Enter the rumor mill: is Lexus working on a GS-F?
by Noah Joseph on Apr 2nd 2007 at 9:32AM 
Reports are beginning to circulate the web that Lexus is working on a high-performance version of the mid-level GS sedan to go up against German rivals in competing for the glory and the cash.
The performance GS would be the next candidate to receive the F treatment, after Lexus took the wraps off the V8-powered IS-F sports sedan at the Detroit show in January. Presumably named the GS-F, Lexus would shoehorn in a version of the V10 engine, detuned to around 450 horsepower, from the LF-A supercar the company is currently working on.
With the GS-F, Toyota would be aiming straight for the BMW M5. That's a mighty ambitious task, especially considering the view that Lexus missed the mark with the IS-F. Could they get it right in the big leagues?
[Source: The Hollywood Extra]
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 2)
individual 1:12AM (12/05/2008)
Honestly, i've got a BMW, Acura, and Lexus in my garage (recent year models, too), and i can't understand why some people are so vehement in making "their" brand out to be the best?
I mean, i like the Acura because it's fun to drive and it's really techy and the styling is pretty cool in my opinion. Also really REALLY well priced here in Canada compared to other luxury brands (and yeah, it's a luxury brand).
I like the BMW because it's really nice to drive, and it looks good (though not completely to my tastes), and because it has a decently comfortable interior.
Really pricey though, and they had me paying for extras that should've just been part of the base price. That and the fact that I really don't like or appreciate the attitude i run into at the BMW dealership/garage, until they realize i'm an owner/buyer. Really really poor service on that front.
The Lexus is my personal favorite, to be quite honest. These days (and i'm a young guy, not some pensioner), i just want to cruise along and be comfortable, and in my opinion Lexus is absolutely the king of comfort and luxury in their price range.
Simply put, they have a level of quality and attention to detail that i've only seen outdone in super-luxury market cars that friends of mine own, such as the Bentley Continental GT, or the Maserati Gran Turismo.
If you are the kind of guy to stand around talking track numbers, trying to show off the car you own like it makes you something more than what you are, then yeah you can go ahead and stick with BMW and their line of "M" cars.
If you want a sporty well made fun to drive car that's really well priced, you go and get an Acura, and enjoy all the toys that come with the car out of the box without having to bleed money into the options.
If you want a car that screams luxury out of every facet of it's production, ride, and interaction, get a lexus. You won't be breaking any track records, and you won't necessarily be smoking anyone off the line, but you'll be floating in a boat on an ocean of butter, sitting on soft seats, and enjoying the looks of a car that is well designed and classy, but very reserved and respectable.
There is nothing loud in the Lexus, nothing that screams "look at me and my money", but it exudes a subtle air of respect that i really appreciate. I don't want people to be constantly thinking of the car i drive as some sort of social statement about where i stand on the socioeconomic ladder.
I will probably get rid of the BMW soon, keeping the Acura for sportiness and the Lexus for luxury and comfort. They both have great track records for quality and reliability as well, as I am rather busy and would rather not have to spend any significant amount of time in the garage.
In my market as well, the Lexus, the to a lesser extent the Acura, hold their values a lot better than the BMW does.
That said, i have to say i'm really very disappointed at people resorting to racism, stereotyping, and hate to such a degree in these comments.
Look, anyone who can afford to spend 50+ thousand dollars on a car (and i mean afford, i don't buy any cars i can't afford to pay with cash up front), is obviously doing well. These vehicles are simply rewards for their hard work, and if someone decides that a Lexus is worth their money (and obviously many individuals in the United States do), then that's their right to buy that car and enjoy it.
Personally i don't really like driving the BMW, as i don't appreciate the looks I get or comments, and the fact that people often won't let me into the lane. I know it sounds petty and stupid, but i didn't pay this much for a car that's going to make me feel like i'm offending people with my spending.
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JDMlover 10:40PM (4/21/2009)
That was so well said.
Another person that undertsands Lexus is always welcomed in my book...being a GS400 owner myself, its the best car i ever owned to date.
Lexus.
BKadalur 9:55AM (4/02/2007)
no
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George Stewart 11:09AM (4/02/2007)
not with all the rice in Japan. if they put all those gawdawful body parts on the GS-F that they did on the IS-F, then it will be doomed before it starts.
