GS 2013 Lexus GS 350 Preview: 2011 Pebble Beach Concours

[kenai]

geeeee. thank goodness for german cars !

 

[ateekt]

Looks fine to me. We guys must see the world beyond German motoring & appreciate the efforts done by others out there.

Now come on Lexus & make the Gs-F with the mighty Lf-A's V10 happen. That would be something I'd love to see & hear!!

 

[330CIZHP]

Well, that certainly sounds interesting that the V10 possibility is still on the table, but really if they do pursue this, the GS-F will be 300 - 400 lbs heavier than the LFA to say the least, which will require beefing up the midrange torque for more accessible power, which consequently will lead to a reduced redline down to 8000 - 8500 rpm since they might have to alter the internals to get the proper torque band in the low and midrange. It will also lead to less horsepower at the top end.

I also heard the LFA V10 costs $90,000 to produce for the LFA.

So I think the LFA V10 might end up resembling the S85 V10 in E60 M5 with similar 500 HP (still much less than the F10 M5), but the F10 M5 will weigh 4500 lbs so if they can make the GS-F weigh 3700 - 3800 lbs then who knows. Anyway, it is all speculation, but certainly things seem to be getting interesting.

 

[Monster]

Well, that certainly sounds interesting that the V10 possibility is still on the table, but really if they do pursue this, the GS-F will be 300 - 400 lbs heavier than the LFA to say the least, which will require beefing up the midrange torque for more accessible power, which consequently will lead to a reduced redline down to 8000 - 8500 rpm since they might have to alter the internals to get the proper torque band in the low and midrange. It will also lead to less horsepower at the top end.

Or they can package the rumored hybrid drive train developed for the LFA into the GS and use the electric motor to beef up the mid range torque.

 

[donkeykong]

2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport teaser

 

[Monster]

Looks like the F sport package will have a very similar front bumper to the concept car, in this case, F=Fugly. The exterior of this car is a mess, the designers tried way too hard with that gaping front end, which left them too mentally exhausted to continue designing the rest of the car. I quite like the interior, the materials look far more luxurious than the normal Lexus interior and the styling is cohesive, with a much more European feel to it.

 

[martinbo]

That gaping maw reminds me of the Predator after being called one ugly muthafukka by the future governor of California.

 

[K-A]

Holy crap, it does look like the Predator, lol. "One ugly muthafukka" about says it.

 

[Sovereign]

The new car from Lexus quite excel in terms of quality feel inside and out but is let down by the design both internally and externally. The new grill feels copied item and cheap simultaneously. What were the designers thinking when they came up with the humps in the front grill. The rear is attractive but nothing new or surprising. And the interior design is the most ordinary even in the Lexus line. Only the quality of material at least in the pictures saves it. IMO Infiniti is the brand that may become design leader from Japan and may be the French has to do something with that.

 

[Soup]

 

[HighestOfHigh]

New GS Hybrid To Be First Lexus With All-LED Headlights

A few years ago Lexus announced that it would be the first mainstream automaker to launch a production model fitted with LED headlights, in this case, the LS 600h.

Around the same time, Audi announced that it would be launching LED headlights on its R8 and that its lights would include LED elements for both the low and high beams, while the Lexus only used LEDs for the low beam.

However, what Audi didn’t say was that its LED headlights wouldn’t be launched for more than year.

Now, after pioneering their use in a mainstream model, Lexus is about to launch its first model with all-LED headlights.

That model will be the 2013 Lexus GS 450h hybrid sedan, which comes onto the market next year.

The design will be inspired by the units seen on the LF-Gh concept car, and could be revealed as early as next month’s 2011 Frankfurt Auto Show.

The advantage of using LEDs is their ultra-high 6,000 Kelvin temperature rating, which is roughly the same color as ordinary daylight. By comparison, xenon lights only manage a 4,100 K rating and the yellowish hue of halogen lamps only rate at 3,200 K.

Other benefits of LEDs are their longer lifespan, smaller overall size and lower power usage. The lights also provide developers with greater freedom for their designs as the diodes can be placed in unconventional arrangements and patterns.

