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2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport

2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport

2013 Lexus GS 350 F - Ron Kiino and I were staring at the 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport’s barbaric “spindle grille” bill above-mentioned to its analysis affair at the track, and afterwards a silence, he said in a James Earl Jones baritone: “Luke” — followed by a bouncing animation — “I am your father.” That baking complete you apprehend is the F Sport/Lord Vader affiliation getting branded assimilate my brain. No amount what abroad I ability say about this car — such that its recalibrated 3.5-liter engine offers bigger mileage, its abeyance has been actually overhauled, and there’s accessible alive rear steering, adjustable shocks and 0.91 g’s of anchor — it’s all overshadowed by that alarming mug. Why didn’t its grille admonish Ron of alluringly bankrupt origami?

The botheration is that if a car starts out with a Darth Vader face, what follows it bigger be able to beat a appealing acceptable lightsaber. And the physique of beheld misanthropy that follows in this case rapidly dwindles until, by the car’s stern, it’s as innocent-looking as a Camry. Dynamically, the F Sport — a amalgamation of primarily administration and actualization enhancements — is a lot added consistent, however.

While the alarm affectation suggests it’s searching to affray with a BMW M5, its adapted eye-to-eye adversary would be the duller-fanged, 300-hp 535i. The GS’s upgraded 303-hp engine and paddle-shift six-speed manual are agitated into the F Sport abundantly unaltered, accouterment 0-60-mph dashes in 5.5 abnormal and carrying 19 city-limits mpg and 28 artery (the closing amount is up from 26 mpg).

Five-point-five abnormal is brisk. But not sizzling. Trust me, though, that this is one of those rev-oriented mills that makes a abundant bigger consequence on the alley than at the dragstrip, admitting the absence of a de rigueur seventh accessory cog. However, area the GS 350 F Sport really, actually clicks is if the city bends. Turn-in is actual absolute (thank you, rear steer), its attitude is close (particularly in the ‘Sport+’ abeyance setting, admitting its ride is a bit all-a-quiver on the straights), and there’s a nice little alluvion accessible if you columnist affairs departure the corner.

Read also: 2011 Lexus GS 450h 

Active rear-steering is a attenuate abstruse bird, and like its sporadically actualization predecessors, this car aims its rear auto abnormally than its fronts at lower speeds (here, 50 mph) for bluff cornering, while hardly apery the foreground auto at college speeds for added stability. Lexus says the rear’s best bend is 2 degrees; we say it’s a well-implemented solution, alms apparent activity afterwards the administration fishiness these things can sometimes invoke. Yet, even afterwards the arrangement (it’s an F Sport option), the GS’ administration bold has acutely been elevated. Both the foreground and rear advance accept been broadened by about 2 inches; the rear abeyance is an all-new multilink affair; beyond bushings are active up front; and the absolute abeyance is aluminum, blurred unsprung weight. The F Sport amalgamation takes this advantage even added with fatter anti-roll bars, stiffer springs, variable-ratio steering, bigger brakes clamped by added advancing pads, and staggered 19-inch annoy sizes – 235/40s up foreground and 265/35s in back. There’s aswell that capricious damping (Sport+ getting its acme of aggression), which locks down the car’s physique motions, admitting the jiggly ride that ensues is abundant to assets the about-face for desultory action only. Sport+ aswell dials up the throttle’s response, but that’s actually afflicted by its teeth-gritting anatomy dynamics. (Have I mentioned the ride enough?)

Other GS 350 pleasantries cover its thin, vision-enhancing A-pillars, its affluent autogenous surfaces (ours was abundant with besom aluminum), and a giant, high-resolution 12.3-inch affectation screen. Because of the screen’s amazing width, there’s abundant absolute acreage to appearance assorted things at once. It about displays a aeronautics map on a ample portion, and either complete arrangement or altitude ascendancy advice on a abate one. It’s clumsily nice not accepting to cast amid screens as is all-important with smaller, commonly sized units, and its resolution is actually crystalline. Beautiful, in fact. Mark my words, in-dash car displays are branch the way of America’s active allowance TVs — they’re traveling BIG SIZE and HI RES. Another gold brilliant goes to the actual admiring seats, which accommodate a anesthetic 12 agency of acclimation (heavens, a Porsche GT3′s seatback can’t be raked at all).

Is there a aphotic side, Luke? No. But maybe some shades of grey. While the F Sport’s variable-rate council enables X-Acto-knife administration sharpness, its light-effort weighting seems altered with the F Sport’s calmness and scale. Beefy, alarming car; light, aerial steering. It’s like Claude Van Damme with Truman Capote’s voice.

Climb into the backseat and you’ll acquisition affluence of headroom. Nevertheless, your knees wind up top and your base low, and worse, the GS’ tall, rear-wheel-drive centermost bulge finer renders it a four-seater, unless your fifth commuter is Yoda-sized. And although the block amplitude apparently has been broadcast by 25 percent to a able 14.3 cubic feet, don’t angel it as some simple, ellipsoidal cavity. It’s abominably abandoned by that admirable rear suspension, and a lot of finer abounding with lots of abate suitcases.

But let’s airing aback to the foreground end of in car. Behind the grille of the GS 350 F Sport — afterwards you abolish the alarming Darth Vader affectation — is a absoluteness its wearer would adopt not to reveal. Darth Vader was Luke Skywalker’s father. This F Sport is a ample Lexus auto claiming to bake up backroads like a 5 Series BMW. It does a appreciably acceptable job of it. But it aswell asks buyers who are by itself in the BMW affected to address a Lexus check. That may not be so easy.

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/sedans/1201_2013_lexus_gs_350_f_sport_first_test/ - 2013 Lexus GS 350 F Sport.