The new Lexus GS might be a moderately well-proportioned beast, but the BMW 5-series and Merc E-class rival isn't really going to set your performance underwear alight with excitement.
But an M5-rivalling performance flagship would surely be a different matter - and that's just what could be on the cards for the Japanese brand.
Toyota and Lexus boss (and self-confessed petrolhead), Akio Toyoda, hinted that an M5 rival is waiting in the wings while talking to journalists at Pebble Beach recently (Toyoda-san, that is, not the car...).
"I want Lexus to be the brand chosen by the most sophisticated of drivers," Toyoda told hacks. "I want Lexus to compete around the world with global Lexus models. And don't worry about high-performance Lexuses like F Sport and F models going away."
Which means that, as well as a revamped IS-F (Lexus's M3 equivalent), we could well see a GS-F. Exactly what form that will take is unknown.
The LF-A supercar's V10 is said to fit under the bonnet of a GS, but cost and emissions issues make a reworked version of the IS-F's 5.0-litre V8, possibly with a supercharger to push power up to around 550bhp (de rigeur these days for an M5-sized super-saloon), much more likely.
A GS-F would also be likely to use the same 8-speed auto as the IS-F, which would drive the rear wheels only.
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