2012 Lexus GS leaks out ahead of Pebble Beach debut

[vh_supra26]

[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gF3scUAqoTY[/ame]

Lexus has announced the 2016 GS F will be priced from $84,440 - excluding a $940 destination, processing and handling fee - in the United States.

Set to go on sale in December, the high-performance sedan features an aggressive front fascia, LED headlights and 19-inch forged aluminum wheels. The model also has a carbon fiber reinforced plastic rear spoiler and a four-tailpipe sports exhaust system. Exterior paint colors including: Molten Pearl, Ultrasonic Blue, Ultra White, Atomic Silver, Liquid Platinum, Nebula Gray Pearl, Caviar and Matador Red.

The cabin largely carries over from the standard model but it is has been equipped with a three-spoke multifunction steering wheel, exclusive leather sport seats and embroidered headrests. Other highlights include a carbon fiber trim, Alcantara upholstery and Metallic Dark Silver accents. The model also has a 12-speaker audio system and an infotainment system with a 12.3-inch display.

Power is provided by a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine that develops 467 bhp (348 kW) and 389 lb-ft (526 Nm) of torque. It is connected to an eight-speed Sport Direct Shift transmission which will enable the sedan to accelerate from 0-60 mph in 4.5 seconds before hitting an electronically-limited top speed of 168 mph (270 km/h).

http://www.motor1.com/news/59063/lex...m-84-440-video

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Lexus tuner TOM’S Racing have released the first renderings for their upcoming GS F aero kit — from the image above, it looks to have an underspoiler, side skirts, and some detail work around the fender.



Here it is from the rear that shows off a new diffuser and exhaust setup:

TOM’S is still in the planning stages with the GS F kit, but we’ll be following the development closely — stay tuned for more updates!



https://lexusenthusiast.com/2015/12/...gs-f-body-kit/

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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O4NBlIziYkg[/ame]

In its 25 years of existence, Lexus has built cars to rival the S-Class and 3 Series. So with the introduction of the GS F, has Toyota’s luxury division finally decided to take on the beastly BMW M5?

FAST FACTS
Engine: 5.0L V8; 467-hp, 389 lb-ft of torque
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
0-60 MPH: 4.5 sec.
1/4 Mile: 12.8 sec.
Top speed: 168 mph
Price (USA): $85,380 including destination
EPA fuel economy: 16 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, 19 mpg combined


The answer, unfortunately, is … not really. Though this Lexus is far from being a disappointment.

Super Sedan Style
First, let’s talk about the way this super sedan looks. While BMW’s performance machines have always erred on the side of subtlety, this car is anything but inconspicuous.

From the signature stacked quad-exhaust pipes to the shockingly big front grille, the GS F is dripping with style. Sure, this new-look-Lexus has its critics, but they’re the same hypocrites who’ve ragged on the brand for two decades for delivering dull designs.

In the immortal words of 3LW: haters gonna hate.

The car is actually both longer and wider than the standard GS with a lower overall stance, unique 19-inch wheels and a carbon fiber rear spoiler.

Then there are the brake calipers. Red ones would just be cliché and the German rivals now offer everything from gold to blue brakes, so Lexus has chosen to stand out even further with optional orange ones.

And if that’s not enough stylistic drama, you can actually get the entire car painted orange too – though Lexus calls it Molten Pearl.

No matter the shade, it draws looks everywhere it goes.

But perhaps the GS F’s over-the-top styling makes its performance all the more disappointing.

Where’s the Beef-y Engine?



True, it sounds absurd to say the car’s 5.0-liter V8 engine makes only 467 hp, but the reality is, that number is well below what’s offered by the entire competitive set, which includes the M5, E63 and RS7. And lets not forget the Cadillac CTS-V, which tops them all with 640 hp.

So how does everyone else deliver so much more thrust? Simple: forced induction.

There’s a lot to be said for the responsiveness of a naturally aspired V8, but a big sedan like this needs torque to compete and 389 lb-ft just isn’t going to cut it.

Is Lexus perhaps planning just such a powerplant? Company representatives on hand vehemently denied it, saying a horsepower war just isn’t something they want to get involved in.

