2016 Lexus GS F: Akio’s Daily Driver

As the head of a car company, particularly in the case of the crown jewel division of the family business founded two generations back, and especially when you’re a car nut like Akio Toyoda, you can’t remain idle for very long when your products are deemed bland. Oh, Lexus vehicles are luxurious, comfortable and solid, but if they’re not exciting to drive, if they don’t get the luxury-car buyer’s blood pumping, all these rational attributes are futile.

Toyoda sought out to make Toyota and Lexus vehicles more fun to drive and blessed with more character. The emphasis was obviously put on Lexus, while things were slowly being sorted out between Toyota and the Scion brand, the latter which will be laid to rest after 2016.

• Also: Lexus UX Concept to be unveiled at Paris Auto Show
• Also: 2016 Lexus IS 200t: Slowing Down

The strategy—which proved successful, we might add—consisted of proliferating the F SPORT badge and packages, also serving as the gateway to veritable F models. Currently in the lineup are the RC F coupe and, new for 2016, the GS F midsize sedan.

Life without turbos

It’s almost impossible to offer naturally aspirated engines in today’s luxury-vehicle market, because you’ll inevitably come up short in firepower and/or fuel economy.

Not that the 2016 Lexus GS F’s 467-hp, 5.0-litre V8 is feeble. Power delivery is quick, although this is a high-revving engine, and torque hits its peak at 4800 rpm. Put the hammer down, and the GS F will bolt from 0 to 100 km/h in about 4.8 seconds. To keep the eight-speed automatic transmission working at the same pace, the Sport+ mode must be activated, or else it’s mind is focussing on something else. Like fuel economy in Eco mode, and we’re not too sure what in Sport mode.

Full-throttle acceleration is usually accompanied by a meaty growl, as exhaust flaps open up, letting the engine’s rage escape. There’s nothing like the sound of a performance-infused V8 as it fully expresses itself. However, it is speaker-enhanced in the cabin with what the company calls Active Sound Control.

Yet some of that rage might be caused by the competition’s engines, which pretty much all rely on forced induction to develop more horsepower, and a lot more torque. Take the Mercedes-AMG E 63 S’s V8, for example, which squeezes 577 hp and 516 lb.-ft. from 5.5 litres. Or the Audi S6’s twin-turbo, 4.0L V8 that dishes out 450 hp, but 406 lb.-ft. from as low as 1400 rpm. Or the Cadillac CTS-V’s supercharged, 6.2-litre V8 that belts out 640 horses and 630 lb.-ft. On paper, the GS F feels like the weakling of the class that’s always the last one chosen during recess dodge ball.

If you’re good with that, Akio will be happy, because he’s likely the one that recommended holding off on turbocharging to keep the feel of a naturally-aspirated engine. That’s the car enthusiast in his soul talking.

Once we get over the lusty engine sounds and drive more responsibly, we can end up with reasonable fuel consumption. We averaged 11.7 L/100 km over the course of the week. In all Lexus products, the engine has to be smooth and refined, and this one is too.

On the handling side of things, the GS F isn’t a bad road carver, but again, it’s not the sharpest tool in the shed. It does benefit from a relatively low curb weight, a sport-tuned suspension and 19-inch wheels, and in Sport+ mode, the car’s steering stiffens up nicely. The GS F is rear-wheel drive and boasts a three-setting torque vectoring differential system, but our Canadian winters likely won’t make this a four-season sedan.

Hit and miss interior

The 2016 Lexus GS F welcomes its occupants with finely crafted and very comfortable leather seats, Alcantara accenting on the dash and door panels, blue contrast stitching as well as what the brand calls Carbon Composite trim. It’s basically carbon fibre reinforced plastic or CFRP, and it takes a little time to fully appreciate it because at first glance, its shiny finish doesn’t look very upscale. Match that to a tasteful, although very conservative dashboard design, and the GS F’s interior falls somewhat short of impressive.

On the other hand, from an ergonomic perspective, the switchgear layout is intuitive and the readouts are clearly legible, as is the big 12.3-inch screen. The 17-speaker, Mark Levinson sound system is excellent, too. There’s even redundant audio and climate controls built into the fold-down rear-seat armrest for those times when Akio doesn’t feel like taking the wheel.

If only the infotainment system and mouse-like controller were as enjoyable. Trying to find our way through the fussy menu layout and choosing the right on-screen button with this input device is a frustrating experience. Cherry-picking songs on a USB key is a lengthy, multi-step process every time. It’s as if nobody thought of testing the system in a moving vehicle before putting it to market. In today’s world where connectivity and multimedia user-friendliness is an essential part of an automobile, Lexus has some serious work to do here.

And then there’s the price tag. Sure, the 2016 Lexus GS F includes a lot of features, such as heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats, a heated steering wheel, a power rear-window sunshade and a slew of electronic driving aids. However, the $95,000 MSRP is steep when compared to more powerful adversaries with admittedly more prestigious badges. At least the price will guarantee a certain level of exclusivity, and an important factor here is the GS’ bulletproof reliability. It’s fun to drive, luxurious and fast, but the GS F is still every bit a Lexus, which means a rational purchase before an emotional one.

Akio’s on the right track, though.