[SunnyD]

Originally Posted by Verbiage

This. Has Lexus ever put a manual gearbox in a car?

First gen IS300 was offered with a 5spd, and I believe the 2nd gen was offered with a 6spd as well.

[mPlasticDesign]

Originally Posted by SunnyD

First gen IS300 was offered with a 5spd, and I believe the 2nd gen was offered with a 6spd as well.

Don't forget the SC300 was offered in manual too. The fact is, it makes no business sense for Lexus to waste time/money on manual transmissions. The 8spd autos in the RCF and GSF are actually pretty good transmissions in sport mode and smooth otherwise in everyday driving. The take rate even for BMW is dwindling with every M3/4 generation. Sad but true.

[Mywifes335]

Valiant attempt.

Btw, RCF is a turd. Smoked a white one repeatedly in Dallas. Not even a competitor for our fake Ms....

[TheYoungConnoisseur]

Had the gs350f. Awesome chassis great motor great gearbox great brakes. Needed a LSD and could have had more motor. Always said I'd pay 140grand if they had it with the GtR drivetrain in it. A bigger v8 and LSD would have made me happy tho

[Blksnowflake]

I like it but not love it, Would be a great long trip cruiser for me.

[pikkagtr]

honestly looks better than the RCF
but thats not saying much

[Never_Enough]

It's not exciting looking, but I like it. Still not enough power, though.

[mojobmw_e90]

I'd rock it.. Friend had a isf.. Badges car. Tame when needed, but a animal when floored

[jkrig]

Like it.....its the power that chassis was meant to have, not too long ago the GS350 F-Sport won a multiple comparisons against competition. including a 4 way vs A6 3.0T, 535i, and M37. Praised for it great handling characteristics despite the lack of power compared to the Audi and BMW....Price high, well yeah but not unreasonable, you could easily reach 80k with a few options added to a 550i M-Sport or an E400, I'd easily take this over either of those its loaded as is..so price won't climb much if any......check some of the video reviews, its been getting high praise....the 5.0 just works well in the GS, much more so than the franken-chassis in the RCF ...

[TXSTYLE]

Lexus has NEVER made a car as iconic as their first generation LS and the first GS!
They were "benchmark cars" that made the Germans stand up, and get on the drawing board again! Particularly my GS400 was at the time, the quickest in it's class (E500, 540i, Audi A6) by and far the most reliable and quiet. I owned this car for 4yrs and had not even one issue. At the time, it was daily driven while I commuted to and from home to Dowtown (30miles daily for@ 3yrs). Nowadays I drive maybe 4k miles/year and I have lost track of how many times this and my previous 7 (e65) was in the shop.
But Lexus completely destroyed the look of the car with the current-gen "CYLON" grill.

My GS400 was also high in demand on the used market. The guy I eventually sold it to, flew in from CO, paid cash and drove it back. I had it listed for only a week! Out of the over 20 cars or so I've ever owned, this one tops the list as my overall favorite...

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by mPlasticDesign

Don't forget the SC300 was offered in manual too. The fact is, it makes no business sense for Lexus to waste time/money on manual transmissions. The 8spd autos in the RCF and GSF are actually pretty good transmissions in sport mode and smooth otherwise in everyday driving. The take rate even for BMW is dwindling with every M3/4 generation. Sad but true.

The part that is often overlooked is that the number of manual cars being sold bye BMW has remained pretty steady. The reality is that companies like BMW are selling more cars to more people who only want a badge rather than the enthusiasts who used to constitute more of their buyer base. The enthusiasts are still there and are still opting for the manual but they are now overwhelmingly outnumbered by those who just want to say the drive a BMW after upgrading from their Nissan Versa.

[rainfall]

They made a few attempts of being a "BMW 3 series killer", but they aren't there yet. I suppose this would be an M5 killer given its size.

They do have a lot of horses, but these cars are so heavy that they usually aren't fun to drive. I like that they try to do that though - that way BMW keeps investing in R&D and doesn't charge us whatever they want for a car.

