Lexus GS F revealed

Lexus has unveiled the V8-powered GS F ahead of its debut at the Detroit Motor Show next week.

The fourth car in the Japanese firm's high-performance 'F' range, following the now discontinued IS F and LFA and the new RC F coupe, it takes Lexus into territory currently occupied by the BMW M5 and Mercedes-Benz E63 AMG.

With all the usual suspects having now switched to turbocharging, the GS F's key point of different will be its 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8, lifted from the RC F.

While the atmo eight will improve the driving experience, it does mean the GS F has an uphill battle on its hands, as it produces just 351kW/530Nm, numbers well down on its German opposition.

However, if Lexus's recent approach with the RC F is anything to go by, the GS F is likely to significantly undercut its rivals on price – we'd expect it to land at around the $180,000 mark, which will land it smack-bang in Maserati Ghibli territory.

The power is fed to the rear wheels through an eight-speed automatic gearbox and torque vectoring limited-slip differential. Performance figures are yet to be released, but given the GS F only weighs about 35kg more than the RC F, 0-100km/h should take around 4.5sec – or at least that will be the claim.

The usual body trinketry create a more aggressive appearance, while wheels measure 19 x 9.0 inches with 255/35 rubber up front and 19 x 10 inches at the rear with 275/35 hoops.

Unlikely to land locally until late-2015 at the earliest, the GS F will nonetheless be a welcome addition to the performance sedan stable.