Tucked away in a sidebar column of this month’s Motor Trend is a rather stunning claim — it appears the magazine has confirmed with Lexus that a next-generation IS F will be built, and will be joined by the all-new GS F:

Rumors of both models have been circulating for some time — GS F prototypes in particular have been spotted all over the place — so the idea of a IS F & GS F aren’t exactly surprising.

However, the fact that Motor Trend has confirmed that both will be built is something else entirely. And how is this only a two-line story buried in the print edition?

(In my mind, the GS F will be a production model sooner than later, but I’m only cautiously optimistic about a next-generation IS F. Is there enough room in the Lexus lineup for two high-performance sedans alongside the RC F?)

Lexus will bring a new version of the GS F to market in 2016, sources have confirmed.

Thus far only disguised test mules have been spotted testing at the Nürburgring, but we now know the model will be powered by a mildly uprated version of the 5.0-litre V8 that appears in the RC F, with an eight-speed ZF automatic gearbox and a Torsen differential as standard.

Power will be close to 500bhp with torque rated at just under 400lb ft. Expect a 0-60mph time in the mid-4sec region with a top speed of more than 170mph.

The GS F will ride on a lightly modified version of the RC F's rear-wheel-drive chassis, with a strut and multi-link electronic suspension system and four separate drive modes that can alter the responses to the throttle, gearbox, electric power steering, dampers and the new rear differential.

Styling wise, expect the GS F to look as dramatic as it is sporting, its main design feature being an even more dramatic grille than that of the RC F.

Expect the base price to be close to £80,000, with a very high level of standard equipment to help justify the premium. Don't expect any kind of hybrid propulsion beneath the bonnet, though: the GS F's V8 will be a big, slightly old fashioned thumper – with neither a turbo nor an electric motor in sight.

Whether Lexus will offer a carbon edition model, as it does with the new RC F, isn't yet certain. A BMW M5 rival with a naked carbonfibre bonnet and roof might be a styling touch too far, after all.

Orders for what will surely become known as Japan's answer to the M5 may even begin as early as the fourth quarter of next year.

Following the GS F will be a four-door version of the RC F, which will feature identical underpinnings to the coupé but extra practicality and a slightly lower price tag. Expect to see the saloon RC F "sometime in 2016". This may well be followed by a convertible version.

Sources have also confirmed that an all-new Lexus model will be revealed at this year's Los Angeles motor show in November.

That car will likely be a production version of the radical-looking LFC concept, although an all-new LS400-style limousine with a hybrid powertrain and class-leading levels of luxury and refinement can't be ruled out.