Segment: Medium Premium
Production years: 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005
Lexus launched the second generation of the GS in 1997, and three years later, it introduced the facelifted version, with a slightly new design and a bigger engine.
Slowly but surely, Lexus started to climb on the premium car market, and it gathered more and more attention. Its leading position in the reliability index made the car more appealing than before. Even though it lacked some areas compared to the Mercedes-Benz and BMW, the Japanese brand started to get traction.
Giugiaro designed the first generation of the GS, and Akihiro Nagaya drew the lines of the second. He imagined the four-headlights front fascia, which was kept after the facelift, but slightly darkened. The Japanese designer improved the grille with vertical, chromed slats instead of a dark one. The taillights were slightly modified in the back, with the reversing light placed on the bottom instead of the middle part of the lamps.
Inside, Lexus installed more wood on the dash, door panels, and center console. It followed the idea that wood and leather will make the car looks more up-market. There was wood on the steering wheel and on the gear selector as well.
Under the hood, Lexus installed a choice of two engines: a six-cylinder 3.0-liter and a 4.3-liter V8. While the first was carried over from the non-facelifted version, the latter evolved from its predecessor's former 4.0-liter unit. Both versions were mated to a 5-speed automatic gearbox. For selected markets, the GS430 featured standard Xenon headlamps.
ENGINE SPECS - 300 V6 5AT RWD (220 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V6 |
Displacement: | 2997 cm3 |
Power: | 161.8 KW @ 5800 RPM 220 HP @ 5800 RPM 217 BHP @ 5800 RPM |
Torque: | 217 lb-ft @ 3800 RPM 294 Nm @ 3800 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 142.91 mph (230 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 8.2 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-Speed manual |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 225/55VR16 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 188.97 in (4800 mm) |
Width: | 70.86 in (1800 mm) |
Height: | 56.69 in (1440 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.62/59.44 in (1,540/1,510 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 110.23 in (2800 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5 in (127 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 18.2 cuFT (515 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.29 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3615.7 lbs (1640 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4673.8 lbs (2120 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 14.3 mpg US (16.4 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 26.7 mpg US (8.8 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 20.3 mpg US (11.6 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 281 g/km |
ENGINE SPECS - 430 V8 5AT RWD (223 HP) | |
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Cylinders: | V8 |
Displacement: | 4293 cm3 |
Power: | 208 KW @ 5600 RPM 283 HP @ 5600 RPM 279 BHP @ 5600 RPM |
Torque: | 308 lb-ft @ 3500 RPM 417 Nm @ 3500 RPM |
Fuel System: | Multipoint Injection |
Fuel: | Gasoline |
PERFORMANCE SPECS | |
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Top Speed: | 155.3 mph (250 km/h) |
Acceleration 0-62 Mph (0-100 kph): | 6.3 s |
TRANSMISSION SPECS | |
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Drive Type: | Rear Wheel Drive |
Gearbox: | 5-speed automatic |
BRAKES SPECS | |
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Front: | Ventilated Discs |
Rear: | Discs |
TIRES SPECS | |
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Tire Size: | 235/45ZR17 |
DIMENSIONS | |
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Length: | 189 in (4801 mm) |
Width: | 70.9 in (1801 mm) |
Height: | 56.7 in (1440 mm) |
Front/rear Track: | 60.6/59.4 in (1,539/1,509 mm) |
Wheelbase: | 110.2 in (2799 mm) |
Ground Clearance: | 5 in (127 mm) |
Cargo Volume: | 18.2 cuFT (515 L) |
Aerodynamics (Cd): | 0.29 |
WEIGHT SPECS | |
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Unladen Weight: | 3670.7 lbs (1665 kg) |
Gross Weight Limit: | 4673.8 lbs (2120 kg) |
FUEL ECONOMY (NEDC) | |
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City: | 13.6 mpg US (17.3 L/100Km) |
Highway: | 25 mpg US (9.4 L/100Km) |
Combined: | 19.1 mpg US (12.3 L/100Km) |
CO2 Emissions: | 296 g/km |