There are a few badges in the automobile world that can make the enthusiast in you go starry-eyed, involuntarily. The promise that comes with those few additional alphabet/s, immediately transforms you into a dreamland. And this is exactly how the feeling was when we were told that we would be driving the latest entrant into the Lexus F family -the GS F. And that too at the Lusail Circuit!
The top of the F family is the mind-blowing LFA. The GS F is the latest addition to the F family after the IS F, which made its debut back in 2007. As with any performance car, the focus remains on the number of ponies under the hood. And the GS F has an incredible 471 of those. The motor is an all-new naturally aspirated 5.0-litre V8 based on the one in the IS F, except that this produces 54HP more. All of that power peaks at a high 7100rpm and there’s a whopping 54.0 kg-m of torque at 4,800-5,600rpm on offer.
This powerful engine mates to an extremely efficient 8-speed Sport Direct Shift automatic transmission. There are different modes available for varied driving situations - Normal, Eco, Sport S and the Sport S+. Needless to say, we were in Sport S+ all day long at the Lusail track. When you switch the transmission into manual mode, it takes as little as 0.1 second to shift gears. Also enhancing the performance in the Sports S+ mode is the transmission’s ability to hold higher rpms, giving the driver the full grunt of the engine, before changing gears.
On the Lusail track, the GS F felt like it was on rails, cornering with ease, making you feel ready to take on the likes of Sebastian Vettel and Fernando Alonso. This superior handling is due to the immense work that has gone into stiffening the GS F chassis. New-age technologies like laser screw welding have turned the GS F chassis into a comfortable corner-tackler on the track. The Torque Vectoring Differential (TVD) system is another factor that ensures those corners are taken with expertise. To put it simply, the TVD torque system distributes power effectively between the left and right rear wheels, making you hit the apex every time.
The instructors took us through a couple of exercises to showcase the handling of the car. The first was a quick slalom through a set of cones and the second was a fast lane change. Both were achieved with remarkable ease and speed and the car was always daring you to do it at a higher speed. And this was the feeling as you put the car through its paces on the track. There was always more that the GS F was willing to do, if you had the guts.
And then there’s the sound. As you sit inside that beautifully designed cockpit, the Active Sound Control (ASC) delivers the burbling exhaust notes to you through a four-speaker system that combines the natural exhaust sound with some artificial sound to put you in sound heaven.
The GS F is truly at home on the track and for those looking for a luxury sedan with lots of excitement under the hood, the GS F is an excellent option. A place where adrenaline fuels the senses is the tagline of the F series.
We completely agree.