I may have missed something but those body parts must weigh a ton for the major $$ and upgrades with the minimal performance boost mentioned for hte IS-F.
not even pretty for the tuner crowd
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stefan 10:05AM (4/02/2007)
The lexus GS looks 10 times beter then the BMW 5-serie's.Lexus is gonna kick BMW's ass.
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BKadalur 10:09AM (4/02/2007)
doesn't matter about looks. let's see it keep up. anywhere.
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Nellydesign 10:12AM (4/02/2007)
Mercury called and they want their waterfall grill back. Oh, and they also want a unique car that's not a rebadged Ford...
DOH!
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Tal 10:42AM (4/02/2007)
Do it.
If they don't swing the bat they certainly won't get a hit.
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papercliprebel 11:05AM (4/02/2007)
more competition is always welcome. although lexus's automatic only stance puts this in league with benz and amg, not bmw's M series. they serve two different demographics.
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Mike 11:00AM (4/02/2007)
yeah, but you don't bring a nerf bat to the plate in MLB.
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Michael Karesh 11:01AM (4/02/2007)
My father has a GS 400, and he likes it quite a bit. The new one hasn't blown him away.
Overall, Lexus has swung three times, struck out with the first, and hit fouls with #2 and #3. None of these cars has been a hit like the LS, ES, RX, and latest IS.
An F version might help, but it's not going to be a game changer.
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carguy 12:22PM (4/02/2007)
Unless they fix the problem with the dynamics there is no point of fitting a larger engine. Both the new IS and GS have been disappointments in that they neither deliver a thrilling drive nor a plush Lexus ride. Maybe Lexus is a little confused about their brand values.
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G. Snyder 12:20PM (4/02/2007)
Lexus has failed to trump REGULAR BMWs thus far - what makes anyone think they can hang with the M division?
There is a lot more to it than putting a big motor under the hood.
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frondeur 12:46PM (4/02/2007)
"...especially considering the view that Lexus missed the mark with the IS-F."
Missed the mark? Who has this view? Every "view" I have read is excited by the LIMMITED information we have on it thus far. As far as the styling is concerned it’s a matter of personal taste. While I love the body modifications I would rather see exhaust outlets similar to those found on the M’s, AMG’s and RS’s of the rivals.
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Scott 1:53PM (4/02/2007)
LOL at #2! I find it laughable to say the GS looks better than ANY current car. That thing is one ugly turd!
#6 and #10 are spot on--The GS is definitely a Nerf bat, and Lexus has historically had a hard time winning comparisons against REGULAR BMWs. The fun-to-drive crowd is NOT shopping for "rolling sofa" Lexus cars or any other Toyota. Their target market is the quiet/comfort/technology crowd and they are very good at that. I think Lexus is having an identity crisis with the whole F range.
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Casey 2:05PM (4/02/2007)
So is everyone so bitter towards Lexus because they can't afford them? I mean if your only claim of BMW's current superiority comes from comparisons, how do you have any clue what you're talking about?
Just let people choose what they want to drive and stop insulting everything that's not German.
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aliasfox 2:19PM (4/02/2007)
So... Cadillac comes out with an STS-V, and everyone says it's worth a shot for Cadillac to try, but when Lexus tries to field a GS-F, they're automatically booed off? Let them try - Car and Driver might be more entertaining when we have a comparison of five cars with 2200 hp and twenty doors combined.
Besides, how do you get to Carnegie Hall? Practice, practice, practice.
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G. Snyder 2:29PM (4/02/2007)
Cadillac was closer out of the gate than Lexus has been.
#14 - the comparison made was that Lexus was trying to make ultra performance models like M and AMG (they are German, FYI). Get your head out of the sand.
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aliasfox 4:13PM (4/02/2007)
G. Snyder (#16), so you'd say that the standard STS is better than the Lexus GS? I haven't driven either, but from sitting in both I feel that the Lexus at least has the luxury part of the equation down, and I have trouble believing it's really that awful in terms of dynamics.
Of course, I've heard nothing but kind words about Infiniti's M45 - I wonder how well that 4.5L V8 responds to boost. And its not like Nissan doesn't have recent with boost (300z) or modern sport suspensions (350z).
Personally, I'd say the race is for second place right now - be it among AMG, Audi S-line, Lexus F, Cadillac V, or Infiniti (if they decide to bring out a heavy hitting M).
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G. Snyder 11:40PM (4/02/2007)
aliasfox - I was just saying that the V variants were closer in concept/execution to the M BMWs than a lot of others. That's all.
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