Make no mistake, this car is fast and will hit 60 mph in just 4 and a half seconds. It won’t, however, pin you back in your seat.

Thankfully, Lexus isn’t pretending to directly challenge the German super sedans, pricing the GS F at $85,380 (including destination) or roughly $10,000 less most rivals. It should be noted, however, that the CTS-V is actually cheaper.

Track Test

The good news is that this machine still delivers performance beyond what you can fully experience on the street; something we got a taste of on the many hairpin corners of the Jarama Circuit, a former F1 track outside of Madrid.

So, is the GS F just a parts bin car? Or worse, an afterthought? At first, it appears to be both, with a make-do engine dropped into a platform that has to be nearing retirement.

But this car is much more than just its engine.

Inside are stunning sports seats, carbon fiber trim and plenty of Alcantara, with a unique steering wheel and pedals, as well as a G force meter and lap timer.

Look deeper and you’ll learn that not only are there new chassis braces, but there are custom coil springs and ZF Sachs shocks as well as unique sway bars and bushings.

Plenty of attention was paid to aerodynamics, from the rear spoiler, to the new shape of the mirrors, to the undertrays designed to keep the car stable at speed.

And then there are those huge six-piston front and four-piston rear Brembos that stop with authority, repeatedly. Even during six lap sessions on the track, they held up – and that almost never happens.

Lexus did go the BMW route in using the car’s sound system to amplify the engine noise in the cabin. Purists who are offended by this can opt to turn it off with a button to the left of the steering wheel. It does add some high octave notes to the engine noise, but at wide open throttle, it sounds so good you don’t need anything else.

Using the Drive Mode Selector to drop the car from Normal into Sport and then Sport+ mode tightens the steering and ups the engine and transmission responsiveness significantly while reducing the intrusion of the traction and stability control programs. At that point, the car comes alive.

Sure it doesn’t make M5 power but it’s lighter than all of its rivals and on the track, it feels like a well balanced package.

Yes, it’s still the same eight-speed automatic that’s been around the Lexus lineup for quite some time. And while it can react slowly at times, when in Sport+ and when you drive it hard, it responds with immediacy.

And to further improve vehicle responsiveness, this Lexus now has a new program that can measure g forces and steering angle and help the transmission respond more quickly.

The single largest reason for that is the rear differential. Optional on the RC F, it’s standard equipment on the GS F. While many automakers have gone the backwards route of using the brakes to slow the inside wheel in a corner, the Lexus TVD (Torque Vectoring Differential) system uses clutch packs to properly distribute the power where its needed most. In fact, it doesn’t just work under throttle, but off-throttle too, and Lexus claims it can adjust output in 1/1000th of a second.

With three settings (Normal, Slalom and Track) you can feel the benefits on Jarama’s tight corners, helping put the power down as you unwind the steering and then blast down each straight.

A sedan of this size will understeer, but the differential helps eliminate some of this by letting you drive it with the rear wheels. The steering itself is pleasantly predicable. The 255 wide front tires are far from big, but still respond to quick changes in direction at speed. And with a long wheelbase, the rest of the car follows along without some of the twitchiness of the shorter wheelbase RC F.

The Verdict

There’s a lot to like about this car. It’s dramatically styled, has a wicked naturally aspirated V8, a stunning interior that might just be its best feature and for a pragmatist like me, it’s a Lexus, so reliability will be bulletproof. But let’s not fool ourselves here. The Germans are not scared.

True, the GS F might not win any specs comparisons, but its surprising just how rewarding it is to drive.

Has Lexus built an M5 rival? Not yet, but this car gives hope that we might not have to wait too much longer to see one.

LOVE IT
Styling
Interior
Well balanced package

LEAVE IT
Underpowered

http://www.autoguide.com/manufacture...us-gs-f-review

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Name the most famous trio in automotive journalism.

That didn’t take long—those bumbling Brits, right? But among the gardening staff who park near our figure-eight course in Lot 2 of California Speedway in Fontana, California, I’d like to think it’s actually the feisty Motor Trend test team of Chris Walton, Kim Reynolds, and me, though to be honest, I’ve never actually asked the gardeners.

