You don’t have to be Villeneuve to enjoy this car
Nimble ride fits drivers who want performance vehicles to do all the work for them
MADRID, SPAIN— When you’re a Canadian visiting Circuito del Jarama, all anyone wants to talk to you about is the 1981Spanish Grand Prix. That race saw Gilles Villeneuve brilliantly hold off four faster cars for more than 60 laps to secure what became his final win.
Now, let’s not mince words here: I’m passionate about motorsport, but I most certainly am not Gilles Villeneuve.
Fortunately, I was there to sample a car that fully forgave my relative lack of track prowess: the new Lexus GS F.
Lexus’s performance division is in its infancy in auto industry terms. It was created in 2007 and has churned out only a handful of F series models: the IS F that started it all, the LFA supercar, a smattering of competition-dedicated race cars, and the RC F that debuted last year.
As the next car in that list, the GS F can be viewed, overly simply, as an RC F with two extra doors tacked on, giving Lexus a player in the burgeoning large performance sedan segment.
But there are differences that give the GS F its own character beyond its roomier rear seats.
Performance vehicles have two types of drivers: those who aren’t happy unless they’re doing all the work, and those who are happy to let their car do the work for them and just have fun.
The GS F is a great choice for the latter group, particularly those with practical needs such as baby seats or carpools to soccer practice.
Sure, it’s down on horsepower relative to its competition — nearly 200 to the Cadillac CTS-V, which should end up being similar in cost when the GS F’s pricing is confirmed closer to launch. This is forgivable for two reasons. First, the GS F is getting the same 5.0 L V8 that’s in the RC F, a naturally aspirated engine that’s a rare offering in this segment. It sounds great — aided by pumping the noise through the speakers in the top drive mode, though whether that’s a positive is polarizing — and its use of Otto cycle in performance driving but Atkinson cycle at cruising speed reduces the fuel efficiency penalty.
Second, the relatively light curb weight of 1,830 kg combined with the three-mode torque vectoring rear differential from the RC F turn this into a surprisingly nimble and easy-driving machine, delivering a large rearwheel-drive sedan that only feels like one when you want it to.
The infotainment system is somewhat improved in this over the 2015 RC F. The touch pad is reverted to Lexus’s remote touch interface, which takes inputs via a small puck mounted on the centre console with a more precise feel. The 12.3-inch LCD screen is easier to read and displays informa- tion more cleanly. The standard headup display is a nice touch as well.
Another feature the GS F inherits from the RC F is the eight-speed automatic transmission, and I have to confess that I’m no great fan of it in either application.
Both cars have four drive modes: normal, eco, Sport S and Sport S Plus. In all but the latter, I find the transmission slower to respond than I like in a car of this calibre. If this gets annoying, it can be worked around by popping the shifter into manual mode and using the paddles, or by just driving around
in Sport S Plus mode all the time, which is what I’d probably end up doing. It would increase my fuel bills significantly, but perhaps by the time I was paying nearly $100,000 for a performance car, I wouldn’t care.
This would also save me from having to concern myself with steering feel, which is excellent in Sport S Plus but feels vague with light input in the other drive modes.
Canada’s getting just one spec for the GS F, though it’s a very well-equipped one that includes features most buyers here would seek out anyway: heat- ed seats and steering wheel with ventilated front seats, three-zone climate control, and a long list of included safety features.
What I like most is that you don’t need to be Gilles Villeneuve to extract exhilarating performance from it. It’s a car that meets you at your level, whatever that may be, and lets you turn it loose and have fun, yet it comes with a modicum of practicality and usability that suits everyday life.
If you’ve only got room for one car in your garage and you want to make the most of it, keep an eye out for the pricing announcement. In comparison to the other luxury brands, the GS F may prove to be a relative bargain. Freelance writer Stephanie Wallcraft is a frequent contributor to Toronto Star Wheels. For this story, her travel and other expenses were paid by the manufacturer. To reach her, email wheels@thestar.ca and put her name in the subject line.