For 2012, the GS’ biggest changes might come under its skin. Lexus promises vastly superior driving dynamics to the outgoing model. Topping the line for enthusiasts will be a new F-Sport model, although the GS 450h hybrid will return with a way more eco-friendly powertrain.
The base engine will be a 306 horsepower, 277 lb-ft of torque 3.5-liter V6, complete with technologies such as Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i), port and direct injection. This will propel the base GS 350 from a dead stop to 60 miles per hour in 5.7 seconds, while simultaneously producing improved fuel economy over the outgoing model. Shifting is handled by a six-speed automatic transmission with paddle shifters for added control.
A more rigid platform with a wider track and what Lexus promises are substantial suspension modifications should make the car more performance-oriented compared to the fairly staid current model. Up front, GS rides on aluminum upper and lower control arms with larger bushings, while the rear benefits from an all-new multilink setup designed to enhance rear end control. Performance shock absorbers will be standard across the line, a move Toyota chief Akio Toyoda is said to have demanded.
And it was Toyoda himself who helped put the GS through its paces during its development. A noted performance driver, Toyoda was unhappy with Lexus’ increasingly soft direction when he took the reigns of the automaker that bears an anglicized version of his family name a few years ago.