Lexus GS F Rumours Fueled By Company Insiders

FOLLOWING THE SELLOUT success of the LFA supercar in Japan, pressure is building within Lexus to develop a more accessible, higher volume sedan utilising the LFA’s 4.8 litre V10 engine.

Murmurs from the Detroit Motor Show indicate that Lexus is looking to challenge AMG and BMW M models head-on with an expanded vehicle range. This comes despite Lexus’ European operations claiming last month that the “LFA V10 is bespoke to LFA” .

The final go-ahead for any addition to the 'F' range will have to wait until Lexus management declares the LFA a success. Further use of the LFA’s V10 engine must look tantalising however, helping to further spread the engine’s development cost and offsetting the investment with higher production volumes.

Lexus insiders admitted that even with the dry-sumped V10’s compact dimensions, fitting it to an existing vehicle would involve a degree of work to position the necessary oil tank. Only two cars in the Lexus range have the potential to meet such requirements.

Instead of the LFA’s rear transaxle, power would be delivered by the same eight-speed automatic as used in the IS-F which is capable of handling the V10’s power and torque.

The next generation GS sedan is the most likely model to receive the engine, with sales of between 5,000 and 10,000 needed to make production feasible.

Final pricing, although uncertain at this stage, would be well above the standard GS range if the car were to get the green light. With Lexus looking to add performance as one of its key brand values speculation about this car is not likely to go away any time soon.

[PistonHeads]