Lot 2 is where we rip around our unique figure-eight cone course. And when a car’s finished and cooled by a few slow-down laps, Reynolds downloads its Vbox’s SD card to review what just happened. If he says nothing and silently taps out some notes, its performance was probably acceptable. If the typing continues, though, well, that’s either bad or good. The first clue is what’s muttered next.

After his laps in Lexus’ 467-horsepower GS F, Reynolds tapped his keyboard quite a lot and then said, “It’s fun.” Not much. But it was followed by more.

“Watch out for the TVD (torque-vectoring differential)—set it to Slalom,” he said as I climbed in to try it myself. “It feels like the best mode for the figure eight. It’s just too twitchy in Track mode.” I set my seat position, wondering quite what he meant by that.

“Oh, and I inadvertently confused the differential, too,” he said. “It flashed a malfunction warning on the dash. Look out for that when you push really hard.” I fired the engine, pulled the seat belt in place, and selected Drive.

Actually, some of this sounds familiar from previous drives in the GS F’s stablemate, the RC F, a beast coupe stuffed with a torque-vectoring active rear differential, rear-wheel steering, and the identical 5.0-liter V-8 and eight-speed single-clutch automatic. Although it had all the fine-tuning and technology that F could craft, it also had the handling predictability of a thumb-pressed watermelon seed.

Fortunately, the cliché “It feels smaller than it is” monumentally applies to the bigger GS F. Frankly, it’s 4,104 pounds are masked about as gracefully as two tons ever have been. Dialing its leather-wrapped steering wheel into one the figure eight’s corner pivots its nose quickly and precisely—à la F Sport. But then nothing. None of the usual leadened overshoot of yaw and pitch and roll that predictably follows. Just well-snubbed transitions. And credit goes to a cache of suspension weaponry: non-adjustable ZF Sachs dampers, more robust anti-roll bars, upgraded bushings, forged aluminum components, and 19-inch forged aluminum BBS wheels.

But dial in just enough throttle as you drain away steering from a corner, and the GS F leaves beautiful oversteer drifts in its wake. Stop the handling hooliganism to set a serious lap time, and its Michelin Pilot Super Sports live up to their Gorilla Glue grippy rep: 0.95 g average on our skidpad, a figure that’s identical to that of the RC F, which is 64 pounds lighter.

Blasts between the corners are equally neck-bending. Frankly, the Aisin AA80E’s ridiculously quick paddle upshifts feel nearly as crisp as some of its dual-clutch competitors, each short gear step an abruptly opened window to the engine’s 369 lb-ft of torque. Things liven up considerably past 4,000 rpm when an artificially amplified exhaust blare sound-bombs the cockpit. While decelerating, its rev-matched downshifts are just as rapid as the upshifts as they accompany the solid bite from the 15-inch six-piston front Brembos. Despite lap after lap of trying, the aluminum monoblock calipers’ slotted rotors and high-friction pads never faded. (Over at the drag strip, where Walton and I run the acceleration and emergency stopping tests, the Lexus halted in 106 feet in from 60 mph.) The GS F beats the RC F around our figure eight by two-tenths of a second and 0.04 g (24.5 seconds at 0.81 g average for the GS F).

Of course, nowhere beats the drag strip (or a long tunnel) for experiencing active sound control. It was unmitigated angry-sounding ear candy as the car ticked off its best nil-to-60-mph run in 4.5 seconds and its quarter mile in 12.9 seconds at a blistering 110.9 mph. She’s quick, all right. And sure sounds damn good when you want her to.

Yet, besides all this impressiveness—and the GS F is undoubtedly more precise and communicative than any other F vehicle to date—is how seamlessly the GS F folds comfort into its equation, too. On first drive in civilian traffic, I was half-befuddled at how a performance car—the baddest, strongest, priciest performance model in the brand’s deep lineup—sounded so docile, so unassuming, so … mild. Its ride felt simultaneously taut yet cushy. If I had closed my eyes, I would have believed I was in a GS 350; their smoothness and quietness are just about identical.

In fact, at one point I even got a bit frustrated by its muted off-throttle rumble. “Give me that roar, Lexus!” I thought. “CAHH-MONN! Sound like your demonic Pokemon self!” I said aloud. That was before I stabbed skinny pedal and got flooded by the rumble I’d heard back at the track. It’s then I finally realized who this seriously split personality really belongs to. In the end, a Lexus will always be Lexus. And actually, that’s not a bad thing in this world of crazy mega-horsepower four-doors.

