General Car Conversation
Lead Lap
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 4,580
Likes: 87
From: CA, Mid OC
Saw something totally rare yesterday. I couldn't believe my eyes when I saw it. A first gen GS. I don't think I ever saw one in person, at least that I could remember. I would have taken a picture of it, but I don't think the person sitting in their car would have liked it.
Looked nice though. The rear was pretty unique looking. It looked considerably bigger than the second gen.
Looked nice though. The rear was pretty unique looking. It looked considerably bigger than the second gen.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 11,196
Likes: 1,582
From: FL
Do you remember if they were "pricey" back then or was it a bargain?
OOOOOOPS lol
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,019
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
Everyone remember the third brake light integrated into the rear window that spanned the length of it? It was kind of neat, then.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Nov 2013
Posts: 13,243
Likes: 1,874
From: WA
I just looked it up on Wikipedia. Not sure if this is correct or not:
The GS was intended to take the price position of the original LS 400 flagship, which had moved upmarket since its 1989 launch.[12][13] By the time of the GS 300's debut, the US$35,000 initial base price of the LS in the United States had climbed to US$47,000,[12] while the GS 300 at debut carried base price of US$38,000.
Lead Lap
Joined: Nov 2006
Posts: 4,585
Likes: 24
From: Washington
Oh wow, rare time where I didn't fact check and perpetuated a rumor. My apologies. From Italdesign's own website:
Project: GS 300 (Aristo) - 1991 - Italdesign
Jaguar Kensington:
Lexus GS300:
Originally Posted by Italdesign
Dubbed the ‘queen’ of its market segment by the press at that time, the Lexus GS 300 (known in Japan as the Toyota Aristo) was another exercise on the deluxe saloon theme.
The car is often believed to hark back to the Jaguar Kensington prototype of 1990, but in fact the first drawings of the GS 300 date from 1988.
The GS 300 was an attempt to add a touch of judicious European balance to top of the range saloons within the Japanese market, that had for all too long been overburdened with redundant and superfluous features.
The car is often believed to hark back to the Jaguar Kensington prototype of 1990, but in fact the first drawings of the GS 300 date from 1988.
The GS 300 was an attempt to add a touch of judicious European balance to top of the range saloons within the Japanese market, that had for all too long been overburdened with redundant and superfluous features.
Jaguar Kensington:
Lexus GS300:
Lead Lap
Joined: Nov 2001
Posts: 4,580
Likes: 87
From: CA, Mid OC
For the first gen GS, plenty of power is subjective. It was 220 bhp at the crank and mated to a 4 speed automatic transmission in the NA market at least from 1993-1995. I am not sure if the 96-97s had a 5 speed transmission.
I was 31 when I bought mine and it was the first luxury car I had ever purchased. I bought it to have a comfortable car for visiting family and guest as well as to have a nice road trip car. When my parents visited the first time, they liked the car a lot. My Dad described the acceleration as “deliberate” which is quite fitting.
Since the Aristo was available with a twin turbo engine, lots of guys here boosted their first gens, typically opting for a single turbo. The 4 speed automatic fails pretty consistently with upwards of 350-400 bhp at the crank. My understanding is that the stock internals of the 2JZ-GE inline 6 are very robust as the architecture is the same as the GTE turbo engines. I never did any performance mods to mine.
I was 31 when I bought mine and it was the first luxury car I had ever purchased. I bought it to have a comfortable car for visiting family and guest as well as to have a nice road trip car. When my parents visited the first time, they liked the car a lot. My Dad described the acceleration as “deliberate” which is quite fitting.
Since the Aristo was available with a twin turbo engine, lots of guys here boosted their first gens, typically opting for a single turbo. The 4 speed automatic fails pretty consistently with upwards of 350-400 bhp at the crank. My understanding is that the stock internals of the 2JZ-GE inline 6 are very robust as the architecture is the same as the GTE turbo engines. I never did any performance mods to mine.
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,019
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
220 horsepower was a lot of power for 1992 or 1993. But it was still slow, in the 9s 0-60. It must have been heavy.
Racer
Joined: Mar 2019
Posts: 1,535
Likes: 71
From: WA
Wow, so for 9k more you could get the flagship. I looked it up... in 96 the GS got the 5 speed auto. Strange that it took two more years for the LS to gain a 5th gear. And yeah, if it took 9 secs to get to 60 with over 200 hp it must have been close to two tons.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Apr 2019
Posts: 11,196
Likes: 1,582
From: FL
Even still, 0-60 in 9 seconds may be considered respectable to many for that time period Im guessing.
"The whole world went and got in a hurry".
Spoiler
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,328
Likes: 236
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,466
Likes: 3,990
From: Maryland
I have driven vehicles with 9 sec 0-60 times that were painful to drive they were so slow.