Here’s an absolutely brilliant commercial from Lexus Australia introducing the 2006 GS redesign:
I wasn’t all that sure what was going on in the first ten seconds, but once the car started bleeding and sweating, it all came together. The thing that impressed me the most, though, was that although it’s a fantastic concept, the implementation is even better. Just perfect.
Having only seen bits and pieces of the TV show 24, I didn’t know Jack Bauer drove a Lexus GS 430, but that doesn’t stop me from wanting this RC version of his car:
After posting about the die-cast GS 430 last month, I’ve toyed with buying some 1:18 replicas, but better sense has prevailed. But for how long?
[Source: Otherland Toys]
I don’t know what’s better, the fact that there’s a limited edition Lexus GS 430 die-cast car available from Tomica, or that I discovered it on a japanese miniature car weblog.
I was huge into die-casts as a kid, and I swear, seeing this makes me want to dig out my collection.
I’ll admit it, I was sitting on posting this GReedy tuned Lexus GS 430 from SEMA in the hopes that it would disappear, but it’s time to admit defeat.
Beyond the gaudy stickers and coffee-can exhaust tips, there’s a supercharger under the hood, though no horsepower figures were released. If there’s one thing about this car that works, it’s those rims, they’re a perfect match.
Really, you have to feel bad for both GReedy and Blitz, both released superchargers for the 4.3L engine, which was just replaced by the upgraded 4.6L engine in the GS 460.
Check out the photo gallery for more sticker action:
The tuned Lexus GS 430 by Blitz, created for SEMA, is a real sleeper. Done up in a tasteful custom body kit, the real action is under the hood, where Blitz equipped the GS with a supercharger, boosting the V8 up 73hp to 363hp total.
I’m really digging the embedded supercharger control in the console, which allows for three settings: off, low & high. Also included is a perfomance monitoring system, built to display through the nav screen.
Very nicely done.
The news today is that the AWD versions of the Lexus GS, along with two Toyotas, have been dropped from Consumer Reports’ 2007 Recommended list. The net result, Toyota as a whole (including Lexus and Scion) has dropped from first overall to third, behind Honda and Subaru.
What were the problems with the AWD GS, which now ranks Below-Average? Consumer Reports asserts that the drop is due to the “accessories and audio system in the all-wheel-drive Lexus GS sedan”, which makes very little sense, as the AWD and RWD both share the same components. For some background, the prevailing complaint among Club Lexus GS owners is of creaks and rattles, as well as overall interior material quality, but nothing to add any weight to CR’s reasoning.
What I found startling is that Consumer Reports was essentially giving all Toyota models a free-pass to their Recommended list until now:
Still, because of these findings, CR will no longer recommend any new or redesigned Toyota-built models without reliability data on a specific design. Previously, new and redesigned Toyota models were recommended because of the automaker’s excellent track record, even if CR didn’t have sufficient reliability data on the new model. If Toyota returns to its previous record of outstanding overall reliability, CR may resume this practice. Typically, CR will only recommend a vehicle if the magazine has at least one year of reliability data for that specific model.
Seems like a bad practice to me, recommending any car on reputation alone, and I’m glad to see them discontinue this behavior.
[Source: Consumer Reports]
As previously mentioned, this year’s SEMA event will showcase nine Lexus models tuned up by aftermarket companies. Most of these companies make little or no mention of this fact on their websites, but two of the tuners have put up some teaser images:
The Blitz GS hasn’t gone over the top with external modification, there’s a front lip spoiler and side steps, and more than likely a rear lip spoiler, but I imagine most of their entry is going to be under the hood. Surprisingly, I like the gold rims.
The BRS Autodesign SC, however, is completely kitted over, including giant vented front fenders, a fat front lip spoiler, huge wheels, massive side steps and an enormous rear trunk spoiler. I love this one from the front, but the lack of rear under-spoiler ruins it.
A taped-up GS was recently seen in Europe, sporting a revised front bumper, which could indicate that there’s a refresh in the pipeline.
The changes are admittedly subtle, and focus around the bottom grille, which has been reduced in size and given some extra height. The openings around the grille have been deepened as well.
Here’s the current model, for comparison’s sake:
It’s unlikely that only the front-end of the GS will be revised, most likely this is just the beginning of the style update, which hopefully includes a slimming down of the GS’s rear.
[Source: World Car Fans]
I’ve just posted the third part of my Lexus Body Kit Series, the GS 300/350/430/450h.
With eighteen different body kits, it was the largest collection so far. Most are in the VIP style, evidenced by the tilted rear wheels. The additional styling brought by the kits change the GS appearance significantly, and bring a much needed “Sport” look to Lexus’ sports sedan. I’m not a big fan of the bubbly rear of the car, but it’s surprising how much a trunk spoiler diminishes my dislike.
It must be said, most of these body kits are incredibly similar, which makes choosing a favorite particularly difficult. I really like the Aimgain UZS190 Premium, pictured above, as well as the Fabulous Various, with its super clean look:
Next up, the IS 250/350.
Another study was released today, this one by San-Diego-based research firm Strategic Vision. Their Total Quality Index, or TQI, is considered the premier measure of new vehicle owner satisfaction, as it asks buyers to rate every aspect of the owner experience.
Lexus made a decent showing, with the RX 350 placing first in the Near Luxury SUV category, and the LS 430 coming in second in Luxury Cars. Other models didn’t fare so well in their segments: The GS 350/430 placed sixth in Luxury Cars, the IS 250/350 placed fifth and the ES 350 ninth in Near Luxury Cars. The remaining models didn’t even figure into the rankings, as their sample size was too small to be included.
The bigger news from this study was the lack of any Toyota-branded vehicles taking top spot in their respective segments, and more importantly, Hyundai coming away with three first place finishes. Hyundai has developed into a real threat for their competitors, and the results from this study add some serious credibility to the Korean manufacturer.
[Source: Strategic Vision]
[Via: Carscoop]
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