2016 Lexus GS F
There have been many steps along Lexus’ path from posh to performance. The watershed one of course, was the LFA. But more recently, the IS F and RC F have helped to pick up the pace. Now there’s a new GS F for us to sample, and we’ve got a race track with many tasty turns on which to do so. Let’s see if it’s a perfect pairing for our well-seasoned palettes.
Ahh… Lexus. That purveyor of fine luxury goods that masquerade as transportation. Like any automotive brand, they’ve had their hits and misses over the years, and we’re still not sold on their current trend of putting a European performance bent to every model. But perhaps this 2016 Lexus GS F will change our opinion.
The powertrain is the same 5.0-liter V8 and 8-speed automatic transmission that has been kicking around since the 2008 IS F launched the F performance branding. But horsepower is now up to 467, and torque to 389 lb-ft.
Around Roebling Road Raceway’s high-speed twists and turns that engine sounds fantastic, even though that sound is largely synthesized. And it runs even better, with very linear feel and power delivery that seems torquier than its sibling the RC F coupe, even with identical numbers. Still, it’s nothing close to CTS-V levels of brutality.
As for the chassis, well it’s completely competent and capable, yet not much more. Roll is subdued enough, but there’s just an overall soft feel that constantly reminds you you’re in a Lexus; as does the over 4,000-lbs of curb weight with 53% of it over the front wheels.
Still, it behaves mostly neutral with some mid-corner understeer to go along with throttle-on oversteer. The torque vectoring rear differential helps to tame that oversteer by transferring power to the rear wheel that will do the most good with it. You don’t really feel it working, but you clearly can tell the difference between Standard and Track modes.
The automatic transmission performs darn near like a sequential manual when in Sport S+ mode, with very quick gear changes when the steering wheel-mounted shifters are triggered.
Brakes were also solid, run after run; without any of the mushy feeling that usually arises in Lexus performance cars after a few hard laps.
Bottom line, we’ll call it a home run; but Lexus, drop some pounds and stiffen the suspension instead of relying on electronics to improve the handling and we might really have a grand slam.
But then, the GS F is not intended as a track car. To be one, the ultra-comfortable highway ride that Lexus owners expect would surely be history.
Speaking of comfort, there’s a unique interior to enjoy as you effortlessly eat up those miles, and an incredible 17-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound system to help pass the time.
F-exclusive gauges change themes according to Drive Mode, are easy to read at speed, and feature interactive displays like a G meter and lap timer.
Other special touches include the 3-spoke steering wheel, Heads-Up Display, aluminum-trimmed pedals, shift knob, carbon fiber trim, Metallic Dark Silver paint, Alcantara leather, and sport seats.
You definitely don’t want to be messing with the remote touch controller at speed as it’s hard to be precise with even at normal pace, but the infotainment system that it controls is very comprehensive.
Room inside is plentiful, and seats are top notch front to back. The GS F even retains all of its 14.0 cubic-ft. of trunk space.
The exterior gains some aero help by way of flared front fenders with grooved liners and air extracting vents, strategically placed under-trays, larger openings in the front fascia, sculpted rocker panels, unique side mirrors, and carbon fiber rear spoiler.
The quad tips of the stainless steel exhaust system, and available colors such as Molten Pearl, will surely shake things up in the Lexus showrooms. Lightweight 19-inch wheels with 255/35 tires up front and 275/35 rubber in the rear complete the package.
You’ll have to walk gingerly on the gas pedal if you want to keep those rears from spinning up off the line, but a 4.5-second 0-60 is the result, when you do it just right.
Throughout the 13.0-seconds that it takes to complete a ¼-mile at 111 miles-per-hour, the GS F feels fiercely fast, yet still smooth and comfortable like a true luxury liner.
Likewise, shifts are about as fast as they can be without sacrificing smoothness.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are 16-City, 24-Highway, and 19-Combined. The Energy Impact Score is just a bit worse than average at 17.3-barrels of yearly oil use with CO2 emissions of 7.8-tons.
The GS F is not exactly a performance bargain either, with base pricing of $85,390.
So the 2016 Lexus GS F may not be as big of a step up as other previous Lexus performance cars, but it is no doubt an important one. It’s well-seasoned enough to spice things up, without letting the performance flavor overwhelm the rest of the Lexus luxury dish. We predict the brand’s fans, old and new, will lap it up.
