While we were worrying about the pain in the ass that is the new coronavirus, back in March, a Toyota-related leak revealed the carmaker's upcoming plans vis-a-vis its lineup. Among the cascade of novelties, we also learned that a 2021 Lexus IS is on its way.

Not much is out in the wild regarding the sedan, but speculation about what the incoming IS could hide under the hood ranged from it getting the Supra's BMW-sourced 335-horsepower, 3.0-liter turbo straight-six to more recent rumors saying the novel Lexus IS range might even encompass a V-8 model.

So, how about a 5.0-liter V-8 to motivate the Lexus IS?

Have a quick look at the current Lexus IS lineup available in the States and you'll see two versions, offered with either RWD or AWD: there's the IS 300 and the IS 350. The 300 gets its oomph from a 2.0-liter, turbo inline-four (241 horsepower) while the 350's poison is a 3.5-liter V-6 (311 horsepower).

If the caption on one of @allcarnews' Instagram posts is accurate, the four-pot and the vee-six might be joined by a naturally-aspirated 5.0-liter V-8 once the new IS hits the shelves in 2021.

What's more, the same source mentions that the 2021 IS won't be an all-new model as it will sit on the same New N underpinnings it has been using for the past seven years. Instead, Lexus will tweak the body design-wise, widen the front and rear tracks, and at the same time, revamp the cabin. So think of a heftier facelift of sorts.

On that note, it also goes without saying that we're taking these bits of info with a pinch of salt since Instagram is not exactly what we'd call a reliable source.

These are nothing but rumors and speculation until further official notice from Lexus, which is yet to come, as a spokesperson for the brand declined to comment on the matter when approached by The Drive.