Driver says:

"Both the IS250 and 350 undergo a mild restyling, and interior enhancements include a revised instrument panel center cluster. For those craving more substance with their style, the cars have retuned suspension and steering for a sportier feel. The most powerful of IS models, the IS-F, forgoes the exterior and chassis revisions but gets a modified instrument panel. A new coupe version of the IS is expected in 2009."


Wow. If they "retuned the IS350 suspension for a sportier feel", does that mean they just removed the shocks and springs entirely? 

Son of a bitch. 

Seems like most luxury manufacturers are on a 4-5 year cycle for a complete model overhaul and a smaller refresh or update every 2 years.  Not drastic, but enough changes to make it seem fresh and less stale when you have a competitor releasing a brand new model to yours that is on its 3rd year.