I have said for a long time (well since 2008 at least) that the only car with two pedals that I wanted was a Lexus IS F (white car below). It was great! The IS F took one of my favorite looking entry level sports sedans and made it a brawler.
They added big everything which included a nasty 5.0L V8, a lightning quick shifting automatic (with 8 gears, 8!), and huge Brembo brakes. For a child of the 90s (those that started driving when THE Fast and the Furious was still in theaters), this was awesome. It made amazing noises and could take on the big guns from Germany. One thing that has come to light as the IS F has aged is that, unlike those German super saloons, it was made by Toyota. This means that even at 100k+ miles, you should be able to perform regular maintenance and keep driving.
This leads me to the big news! There is another fire breathing Lexus on the way. This comes in the form of the GS F, the IS series larger brother. The main complaint that I have read about from anyone IS owners (F or not) is that it is a small car. The rear seat is tight, the trunk is small, etc… That is why the GS F is so great, on paper. It is a good looking car from all angles except the ones where the front bumper is visible. What the hell was Lexus doing with that gaping maw? However, I can look past that (you can’t look at it, you’ll hurt yourself).
The GS F has all the same benefits of the IS F in a little bigger package. It has the same improvements as the IS F but with some new tricks up its sleeve. There are 50 more horsepower on tap. This is great as the GS is about 300 lbs heavier than the IS. There is also a really cool Torque Vectoring Differential that is currently used on the Lexus RC F. The RC F is already out and has clocked 0-60 times in the mid 4s. This is slower for its category but the GS F is very close in weight and should make a hell of a super sedan for hauling your business partners to the country club. For anyone that is a fan of the BMW M5, this could be your bargain option. The GS range currently tops out at $69K with the F Sport 450H (the H is for Hybrid, sounds sporty Lexus). This makes me think that they will price the GS F under $80K. Probably closer to $75k. That puts the GS F at almost $20k cheaper than the BMW. Sure it isn’t going to be as fast, but I am willing to bet that it will start all the time and not cost much time or money to keep on the road. Not having to tow your super saloon to the dealer every other month could make up for those few tenths of a second you lost on the 0-60.