As I see it, the very point of this sedan is to be totally different, a stark alternative for those wanting something that seamlessly integrates performance, comfort, functionality, style (although that one’s in the eye of the beholder), and exclusivity (about 2,000 will be imported to the States). Its looks are understated. Performance-wise, sure, there are more powerful and expensive but less exclusive sedans that are flashier and louder and can lap the ’Ring in such-and-such time.

Great. But when’s the next time you’ll be lapping The Green Hell in your favorite four-door? Basically, absolutely never. No, the GS F isn’t without fault. Where’s the dual-clutch? And really, the same V-8 as the RC F, Lexus? Slap on some turbos! Heck, give it the LFA’s damned V-10!

But the GS F serves not only as an alternative for those willing to shell out nearly $90,000 for an uber-capable sporty sedan but also as an early indicator of the future direction of Lexus’ performance outfit—in some ways, maybe even the entire performance luxury sedan segment. The GS F presents us with an intriguingly different kind of athleticism: slightly milder yet with a much more complex personality. And for many buyers, that’s exactly the formula they’ve been waiting for.

2016 Lexus GS F
BASE PRICE: $85,380
PRICE AS TESTED : $85,380
VEHICLE LAYOUT: Front-engine, RWD, 5-pass, 4-door sedan
ENGINE: 5.0L/467-hp/389-lb-ft DOHC 32-valve V-8
TRANSMISSION: 8-speed automatic
CURB WEIGHT (F/R DIST): 4,104 lb (53/47%)
WHEELBASE : 112.2 in
LENGTH x WIDTH x HEIGHT: 193.5 x 72.6 x 56.7 in
0-60 MPH: 4.5 sec
QUARTER MILE: 12.9 sec @ 110.9 mph
BRAKING, 60-0 MPH: 106 ft
LATERAL ACCELERATION: 0.95 g (avg)
MT FIGURE EIGHT: 24.5 sec @ 0.81 g (avg)
REAL MPG, CITY/HWY/COMB: 20.2/27.8/23.0 mpg
EPA CITY/HWY/COMB FUEL ECON: 16/24/19 mpg (est)
ENERGY CONS., CITY/HWY: 211/140 kW-hrs/100 miles (est)
CO2 EMISSIONS, COMB: 1.03 lb/mile (est)

http://www.motortrend.com/news/2016-...t-test-review/

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[ame]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oUDywUMuTxk[/ame]

Lexus? fastest member of the GS family has a lot to prove in a segment filled with huge horsepower figures and even bigger egos.

From the first time we saw it, the Lexus GS F has received a lot of criticisms about its lack of power compared with its main rivals from Germany. Producing 470hp from a naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 in a segment filled with near or over 600hp models could be the reason of the above and many were surprised by Lexus? decision to stick with the same engine the smaller RC F uses.

But despite all of this, the Lexus GS F is still a very vocal sports sedan with 470hp on tap and that means something to many potential buyers. You see there aren?t many naturally aspirated V8 performance sedans of this caliber left in this world, which means we need some time to rethink if the Lexus GS F is indeed the weak player of its segment or the last of its kind.

Auto Express reviews the big loud Lexus to find out if we should celebrate this old-school approach.

http://www.carscoops.com/2015/11/is-...-last-old.html

[super-86]

That front end shot is gorgeous.

Also loving the V8!

[ajaxthebetter]

Lexus has the best paint on the market, hands down. The top color (Nebula grey?) on this is amazing. The Twins would look maniacal in it.

[TruRace]

The same motor in the lc500, gsf, and the RCF. What the hell is wrong with Lexus/Toyota. I'll save 40k and take a Chevy SS with a 6speed.

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by TruRace

The same motor in the lc500, gsf, and the RCF. What the hell is wrong with Lexus/Toyota. I'll save 40k and take a Chevy SS with a 6speed.

Others brand do this too. For example BMW shoves the N63B44 into the 5, 6, and 7 series.

