Lexus GS Coupe: The Ultimate Japanese Grand Touring Two-Door
Look of the Lexus GS applied to a coupe with more interior space than the RC, including F performance.
The Lexus RC has spent the past few years providing a more-affordable two-door option than the LFA, with varying levels of performance, but the cabin of the RC can be a bit tight for a family of four. Sure, that family can opt for any of the brand’s incredible sedans, but for someone who loves the look of the modern Lexus lineup and who wants a two-door while needing more room than offered with the RC, we have dreamed up the solution, courtesy of our go-to auto illustrator, Pouria Savadkouei.
The artwork here takes the look of the current GS sedan and applies it to a two-door fastback that could serve as a proper Japanese grand touring coupe. Of course, many grand touring coupes have drop-top versions, so our artists penned one of those as well.
Two-Door GS Design
We have included three renderings of the Lexus GS coupe, including a GS 350 F Sport Convertible in Ultra White, a GS F from the front in Molten Pearl and a GS F from the rear in Ultrasonic Blue Mica 2.0.
The front end of our GS Coupe concept is the exact same design as the current production sedan in GS 350 F Sport and GS F trim, as is the rear end, but things are very different in the middle. The wheelbase has been shortened a bit, the back doors are obviously gone and the front doors – now the only doors – are longer than they are on the sedan.
Compared to the RC, other than having different exterior designs, our GS Coupe concept is longer and wider, so it is an overall bigger two-door than the IS-based RC. That leads to a different look, but the real advantage of the GS Coupe would be on the inside.
Grand Touring Coupe
The problem with most modern two-door cars is that the back seating area is tiny, with hardly any space between the front and rear seat unless the front seats are moved way forward. That makes the rear seating spaces in many coupes uncomfortable for many adults, but the idea of a grand touring coupe is to have lots of seating in the front and rear while maintaining the two-door design.
Adapting the Lexus GS sedan to a coupe would lead to a slightly shorter wheelbase when compared to the GS sedan and a longer roofline than the RC coupe, so there would be more leg room and head room for rear passengers in the coupe renderings shown here. Perhaps Lexus could call it the GC for Grand Coupe, after the RC was named Radial Coupe.
This Lexus GS Coupe would be a proper executive grand touring coupe, offering premium luxury amenities wrapped inside of the sleek styling of the brand, along with solid performance.
GS Coupe Performance
The Lexus GS Coupe would be powered by the same engines as the current sedan lineup, starting with the 3.5-liter V6 in what might be called the GC 350 F Sport while the GC F would pack the 5.0-liter V8. In their current iterations, the V6 from the 350 F Sport offers 311 horsepower and 280 lb-ft of torque while the 5.0-liter V8 in the GS F offers 467 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque. We would like to think that the Lexus engineers would squeeze a little more power out of the V8, as a new executive grant touring coupe with something like 475 horsepower and 400 lb-ft of torque would certainly make a splash in the luxury market.
Finally, an 8-speed automatic transmission would be standard with all engines, but if the rest of the Lexus lineup is any indication, the GS Coupe would be offered with available all-wheel-drive. Of course, we can expect a big Brembo braking package and Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires for ideal braking, handling and launching capabilities.
On paper, this coupe would only offer slightly different performance than the RC, but the GS Coupe would offer more space for four passengers along with a greater focus on luxury than with the RC; all while staying below the premium price of the LC 500.
Click here to head into the forum to offer your thoughts on a Lexus GS-based coupe!
Illustrations for Club Lexus by Pouria Savadkouei
