What is it?

Now nearing the end of its third generation, the GS slots in above the sporty IS and below the luxury-laden LS. It’s sized about like the tremendously popular ES 350, but the GS offers rear-wheel-drive and a much higher price tag – not to mention the optional V8 seen in our tester.

Its basic style is derivative of the original Giugiaro-penned 1991 GS300 (a rebadged Toyota Aristo), but the latest car was introduced for 2006. Smoother and suaver than the second-generation GS – notable for its Shakespearean “Something wicked this way comes” ad campaign – the S190-platform car retains the two-engine configuration of its predecessor.

As enthusiasts, we jumped at the range-topping GS 460 with its 342-horsepower 4.6-liter V8. A hybrid – dubbed GS 450h – was briefly on offer before sluggish sales forced its removal from the North American market.

    See also:

    Safety/Security Features
    The Lexus LS 460 provides one of the most advanced and comprehensive integrations of vehicle-safety technology today. New Active Front Headrests on all models are designed to help mitigate whiplas ...

    Seat position memory (front passenger’s seat)
    Your preferred front passenger seat position can be memorized and recalled with the touch of a button. Two different seat positions can be entered into memory.   Entering a position to memory ...

    LEXUS HYBRID DRIVE POWERTRAIN
    With many rival manufacturers yet to produce a first generation hybrid, Lexus already has over a decade of experience in full hybrid powertrains. Marking the introduction of Lexus' second generati ...