Lexus has finally launched the GS F large performance sedan that it previewed at the beginning of the year. While it's never going to set your pants on fire in the same way a Charger Hellcat would, the new kid on the block comes with typical Lexus features, including affordability.
The Japanese automaker has announced that, when the 2016 model year GS F hits dealerships in December, it will carry a base price of $84,440, not including the $940 destination, processing and handling tax.
It's a lot of money to pay for a sedan, but we think it's justified. You see, while the 5-liter naturally aspirated V8 of Japanese import is no match for the twin-turbo madness offered by BMW, Mercedes and Audi, all the competitors are more expensive.
For example, a BMW M5 sedan asks for $94,100, which is nearly $10,000 more than the Lexus. Anybody who's ever visited a Mercedes showroom will not be surprised that their E63 AMG is even pricier: $101,700. As for Audi, their RS7 is not a direct competitor, but it comes with the right number of doors and… a $108,900 sticker.
In its relatively short 25-year history, Lexus has built cars to rival everything from the Mercedes S-Class to the BMW M3. Some believe they've failed with their M5 rival, but recent sales results suggest the GS has a huge fanbase in America.
While BMW's performance machine is only subtly different from the regular 5 Series, the GS F is as distinctive as a pair of snickers with wings. The spindle grille is shockingly big and now comes with carbon-fiber trim. There's also a new set of headlights, courtesy of the 2016 model year refresh that the entire GS family received. Around the back, we see the trademark stacked exhaust.
And if that's not enough, you can opt to have the brakes painted in orange, which works well with this nice shade of blue, as well as with a pure white paint.
The insane styling makes the performance offered all the more disappointing. We can't believe we are saying this, but maybe somebody can figure out how to install a supercharger. The 5-liter found under the hood is the same one used by the RC F. It's got 467 horsepower, which is enough to get you from 0 to 60 mph (97 km/h) in 4.5 seconds. The quarter mile time of 12.8 seconds is also good, but not mind-blowing.
Mihnea's favorite cars have already been built, the so-called modern classics from the '80s and '90s. He also loves local car culture from all over the world, so don't be surprised to see him getting excited about weird Japanese imports, low-rider VWs out of Germany, replicas from Russia or LS swaps down in Florida. Full profile
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