- New GS Hybrid To Be First Lexus With All-LED Headlights

 

[Merc1]

This car almost didn't happen!!! Interesting article posted on Autospies:

Amid Toyota Troubles, Lexus Execs Rescued the GS Sedan

"I didn't want this car."
-- Akio Toyoda, president, Toyota Motor Corp., on the 2013 Lexus GS 350

Toyota has spent the past few years dealing with a host of problems: quality issues, the unintended acceleration scandal, a hugely uninspiring product lineup. Last week, at the Monterey, Calif., unveiling of the 2013 Lexus GS 350, company president Akio Toyoda revealed an unsurprising bit of information -- even inside the company, many people aren't sure what its brands need to be.

Toyoda didn't come out and say it, of course. For one thing, such a move would be foolish and bad for business; for another, he likely didn't (and doesn't) believe it. But what he did say was telling. In a presentation to journalists, he noted that the new GS, due in late 2012, exists only because Lexus's regional management teams fought him "like crazy."

There are a few obvious comments here. First, Lexus vehicles aren't exactly known for getting people riled up, even within Lexus. (Nice bunch, Toyota Motor, but its representatives and engineers have a well-deserved reputation for being straight-laced.) Second, the new GS's nose is ... interesting, in the same way that this guy's face is interesting. And third, the GS has long been a slow seller in both Europe and America. Put those together, and the "crazy" defense of the model is a bit surprising. But it's worth paying attention to. Here's why.

As Automotive News notes, 18 months ago, the GS was on the chopping block. Toyota was embroiled in resolving the unintended acceleration crisis and escalating quality issues. Lexus, its once-unstoppable luxury brand, was something of a rudderless ship, with the big-dog LS sedan the only compelling, and unique, product on offer. Toyoda wanted to kill the GS in order to consolidate Lexus's lineup, and because it made for a weak business case against the German competition.

That the model stuck around is telling. The current GS (below) is an out-of-focus effort: it's too stiff and uncompromising to be a compelling luxury sedan, yet too distant and uninvolving to effectively battle cars like the Audi A6 and BMW 5-Series. The 2013 replacement doesn't improve on its predecessor visually, though it offers an interesting interior and will likely be priced attractively. It also uses the same 3.5-liter V6 and six-speed transmission found in the current GS (the optional V8 will no longer be offered, though a hybrid V6 will). The chassis is new but familiar; the front suspension mostly carries over, but the rear suspension has been redesigned.

In other words, development money was spent on this car, but not a lot of it.

This is an odd choice -- save a model from the grave, but don't make a big effort -- but it's indicative of where Toyota is at the moment. The company is desperately trying to find its footing in an unsteady market, one where it's rapidly losing ground to both the Koreans and Detroit. Once-formidable opponents like Honda are faltering, its cars oozing insecurity. The new Camry, unveiled last week, looks to be a better machine than its predecessor, but is packaged in yet another forgettable design. And the media has been having a field day with Toyota as a whole for months; even the most timid of journalists have thrown punches the Big T's way.

Compare: Lexus GS vs. Audi A6 vs. BMW 5-Series

In short, in throwing the GS back into the market, Lexus is testing the waters. It doesn't know what or where or how its brand needs to exist, and this is a step toward finding out.

The GS hasn't been an important, strong-selling car in years, and this one isn't likely to make any waves. But the late-day save of the model comes at a time when Toyota is reorganizing its management structure, attempting to streamline communication and give those close to the customer and market more voice. This gives hope, because it shows that Toyota -- and Toyoda -- recognize a need for change.

The management teams that defended and saved the GS did so because they believed in something. Lexus has long believed in little save customer service and quality, and while those things are very important, they mean nothing without good product. The revived GS may not be the answer to Lexus's problems, but if we're lucky, it'll be a good first step.

[Source: Automotive News]


Amid Toyota Troubles Lexus Execs Rescued the GS Sedan - MSN Autos


Definitely a car I WOULDN'T buy based on the lack of confidence by Lexus (and the goofy design).


M

 

[wookieecrisp]

Lexus GS F-sport previewed ahead of SEMA





More: http://www.leftlanenews.com/lexus-gs-f-sport.html

 

[Levi68]

Lexus GS F-Sport TRD Parts