Why the Lexus GS F Is a Future Classic
Scott Olson
Sometimes, numbers lie. Or, at least, they fail to tell the whole story. Such is the case with the Lexus GS F, a rear-wheel-drive luxury sedan that the Japanese automaker produced from 2016 through 2020. In the real world, the GS F was expected to compete against high-performance European sedans like the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E-Class sedans wearing the coveted AMG badge.
On paper, it fell woefully short, with a 5.0-liter V-8 that spun out 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque comparing unfavorably with the 2016 M5’s 560 ponies or the E 63 AMG S sedan’s 577. Unless your primary interest is in setting lap times or owning bragging rights, you should go ahead and shred that paper.
The Lexus GS F harkened back to an earlier time, before the days of turbochargers and all-wheel drive super saloons. By comparison, Lexus’ sport sedan was a simple beast with a naturally aspirated V8 engine powering the rear wheels. But its distinction as a pure sports sedan in a segment obsessed with technological advancement isn’t the only reason we think it’s a future classic. Here are five more reasons this hot Lexus deserves your attention.
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Its 5.0-liter V8 Is Designed to Rev
Image Credit: JAMES HALFACRE If you’re going to buy a car that’s down on power compared to its most direct rivals, you’re going to do so because it offers something the others don’t. In the case of the GS F, a big part of its uniqueness and charm comes courtesy of Lexus’ 2UR-GSE V8 engine. It redlines at 7,300 rpm and relishes aggressive runs up the tach. And, with peak power coming in just 200 revs shy of its limit, this is clearly an engine that’s designed to spin.
As much as purists may wish for a manual transmission, at least the Aisin AA80E eight-speed unit found in the GS F is a good automatic with suitably quick upshifts and rev-matched downshifts.
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It Was Tuned at Racetracks in Germany and Japan
Image Credit: JAMES HALFACRE Enthusiasts love to compare spec sheets and lap times. When it comes to the GS F, as we’ve already stated, numbers don’t tell the whole story. Lexus’ sport sedan feels great from behind the wheel. It’s quick in a straight line – it’ll cover the quarter mile in less than 13 seconds – and at the world’s most famous tracks. But it’s the GS F’s performance on twisty roads that really tells its story, thanks in large part to its track-tuned torque-vectoring rear differential.
The Lexus GS F was tested on race tracks in Japan and Germany – yes, including the Nürburgring – but instead of crafting an all-out track weapon, the Japanese engineers made a car that’s a pleasure to drive on real roads.
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Its Limits Aren’t So High That You Can’t Enjoy Them
Image Credit: JAMES HALFACRE You’ve likely heard the saying that it’s more fun to drive a slow car fast than it is to drive a fast car slow. While nobody is going to claim that the Lexus GS F is slow, it’s also fair to say its performance credentials fail to live up to its high-horsepower contemporaries. The thing is, that means a full-throttle blast or two in the real world may not put its driver into license-losing speeds.
If you do decide to take a GS F to a race track – and good for you if you do – you’ll find it’s a lot easier to find the limits of Lexus’ luxury sport sedan than it is something like a BMW M5 from a similar year.
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It’s Still a Lexus
Image Credit: JAMES HALFACRE Lexus is really good at making reliable cars and SUVs. The brand is consistently at or near the top of every customer satisfaction or reliability survey in the world. While much of its all-world credentials were built on models like the LS and ES sedans and GX and RX SUVs, the GS platform has proven to be a durable base. Lexus’ 5.0-liter V8, too, is well known for its reliability.
Daily-driving reliability may not be the most important factor for collectors looking for a future classic to park in their garage, but it certainly doesn’t hurt.
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It’s Already Showing Signs That It Will Hold Its Value
Image Credit: http://www.sebastienmauroy.com If it were a trivial matter to figure out what vehicles are going to turn into true collectibles without the benefit of the passage of time, articles like this one wouldn’t be very interesting. While it’s too soon to tell where resale value on cars like the Lexus GS F that are less than a decade old will land when the next generation starts snapping up their favorites from childhood, early results look promising. A brief perusal of auction results at sites like Bring a Trailer shows that the GS F is holding its value at least as well or perhaps better than the standard-setting BMW M5 (spread across two generations), despite holding a much lower profile among casual market observers.
Word of mouth is a powerful tool, and those who have been lucky enough to spend a significant amount of time with a Lexus GS F tend to sing its praises. Its status as a future classic is still up in the air, but now would be a good time to put this Japanese performance sedan on your radar.
