This is the latest high speed venture Lexus is subtlety laying on us in direct competition with all other wannabees in the range (and there are not that many to touch it but a few match or offer alternative preference only). This sedan is a little cougar on a leash and you’d better hold on to it if going walkies.
The grill…. oh the grill. With an abundance of cars all looking alike on today’s roads, from China to Cheshire, we now know this is a Toyota albeit Lexus – until the rest start copying while telling us that they don’t like its dominance much.
Who Does What dot TV has met the Lexus Chief engineer Yukihiko Yaguchi many times now as he flies endlessly around the world launching his prized products. An unassuming man who is without a doubt very difficult to understand when speaking English – bless, but don’t let that distract from the man’s brilliance. If speaking in his native Japanese, (never heard him) we’re sure his passion and exuberance is Red Bull unstoppable, because hidden beneath that conservative exterior is the Lexus GS F’s pedigree and it is easy to miss some of the salient points which bring such sporty animals back from extinction.
Anything ‘F’ in Japan has immense significance apparently and revered. (No doubt troll readers here will have many other suggestions as well………. so comments containing ‘F’ disabled for now).
Seriously though, this baby is very quick indeed and has a lot of the latest safety features now appearing on all the Lexus brands, plus a good few more. It even goes ‘brrrrrruuuumm brrrrruuuuum when you toe it, with sounds emanating from front and back speakers. All designed, one assumes, to add character and the psychological feeling of being at one with the car as you whack up the revs. Note here; as far as we understand it, it is the actual sound of the car with some spacial and noise abating of the clutter programmed in – or should we say – ‘taken out’. The closest analogy Who Does What dot TV can think of (being pretty world-class tip-top with anything sound), is to don a pair of these new fangled Bosé noise cancelling earphones while feeding them from a microphone stuffed up the exhaust of the Lexus GS F while accelerating past 100 plus KPH. That should really please the petrol heads.
Now then; The GS F is a sedan when all is said and done and indeed has all the luxury of Lexus with its rear wheel drive. (No! Not 4 wheel drive like so many and apparently no need for that says Yaguchi because he has sorted out any misgivings with a pair of planetary gearsets attached. What can you say? ‘Planetary gearsets’ are the new go faster accessories all other competitors are going to crawl over each other to fit – maybe!).
The GS F is a somewhat heavy car, which added to the on board ‘Torque vectoring differential’, keeps it glued to the road at very high speeds.
As mentioned above and reported in the video, the 2016 Lexus GS F has umpteen safety perks built in, but none like the Volvo which seems to encourage hands off, lay back and think of Sweden automation which is a dubious exploit to begin with for anyone with dangerous weapons such as mobile phones; therefore granddad, you have to ‘DRIVE IT’! Be careful though, there is near 2 tons in weight but the 467 hp V8 is quite capable of ‘Geeing’ your glasses off your face in a drag. Not as fast as some in the class, but less to go wrong as well since this engine is family and well tested. All in all and if you read the hands on reviews, the Lexus GS F does exactly what it says on the label on the tin.
