ADAPTIVE DAMPERS have made Lexus’s hairy-chested super sedan an even better gadget and super-heated the fight for its keys whenever it visits the MOTOR office.

Big and spacious, four doors, a screaming 5.0-litre atmo V8, smooth eight-speed auto, rear-drive and a ‘limited slip’ differential – the GS F might have a ‘351’ in its power figure but it doesn’t need it to endear to Aussies. It remains a peculiar car; there’s its striking exterior styling with eccentric touches.

2017 Lexus GS F side profile

Forget about all that and boot it, and you’ll find an engine that feels highly-strung and likes to be revved to give its best, which is fine with us as the atmo 5.0-litre sounds great in a technical, nerdy Japanese kind of way (rather than a bassy, burbly American V8).

2017 Lexus GS F interior
2017 Lexus GS F badge

2017 Lexus GS F Specifications

  • Engine: 4969cc V8, DOHC, 32v, 351kw/530Nm
  • Weight: 1865kg
  • 0-100km/h: 4.6sec
  • Price: $153,540