[TruRace]

Originally Posted by gymratter

Others brand do this too. For example BMW shoves the N63B44 into the 5, 6, and 7 series.

I'll elaborate. I'm aware that this is a common practice, but in a market where cars in the same category are doing 500+, 467 seems kind of weak.

[Noble713]

Originally Posted by TruRace

I'll elaborate. I'm aware that this is a common practice, but in a market where cars in the same category are doing 500+, 467 seems kind of weak.

I think it has a lot to do with the Japanese mentality/approach to car design.

1. Their performance cars are designed largely for the Japanese market first, and everywhere else is a VERY distant second.

2. Toyota especially reminds me of Apple: they give you want THEY think you need, not what YOU say you want.

3. The road conditions in Japan are narrow, twisty, and often hilly. There's very few long, straight stretches of pavement and almost no one goes on long expressway cruises. So the cars are optimized for handling, and it's difficult to use over ~350hp in most conditions here. If the extra power is wasted, why include it? There's not much culture of horsepower d!ck-sizing here either, so the fact that a small number of luxury/exotic cars are in the 500+hp range is irrelevant to the Japanese buyer. The wealthy people in Tokyo/Osaka buying AMG-spec Mercs as if they were Camrys won't be swayed towards a domestic anyway.

4. America has a plethora of V8-engined passenger car/truck models that sell in, compared to Japan, HUGE numbers. Partly because the US doesn't have a displacement-based tax structure like Japan does. That has an impact on R&D funding. I'm pretty sure the JDM budget for V8 engine R&D/performance enhancement is anemic in comparison. So even if some engineers would like to push the engines over 500hp NA, or go forced induction, they probably can't make a profit argument for it.

I bring up the same idea at every opportunity: take a JDM RWD sedan, either the Toyota Crown (Chevy SS/Dodge Challenger/BMW M5/Cadillac CTS size) or a Toyota Mark X (BMW 3 series/Lexus IS size) and shove a LS376/525 in it (it will fit, it's more compact than Toyota's 2GR-FSE V6). I've crunched the numbers. C6 Corvette power-to-weight ratio, surprisingly light weight given their size (Mark X is lighter than the new Mustang), reliable, and not that expensive if you are resto-modding used cars. The Crown/Mark X are also available in LHD versions that are manufactured in China. I just don't have the money/resources to start a JDM sedan tuning company right now....

[gymratter]

Originally Posted by TruRace

I'll elaborate. I'm aware that this is a common practice, but in a market where cars in the same category are doing 500+, 467 seems kind of weak.

Well I guess we should break it down.

I think its ok for the RC-F. Its performance isn't too bad when compared to the M4.

GS-F is kinda sad when compared to the M5 (does cost more tho). IMO, they should have just called this thing a GS500 instead.

LC500 I think is also ok. We have to keep in mind that this is the base model. It around the park ball when compared to the base 6 series and S class coupe.

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[ame="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MkP_JqbjJOA"]Lexus GS F vs Vauxhall VXR8: mighty V8 saloon track battle - YouTube[/ame]

The new Lexus GS-F is here and already has a lot of things to prove, not just against similarly priced models, but also against some cheaper rivals.

One of those rivals is the Vauxhall VXR8 GTS which is how the British call the Holden HSV. This crazy-looking V8 monster not only offers immense power -576hp- from a thunderous supercharged 6.2-litre LS3 engine but it is also around £12k cheaper than the newer Lexus GS-F.

Against the Vauxhall, the Lexus GS-F’s numbers look rather pale. With a 5.0-litre naturally aspirated V8 under the bonnet, the Japanese super sedan makes just 470hp. For some this might be the end of the comparison, but for others the game is still on.

Auto Express puts the two cars against each other to see which one is faster around a track and which one is more fun to drive.

Loud, big V8 sedans on a track, what’s not to like?

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Japanese tuner NOVEL has released a body kit for the Lexus GS F — let’s start with the photos.

The body kit is made up of a front lip spoiler, side skirts, a rear under spoiler and a diffuser — in Japan, the kit retails for ¥520,000 ($4,516 USD) for carbon fiber and ¥400,000 ($3,474 USD) for CFRP.

https://lexusenthusiast.com/2016/02/...gs-f-body-kit/