Lexus GS: 3rd Generation

Mostly due to their similar exterior, I've been very curious to see how the new Jaguar XF would compare to the Lexus GS on the road, and Motor Trend has done just that, pitting the XF and GS up against the BMW 550i and the Mercedes E550.

With the Jaguar being the only truly new model of the bunch, and considering how much is riding on its tires, a first place finish was expected from the XF, and that's how it played out. How did the Lexus GS perform? Fourth place:

Paddle shifters? "Too bad there are none as in the Jag and Benz," observes Reynolds, while Mortara takes it one step further: "Paddles would transform this car," adding, "as would 19-inch wheels with more aggressive tires." Unfortunately, our GS has come with 18s wearing run-flats, stiff shoes that do little to offset the already firm suspension.

Our connoisseurs judge its interior as the most user-friendly, its back seat the most comfortable for two, and its EPA fuel economy and as-tested price the most appealing. With the votes in, though, the Lexus is akin to bringing sake to a cabernet competition. Sure, it's technically wine, but it doesn't really match up, lacking the requisite flavor, color, and vivacity to stir the judges.

Even with the fourth place finish, it seems that the GS excelled in Lexus' usual areas, with the interior, fuel economy and price being the best of test. Still, it's about time for a redesign of the GS, though I think the introduction of a GS-F might significantly push Lexus up the rankings.

(Be sure to check out the videos of the comparison, they're quite enjoyable and buried in a sidebar within the content.)

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.

It would be easy to write off the new Lexus GS commercial as a late reply to Audi's Parking Assist mockvertisement, but in truth, it's a much bigger statement than that:

What a great distillation of Lexus -- it may be a lot flashier than the ES 350 commercial I featured on the weekend, but they both show a clear and precise message.

Really, this commercial's tagline, "We believe that just because you can do something, doesn't mean you should" is another perfect representation of the Lexus brand. (Let's just ignore how that relates to the IS-F for now.)

Two GS Donut videos in one day? Seriously?

This second video continues on the grand tradition of Russian Lexus Destruction, only this time there's blood and exploding rubber:

For the life of me, I don't understand why the cameraman inside the car didn't pull back when he started seeing sparks. Crazy Russians!