2016 Lexus GS F – Test Drive, Review, Ratings, Specs

The 2016 Lexus GS F is Superior

The 2016 Lexus GS F welcomes the idea of a top-tier luxury sedan boasting proper performance capabilities. This is also where a spacious 5 passenger saloon receives opportunity for a an ultra road thriller thanked by a luscious V8, sport-tuned suspensions, large diameter 19″ wheels and a set of colossal 6 piston brake calipers gripping onto 15″ rotors.

Such piece of unconventionally awesome road machinery will cost you though. And mind you, an unconventionally expensive price tag slightly peaking into the six figure dollar range.

Road Genius

Spanning a wheelbase length of 112.2 inches and weighing in at 4,034 lbs, this thing is big and weighs like a pig. But somehow, the GS F pulls off various forms of black magic to turn it into a track beauty. And part of the magic formula is its Torque Vectoring Differential (TVD) that precisely controls the amount of torque delivered to its rear wheels to optimize traction around corners. Since its TVD control is computerized, the GS F allows drivers to tune its characteristics in three modes: standard, slalom, and track.

Standard mode puts the GS F into its natural vehicle habitat mode. Slalom mode makes the vehicle whip like a salmon fish tail and track mode ensures maximal potential grip on its wheel around corners for fast lap times.

Civil Interior with a Grunt

Interior space matches that of its character with a combination of solid quality paneling, hints of carbon fibre, and suede leather embroidery layered along the the dashboard cabinetry and seats. Driving position is a hybrid between a comfortable luxury and serious sports car performer suggested by wide open; yet, low mounted bucket seats with stiff lateral support, and large diameter steering wheel.

Console control management is attained by the Lexus Remote Touch, which is essentially an over-glorified laptop mouse pad with mechanical haptic feedback. It’s not my overall preferred choice as it takes a bit of patience to navigate between menus, but its looks and feel reflects its high class status, and I never encountered any hiccups. Its Torque Vectoring Differential and Drive Mode settings are also conveniently accessed via its center console panel.

Serious Driving

This is where you get your money’s worth. Powering the GS F is a luscious 5.0 naturally aspirated V8 producing an intriguing 467 horsepower and 389 lb.ft of torque. Gear shifts are managed by an 8-speed automatic transmission with manual sequential shift mode.

Upon engine start, there is no audio substitution than a signature V8 tone, and the GS F makes absolutely no exception. Pickup speed on standstill feels a bit slow due to its gearing ratios, and power doesn’t kick in until you’ve reached the sub 7000 RPM range. So, you do have to keep the RPM needle near the redline boundary to maintain speed. With that said, power behind the GS F is reserved on the top end, and the miniature numbers on the speedometer is evidence.

Surprisingly, road handling is superb with ultra-smooth precise and responsive handling that actually even rivals the performance of proper sports coupe on the market. Even though weighing in at at a sub 4000 lbs, the the GS F still feels light and nimble around corners. Suspension setup wears static tuned damping systems, which is a behind times. Nevertheless, it still does its job well while offering a subtle and comfortable ride in normal road conditions; yet keep the wheels firmly planted under hard cornering. Its massive 6 piston Brembo brakes also help stop the GS F on a dime with ease.

Transmission shifts are smooth, but not quick enough to snap into gears on demand via its paddle shifters. Included in the GS F is its Active Sound Control system that accentuates the engine tone through its speakers when the upper engine RPM range is breached. It really is a mixed emotions of excitement and gimmickry. Engine noise is certainly pronounced more deep and heavily when the ASC system kicks in, but it’s difficult to escape the fact that its audio origins are fabricated through speakers. The ASC can be turned off though, and even when it’s turned off, the raw V8 grunt in the GS F never disappoints one bit.

Pricing

By no means is the GS F cheap. And after all, this is the result of Lexus’ best attempt and labelled the top end vehicle in their entire fleet. Pricing starts in at a hefty price tag of $95,000 and that’s pretty much the only trim available minus a few minor upgradable decals here and there. For this price tag, the GS F doesn’t dissapoint with its shear level of luxury quality and performance capability. Similar class would require looking into the German territory of brands such as the BMW M5 or Mercedes C class for an even heftier price.