They do have the equivalent of "M sport package" for body kit and good power, but they have to work on some weight reduction (without compromising comfort too much) and offer manual transmission.

[KingOfJericho]

Originally Posted by rainfall

They made a few attempts of being a "BMW 3 series killer", but they aren't there yet. I suppose this would be an M5 killer given its size.

They do have a lot of horses, but these cars are so heavy that they usually aren't fun to drive. I like that they try to do that though - that way BMW keeps investing in R&D and doesn't charge us whatever they want for a car.

They do have the equivalent of "M sport package" for body kit and good power, but they have to work on some weight reduction (without compromising comfort too much) and offer manual transmission.

Can you get a 5er in the US with a manual anymore? I thought that went the way of the dodo?

[zer0cool]

I like this car a lot but wouldn't buy it at 85k. 10k cheaper would make it fairly attractive.

I find the face-lifted GS very beautiful, probably one of the most beautiful among executive sedans. I like the pre facelift as well, but like the post facelift even more. The lines more closely match that of the IS, which I really like, but is wider and more premium looking on the GS.

I sold my 13 GS Fsport, then got a 535i Msport before the Tesla. I actually frequently think back on the many positives of the Lexus and sometimes regret ever selling it... Among cars I have driven in the past 3 years, I think the GS interior, well equipped, match that of the Audi S7 and is better compared with BMW 5 (I had multi contour nappa seats, and they don't compare to Lexus seats or other interior elements) or Porsche Panamera.

Overall it's just a very nice and comfortable car, with fairly good dynamics, and a car which you can be confident to be reliably driven for a lot more miles than its German competitors.

The only issue I had with the GS is power delivery in everyday driving due to using NA engine... I assume this GS-F would alleviate that issue. Obviously not nearly as fast as M5 or the such, but enough to not feel slow + hopefully non annoying engine sound.

[rainfall]

Originally Posted by KingOfJericho

Can you get a 5er in the US with a manual anymore? I thought that went the way of the dodo?

Yes, sir. An M5 is still available in 6 speed manual. Hashtag save the manuals
http://www.bmwblog.com/2012/09/17/bm...bmw-m5-manual/

[WHL102]

Altezza taillights from 1999... greaaaat!

[FriskyDingo]

I like it. Quite a bit, actually. But I'm a fan of Lexus' new design language, which I realize is rare.

[IndotagSwizz]

Originally Posted by WHL102

Altezza taillights from 1999... greaaaat!

what the hell were they thinking there...I saw it the other day and I thought it was a Hybrid...

[IndotagSwizz]

Originally Posted by TXSTYLE

Lexus has NEVER made a car as iconic as their first generation LS and the first GS!
They were "benchmark cars" that made the Germans stand up, and get on the drawing board again! Particularly my GS400 was at the time, the quickest in it's class (E500, 540i, Audi A6) by and far the most reliable and quiet. I owned this car for 4yrs and had not even one issue. At the time, it was daily driven while I commuted to and from home to Dowtown (30miles daily for@ 3yrs). Nowadays I drive maybe 4k miles/year and I have lost track of how many times this and my previous 7 (e65) was in the shop.
But Lexus completely destroyed the look of the car with the current-gen "CYLON" grill.

My GS400 was also high in demand on the used market. The guy I eventually sold it to, flew in from CO, paid cash and drove it back. I had it listed for only a week! Out of the over 20 cars or so I've ever owned, this one tops the list as my overall favorite...

These were really nice, yours looks so minty!!! what a beauty!

[hellrotm]

They keep recycling the same old V8. It is outgunned in the segment (less than 400tq).

[dmk08]

Originally Posted by BlackJetE90

They keep recycling the same old V8. It is outgunned in the segment (less than 400tq).

Outgunned in every segment they use it in lol

[AstonKarim]

I have only come across one sight on the road so far, the exhaust seemed to be quite rambunctious.