Topic: Test Drive: 2016 Lexus GS F

[OliverD]

Oddly enough, I think there is an argument to be made that the hyper-aggressive styling is better complimented by an outrageous shade such as this.  I mean, would this car even make sense in beige?

Agreed. I'd buy it in orange just to p!ss people off. 

[Fobroader]

Oddly enough, I think there is an argument to be made that the hyper-aggressive styling is better complimented by an outrageous shade such as this.  I mean, would this car even make sense in beige?

Agreed. I'd buy it in orange just to p!ss people off. 

I don't think you would anyone off in orange....however the beige/silver/white crowd wouldn't even consider this car.

[OliverD]

I don't hate the white, it looks good with the black bits. Again, the chrome looks completely out of place.

[Fobroader]

Nothing a few cans of Plastidip won't fix....the white isn't offensive, but why pick something that bland with such a vibrant color palette available??

[evil_twin]

Definitely that blue colour for me.   Looks awesome on the IS350.

(Though I'd still give a long hard look at black exterior on red interior as it's great on anything)

[tooscoops]

meh... i kinda like it. i'm not big on sleepers, so give me a brightly coloured sports sedan with edges and teeth... not really what i would have pictured from luxus of all the higher end brands, but still cool that it exists... hopefully they can sell a few.

[rrocket]

IQ and I were at the dealer this past Friday.  They had a white on red GS F.  It looked great!

Much to like here!

[ChaosphereIX]

"What’s more, your modern Audi now looks like a basking shark crossed with the speaker tower at an AC/DC concert; BMWs all have their once-delicate kidney grilles flared out like the nostrils of a moose on bath salts; and the gawping lower air intakes of a Mercedes-AMG product look like a Wallace and Gromit character thinking about something terrifying. Everybody’s crazy – why not Lexus too?"

bang on sir - car design has become so hyperbolic that at the same time they are overstyled and completely forgettable and yawn-worthy at the same time. Gone is Audi's classic Bauhaus style etc. and replaced with what was perfectly said in the article.

...still, wouldn't get the Lexus either. Or really any of its competitors. My choice would be...and old M5? A C6 S6? Modern car design, save for some bright spots, really bores me.

[Noto]

I fondly recall Jacob's "enthusiastic parking" in an RC-F painted the same shade of orange... 

Memories...

Brendan, this has to be said - I think this was your best article ever written.  The usual comedy is there, but your position on the market generally is welcomed and highly useful in the context.

[Layne]

Just...not...enough.

[Jaeger]

Sat in a gunmetal grey version at a dealership yesterday - the grille is beyond ridiculous but the overall awesomeness is undeniable.  So how does one get dust off a suede dashboard anyway?

[johngenx]

Sat in a gunmetal grey version at a dealership yesterday - the grille is beyond ridiculous but the overall awesomeness is undeniable.  So how does one get dust off a suede dashboard anyway?

Get a shaggy dog to rub all over it.  No one will notice the dust.

[Jaeger]

Lol!

[revalations]

The styling has grown on me. I prefer these cars in light colors though, I'd pick white id I were to buy one. I'd love to hear this engine at full scream, nothing like a multicam, high revving V8.

[Jaeger]

^^^ Agreed. I'd love to hear this thing wail. I wonder is having a model halo like this will stimulate GS sales. Having tested out a 2013 fairly basic model I could not believe how good it was for a car you rarely see or hear about. RX outsells this 20 to 1? The world is truly facked.

[mixmanmash]

^^^ Agreed. I'd love to hear this thing wail. I wonder is having a model halo like this will stimulate GS sales. Having tested out a 2013 fairly basic model I could not believe how good it was for a car you rarely see or hear about. RX outsells this 20 to 1? The world is truly facked.

Yep.  The world is a mess.  It is surprising how underrated the GS really is.

[mixmanmash]

^^^ Agreed. I'd love to hear this thing wail. I wonder is having a model halo like this will stimulate GS sales. Having tested out a 2013 fairly basic model I could not believe how good it was for a car you rarely see or hear about. RX outsells this 20 to 1? The world is truly facked.

Yep.  The world is a mess.  It is surprising how underrated the GS really is.

Pricing.  It is just a bit dear and potential buyers see that a minimal stretch gets them into an A6.

I can see that.  But the A6?  I mean it's same sausage different length between the A4/A6/A8 IMHO.

The GS makes a great used value.

[johngenx]

The GS makes a great used value.

All the cars in this segment are horrible new value - they depreciate fast regardless of the brand.

[Jaeger]

Is a GS really that close to a comparably equipped A6? I can see where that would be a marketing problem regardless of their comparative merits. Even a base GS comes very well equipped, but I haven't looked at Audi pricing lately - might be better than I am imagining.

[mmret]

Is a GS really that close to a comparably equipped A6? I can see where that would be a marketing problem regardless of their comparative merits. Even a base GS comes very well equipped, but I haven't looked at Audi pricing lately - might be better than I am imagining.

"Very well equipped" has a different meaning in this segment.

In any case a full load GS is about $70k, roughly equivalent A6 3.0T is $76.5k. Admittedly I skipped the ridiculously priced $6.5k B+O sound system on the A6 so that would swing things, but honestly not many people would consider audio to be the swing factor in these two cars.

At that price the Audi has several advantages that I don't believe the GS can match at any price. Example full speed range ACC, adaptive LED headlamps (I think), massage seats, 4 way lumbar, 360 deg camera, and of course the ZF 8 speed. If reliability were not a concern I'd buy the A6 100% of the time in the above comparison.