Why Is The Lexus GS F So Amazing?
We’ve covered the Lexus GS F a lot on these pages over the last year. It seems that everyone who drives one seems to love it for one reason or another. Whether it’s the big V8, or the smooth ride, or even the subtle but aggressive styling. But exactly why did the Lexus GS F end up so good? It is one of those rare machines that is more than the sum total of its parts. I personally think it’s because it is the truest expression of what a modern Lexus should be. It isn’t just a car made of pieces and parts, it is a statement and a benchmark for the brand going forward.
When Lexus first launched, it was designed to be nothing more than a great mimic. The goal was to beat the Germans by matching their luxury game, but adding the infallible reliability that only the Japanese could seem to manage at the time. The first LS was such a monumental success, it would completely change the luxury market forever. Since then however, the identity of Lexus faded and became mired in a conglomeration of barely-disguised Toyota rebadges. It went from being the new benchmark of luxury to the maker of slightly nicer Toyotas that your grandparents drive. The LS was no longer the car that defined Lexus, the mediocre ES was. In an attempt to right the ship, Toyota CEO Akio Toyoda greenlit the legendary LFA project. Aggressive styling, modern materials, and a V10 engine with roots in Formula 1 combined to make a supercar like the world had never seen before from Japan. It was expensive, exciting, and unique. It gave Lexus something to be proud of, and something to be known for.
I think this is part of what makes the Lexus GS F such a wonderful thing. At the point of its creation, Lexus’s only two truly world-beating and brand-defining cars were the LFA and the original LS. The GS F manages to take those two machines and meld them together damn-near perfectly. The GS F has all the space, refinement, and luxury of the original LS, while also tapping into the excitement and brutality of the LFA.
Other cars like the IS F, RC F, and any other iteration of performance machine from Lexus always manage to fall short on one side of the equation or the other. Either they fail on the luxury side in the chase for performance, or they are too soft and coddling to really be exhilarating.
But not the GS F. It tip-toes that line in a way that only makes sense for a Lexus. It is not as sharp as a BMW to drive, but not as brutish as an AMG Mercedes. It finds a perfect middle ground that makes it the best Lexus on sale today by a long shot. More than that, I think it might just be the best Luxury Rocket you can buy today.
The 2016 GS F is so good because it’s the best expression of what a Lexus should be.
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