Lexus, the luxury division under the Japanese automaker Toyota, has often been rumored to be testing a luxury model with a high performance, the GS F. Rumor has it the company plans to rival the M5 from the luxury German automaker, BMW. Now, the rumor has proven to be reality as Lexus itself has confirmed that the staffs at its factory are working on such a model indeed. In fact, there are two models to endeavor, the GS F and the RC F convertible. This was officially unveiled by Lexus itself during a recent national dealer meeting of the Lexus USA in Los Angeles.
It is unveiled that the GS F will be boasting a tuned-up version of the 5.0L naturally aspirated V8 engine of the RC F. Thanks to the tune up, Lexus claims that this engine will be capable of delivering a total power output of 500 hp and of 400 lb-ft of total torque. As a result, it will help the GS F hit the 60mph mark from a standstill in just 4.5 seconds, enough to rival the BMW M5. In addition to that, its top speed will lie at 270 km/h.
Lexus has also unveiled that the GS F will be coming out of its factory with a rear-wheel-drive (RWD) drivetrain similar to the RC F. Only, the difference is that the chassis will be made bigger so as to fit the bigger dimension of the GS F. This model will spoil customers with four different driving modes, with focus on the rear differential, transmission and throttle.
Whereas Lexus plans to rival the BMW M5 with the GS F, the RC F convertible will be designated towards the same segment that the BMW 4-Series Convertible is in. According to Akio Toyoda, the chief executive officer (CEO) at Toyota, this may well change the direction that the company is heading in the future. After all, the company has been around for 25 years and a change seems just about right.
