With the Detroit Auto Show press preview just days away, Lexus has confirmed what was already one of the show’s worst-kept secrets: plans to launch an all-new high performance version of its mid-range GS sedan.
To be called the GS F, it is intended to help transform the staid image of a brand better known for its high-mileage hybrid models. The 2016 Lexus GS F will join the maker’s small but expanding performance line, alongside the RC F coupe launched last year.
Lexus has hinted it has yet another high-performance model in the works, speculation focusing on a possible new supercar to replace the now out-of-production LFA. Some news could also be announced during the upcoming North American International Auto Show in Detroit.
The maker’s news release takes pains to separate the new 2016 Lexus GS F from the current GS 350 F Sport model. The Japanese luxury brand has used the F Sport designation for “sporty” models, sometimes delivering a bit more performance but often just adding some cladding and interior details such as aluminum pedals.
The new GS F gets the full performance treatment, from a more powerful engine to revised suspension and a driver-operated mode selector.
(Lexus confirms “track-ready” model coming to Detroit show. For more, Click Here.)
The heart of the beast is a 5.0-liter V-8, shared with the 2015 Lexus RC F, making 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque. If there was any surprise, there had been some speculation Lexus might bump up the numbers just slightly to reflect the heavier mass of the GS sedan.
In keeping with the brand’s traditional emphasis on fuel economy, the V-8 can operate in both the standard Otto and more efficient Atkinson cycles. That, Lexus claims, will “maximize power and efficiency in given situations.”
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There will be no manual gearbox, something that might disappoint a few driving enthusiasts, but the RC F has received positive reviews for the quick, intuitive shifting of the 8-speed automatic it will now share with the GS F. That gearbox offers a manual-shifting mode that can be controlled by steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.
The RC F will also share the Torque Vectoring Differential, or TVD, introduced on the RC F. It will offer the driver three operating modes:
- Standard, which balances agility and firmness, according to Lexus;
- Slalom, for more nimble handling; and
- Track mode, for high-speed circuit driving.
The stock GS unibody platform will be upgraded with structural reinforcements to handle the added demands of performance driving, and Lexus says it has developed a modified suspension that will offer track handling, when demanded, while maintaining ride quality under less aggressive maneuvering.
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The official unveiling of the GS F will be at Detroit’s Cobo Hall conference center next week. Lexus hasn’t announced pricing nor the official on-sale date, details that could come during its Detroit news conference.
The front end styling is just horrible. I don’t know what the current designers are thinking but they are delivering some really fugly designs, IMO. I fully understand there is no accounting for taste so if these designs are what consumers desire, great. Otherwise the design groups might want to rethink the stuff that is coming to market.
I think it looks great!
Then you are the person they designed it for. They had better hope you buy several… LOL