Fantastic news has emerged regarding the existence of a Lexus GS-F: According to Motortrend, the GS-F will be receiving the LF-A’s V10 engine, meaning 500-plus horsepower, making it a worthy entry into the super sedan class.

The next-gen GS, scheduled for a 2011 release, is being designed to allow for the V10 engine, which could mean a 2012 launch for the GS-F. There’s no guarantee that the car will be approved for production, but it definitely makes sense on a number of levels.

First off, the super sedan market has undeniable appeal, and bringing out a competitor to the BMW M5, the Mercedes E63 AMG and the Audi RS4 would certainly add credibility to Lexus’ F-line. Beyond that, there’s a substantial economic motivator, by increasing the volume of V10 engines produced, costs will drop accordingly.

Strictly speaking, I’ve always thought the F-styling seen on the IS-F would be even better suited to the GS, due to its bigger size. The above rendition, created by Motortrend, confirms my thoughts. This is a vehicle that captures my imagination, and until there’s rumors of an LS-F, will be the car I look most forward to seeing.

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]

Automotive News has revealed a number of significant facts about the future of Lexus, and it’s strictly upscale — with no plans to release a sub-$30,000 vehicle, Lexus will not be attempting to match their German competitors car-for-car, instead focusing their current lineup and all new vehicles at high-end segments.

Broken down, what does it look like? Here we are:

IS: The IS-F will be released late this year, with a coupe and hard-top convertible version following in 2008 and 2009, respectively.

ES: A hybrid ES will be seen in 2009, a mid-cycle refresh in 2010, and a redesign in 2012.

GS: No changes (what about the GS 460?) are planned, though the 350’s V6 will be bored out to 3.5 litres in 2008.

SC: A long overdue redesign will be coming for 2009, with a significant drop in weight and a displacement increase to 4.6 litres.

Hybrid: A dedicated hybrid, once rumored for 2009, then 2010, is now scheduled to be released in 2012. It may be a small crossover, and would only be for Japanese and European markets, at least in the short-term.

RAV4: The most interesting news here is talk of a Toyota-based Lexus built on the RAV4 platform, though this may be the dedicated hybrid mentioned above. It could be for Japanese and European markets only.

RX: The RX will be redesigned for early 2009 and released as a 2010 model.

GX: A redesign is expected for Fall 2009, where a six-speed automatic transmission may be added.

JX: Expected in 2009, the JX will be a seven-seat crossover and be based off the GS platform.

I dislike these summary-style news items, though it does confirm a number of things, like the JX and IS Coupe/Convertible versions. With no mention of the GS 460, I question how accurate the report is, but will hold out hope for the RAV4-based Lexus, which I could see dominating the small crossover market.

[Via: Autoweek]

James Fabin, Senior Product Manager for MyRide.com, has dropped some major news regarding the 2009 RX on his blog. Here’s the specifics:

• The 2009 RX will be offered in two versions, a five-passenger model similar to the current model, and a new seven-passenger long wheelbase model.
• A six-speed transmission will be standard.
• The RX 350’s engine will be boosted to bring it somewhere around 300hp for the 2009 model.
• The interior of the 2009 RX will be all new, including a 9″ LCD display that will be navigated by a touchpad located between the front seats.
• There will be an RX-F, with 380hp and available only in the five-passenger version.

It all seems very plausible, with the exception of the last point. A RX-F is hardly out of the question, but it’s not a model I see appealing to the enthusiast crowd, who will no doubt make up the majority of F-Series buyers. Of course, stranger things have been known to happen. Fabin also claims that a GS-F is on the way, and that Lexus will be releasing nine new vehicles in the very new future.

Interesting news, to say the least, though how accurate it is remains to be seen. Given his credentials, though, I’m willing to give him the benefit of the doubt until proven otherwise.

(Thanks Dan!)

Edmund’s Straightline Blog has some interesting analysis of the recent 2009 RX spy shots, suggesting that it’s not a RX at all, but an all-new model, the Lexus JX:

What’s a JX 460? It’s yet another luxury sport ute, but unlike the softly sprung RX, the JX will be a performance-oriented crossover along the lines of Infiniti’s FX line. It was previewed as the HPX concept seen above, and judging by the profile of this prototype, the production JX won’t change much from the concept. It will ride on the same platform as the next GS sedan, so it will most likely offer both rear- and all-wheel drive and either a 3.5-liter V6 or 4.6-liter V8.

This would be nothing but idle speculation without proof, but Straightline makes a convincing argument in two ways. First, as mentioned, the JX will be based on the HPX concept, and when you view the concept next to the spy shot, there’s definitely some similarity:

Secondly, which could be the clincher, is yet another spy shot, taken by a Straightline editor just this morning, of a camo-clad RX:

There’s no arguing that this is a RX, though by the looks of it, there’s little difference to the current version. However, this would almost make more sense, as the RX is so successful there’s no real reason for Lexus to mess with it too much.

There’s a serious height drop with those first spy shots, which would suggest a more performance-oriented model, and with planned third row seating for the RX, there doesn’t seem to be enough room in the rear.

Whether true or not, it’s definitely an interesting idea, and one I hope is true. The JX will be a great fit in the Lexus lineup, and the sooner the better.

Today is full of next-gen RX news, this time from Auto Express. There’s the rather swell artist rendering (shown above), along with some speculation on the spy shots released last week:

At first glance, it looks like any other RX, but close inspection reveals that the rear lights no longer sit flush with the bodywork. That’s because the panels have been widened to account for the new platform’s bigger dimensions. This added size could pave the way for an optional third row of seats, which would put the Lexus up against BMW’s X5 when it arrives in dealers in 2009.

Judging from the other set of spy shots released today, it’s hard to tell if there’s enough to accommodate a third row of seating.

Another interesting fact from the Auto Express article is that Toyota will be eliminating the Harrier name in Japan, meaning that the next-gen RX will be released as a Lexus. I wonder how the lion-man will react?