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New Models
DRIVEN: Lexus GS Gets Sharper Edge
High-tech F-Sport handling package turns the fourth-generation of the luxury sedan into a brilliant back-road performer.
The 2013 Lexus GS 350 finds its inner sports car through F-Sport technology. (Photo: Bob Golfen)
The old Arizona high-country blacktop that winds over Mingus Mountain to the reclaimed mining town of Jerome has to rank as one of the greatest driving roads on the planet. Its combination of rugged scenery, elevation changes and intense curves rivals the best, thus its enduring popularity among generations of sports-car drivers and a multitude of bikers.
I’ve driven this road in all manner of machines, including Porsches, Jaguars, Lamborghinis, Benzes, BMWs, and once, nestled in the back seat of a 1930 Ford Model A.
This time, the car was a pretty-splendid 2013 Lexus GS 350 equipped with the F-Sport package of suspension and steering upgrades for sharper handling. The fourth-generation GS turned out to be the perfect ticket for a long summer’s drive with the wife on board, a melding of luxurious comfort and knife-edge performance.
She’s not always so amenable to my driving antics, but the relaxed precision of the Lexus was such that she barely noticed the high speeds that we were traveling or the sharp curves that we were carving.
The various F-Sport enhancements – firmer springs, variable damping suspension, thicker antiroll bars, variable-gear-ratio steering and a rear-wheel-steering mechanism – places this luxury sedan firmly into competition with sports versions of BMW 5-Series, Jaguar XF, Cadillac CTS and Audi A6. GS is also available with all-wheel drive; we had the standard rear-drive model.
An optional part of the F-Sport package is Lexus Dynamic Handling, which includes the rear-wheel steering. According to Lexus, this newly developed electronic system monitors speed, driver input and steering direction to integrate the rear-steering attitude with the variable-ratio power steering “to help improve turn-in response, rear grip, vehicle control and overall agility when cornering.”
With the sport-tuned suspension and steering, the midsize Lexus sedan dives into turns with athletic grace, the variable-ratio steering quickening the turn-in response and the rear-wheel adjustments noticeably adding sharpness. The firmed-up suspension and high-tech shock absorbers keep body roll to a minimum. To add to its sporting aura, Lexus has even seen fit to pump some adrenaline-inducing intake roar into the cabin so you can hear it when you step on it.
The Lexus GS of the past felt soft and docile, but with the F-Sport package, the new model romps. Definitely the most fun I’ve had in a Lexus since driving the IS 350 sport compact sedan.
Not that the GS has abandoned its role as a sophisticated cruiser. This is an impressive craft for commuting in style or taking your honey out for a night on the town.
I’ve driven this road in all manner of machines, including Porsches, Jaguars, Lamborghinis, Benzes, BMWs, and once, nestled in the back seat of a 1930 Ford Model A.
This time, the car was a pretty-splendid 2013 Lexus GS 350 equipped with the F-Sport package of suspension and steering upgrades for sharper handling. The fourth-generation GS turned out to be the perfect ticket for a long summer’s drive with the wife on board, a melding of luxurious comfort and knife-edge performance.
She’s not always so amenable to my driving antics, but the relaxed precision of the Lexus was such that she barely noticed the high speeds that we were traveling or the sharp curves that we were carving.
The various F-Sport enhancements – firmer springs, variable damping suspension, thicker antiroll bars, variable-gear-ratio steering and a rear-wheel-steering mechanism – places this luxury sedan firmly into competition with sports versions of BMW 5-Series, Jaguar XF, Cadillac CTS and Audi A6. GS is also available with all-wheel drive; we had the standard rear-drive model.
An optional part of the F-Sport package is Lexus Dynamic Handling, which includes the rear-wheel steering. According to Lexus, this newly developed electronic system monitors speed, driver input and steering direction to integrate the rear-steering attitude with the variable-ratio power steering “to help improve turn-in response, rear grip, vehicle control and overall agility when cornering.”
With the sport-tuned suspension and steering, the midsize Lexus sedan dives into turns with athletic grace, the variable-ratio steering quickening the turn-in response and the rear-wheel adjustments noticeably adding sharpness. The firmed-up suspension and high-tech shock absorbers keep body roll to a minimum. To add to its sporting aura, Lexus has even seen fit to pump some adrenaline-inducing intake roar into the cabin so you can hear it when you step on it.
The Lexus GS of the past felt soft and docile, but with the F-Sport package, the new model romps. Definitely the most fun I’ve had in a Lexus since driving the IS 350 sport compact sedan.
Not that the GS has abandoned its role as a sophisticated cruiser. This is an impressive craft for commuting in style or taking your honey out for a night on the town.
The Lyonheart K
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