Specifications
- Engine: 5.0 liter
- Horsepower: 467
- Torque: 389 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 4.5-seconds
- 1/4 mile: 13.0 seconds @ 111 mph
- EPA: 16 mpg city/ 19 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 17.3 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 7.8 tons/yr
2025 Infiniti QX80
Infiniti’s Flagship SUV Sets A Course For Extravagance
This full-size Infiniti QX80 started out as the QX56, a hastily rebadged version of Nissan’s truck-based Armada full-size utility. That was in the early 2000s when the luxury SUV craze was exploding. It wasn’t as much as a game-changer, as it was “try to keep upper”. Now, this new QX80, Infiniti is promising to “Reimagine the luxury SUV”. Let’s see if Infiniti has turned their imaginations into reality.
Well, if over the top is what Infiniti was shooting for in the all-new 2025 QX80, mission accomplished. There’s an overall feeling of extravagance here that we haven’t experienced from Infiniti in quite some time.
It’s not just the open pore ash wood trim with aluminum inlays, 24-speaker audio, and plush quilted leather seating; there’s also nicely integrated ambient lighting, a massive glass roof, plenty of tech, lots of active driving assistance, and even chilled center console storage. Forward of that is a dual touchscreen setup; the top 14.3-inch touchscreen for infotainment sits next to the digital gauge display in a single housing; while just below, there’s a 9-inch one for climate controls.
You are reminded this is still a body-on-frame utility the moment you have to climb up into the cockpit, but there’s also the commanding view of the road that comes with that. Captain’s chairs are standard for the second row, but a three-place bench is optional with all trims except for top Autograph which comes exclusively with these climate-controlled massaging chairs, along with a touchscreen control panel. The third-row experience is great, too, with heated leather seating, and adult size room for three.
Now, there is a whole new experience coming from under the hood. The last gen’s V8 has been replaced with a new twin-turbo 3.5-liter V6 rated at 450 horsepower, 50 over the V8. More notably, torque is up by more than 100 lb-ft to 516. Transmission is a nine-speed automatic, two more gears than last year, with rear-wheel drive standard, four-wheel drive an option. Max tow rating is 8,500-lbs.
And at the test track, it did pull strongly off the line, getting up to speed in a hurry with the 0-60 sprint taking just 6.3 seconds. There is roughly 3 tons of weight to push through the quarter-mile, but that twin-turbo does it well, finishing in 14.7 seconds at 95 mph. Gear changes are incredibly smooth, while not hindering acceleration in any way.
It's an impressive looking utility from any angle.
In panic braking runs, there was some fade and a considerable amount of nosedive, but our average stopping distance of 115 feet is not bad for a vehicle as big and heavy as the QX80. Last gen, the QX80 moved from the Titan truck platform to the global Patrol SUV chassis, which shifted the vibe from budget Escalade to Lexus LX fighter. The attending improvement in ride and handling was the real bonus, and that largely continues for this gen with air suspension and Dynamic Digital Dampers on all but base QX80s. While we could certainly feel all that weight through our cone course, body roll was well-controlled and without significant oversteer or understeer.
It’s an impressive looking utility from any angle, starting right up front with the big “bamboo forest” grille. The overall shape is boxy, but all body panels are smooth; and for better or worse, Infiniti joins the flush door handle fad. Look for its “Artistry In Motion” design theme to work its way down through the rest of the Infiniti lineup. All QX80s ride on 22-inch wheels except for base Pure trim which makes do with 20s.
A full power play includes standard motion-activated rear liftgate and power operation of both second and third row seats, expanding cargo capacity from 22 cu-ft behind the third row to 59 behind the second, and a max of 101.0 cu-ft with both rows folded.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings with four-wheel-drive are not great: 16 city, 19 highway and 17 combined. We averaged 18.6 mpg of premium. That’s a much worse than average Energy Impact Score, using 17.5 barrels of oil annually, with 8.6 tons of CO2 emissions.
Driving such a PUREly LUXEurious SENSORY overload, you’ll probably be expecting people to want your AUTOGRAPH, which we’re guessing is how Infiniti came up with their grade structure; pricing starts with Pure at $84,445 and climbs to $112,590 for Autograph.
The 2025 Infiniti QX80 is a massive SUV that delivers massive amounts of power and luxury. They aimed for the moon here and have clearly blasted themselves into a much more competitive orbit in the big buck, big hauler, sport-utility galaxy.
Specifications
As Tested
- Engine: 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Horsepower: 450
- Torque: 516 lb-ft.
- EPA: 16 City | 19 Highway | 17 Combined
- 0-60 mph: 6.3 seconds
- 1/4 Mile: 14.7 seconds at 95 mph
- Braking, 60-0 (avg.): 115 feet
- MW Fuel Economy: 18.6 mpg (Premium)