I don't know what people are clamoring about over BMW or Mercedes, but I firmly believe they are some of the most overrated cars ever. Their exterior styling does nothing for me and their interior's scream cheap, especially BMW, but Mercedes is right up there in ugliness. That 5'er pictured above looks like the current 3 series after a few trips to McDonald's and it does absolutely nothing for me. The 7 looks even worse, as does the Mercedes Crappy Luxury Sedan.

My mom's '06 330i has that same cheap, mid-90s styled black radio that BMW puts in lots of their cars and the arm rest insert on the doors is covered with this cheap rubbery film (as are other parts of the interior) that is already peeling off on a car that's babied. Lexus' interiors have always looked better and felt and were built better. The driving dynamics aspect of the Germans is also overrated, too.

 

*sigh*

So many critics and so-called design "experts" on these boards, criticizing a camo'd vehicle.

I liked the 3GS design when it first came out, but since then the design has not aged that well for me. It has some odd proportions from certain angles that I can just never get used to. The trunk on the 3GS with its short width and high height looks very disproportional IMO. Lexus messed up with the powertrain launches and revisions during the model, and the lack of updates compared with the IS and ES. Also the quality issues didn't help either.

I liked the 2GS design when it first came out too, but for me that design stood, and still stands IMO the test of time because it has great proportions.

The LF-Gh concept has GREAT proportions for the most part. Also the camo'd car in the pics here has great proportions. I like how WIDE the car looks from the rear, and how wide and not too tall the trunk itself is. I wish the window line was a bit lower, but you can see there will be a character line below the window line giving it nice proportions. Also that is a concept interior shown on the LF-Gh. Don't expect the 4GS interior to look exactly the same.

So enough of my ranting, my point is that the 4GS is NOT aimed at the few of you who like the 3GS. The fact is, the 3GS is an odd-ball styling-wise in the Lexus lineup and also compared to other midsize luxury sedans. Lexus is doing the right thing here with the 4GS, as it will appeal to the MAJORITY of buyers in this segment. Yes it looks more conservative in some ways than the 3GS, but it has much better proportions than the 3GS, it looks like it will have much improved interior and trunk space compared to the 3GS, and I am quite sure it will have better quality and better performance/ride than the 3GS. 3GS simply made TOO many sacrifices by trying to be a "4 door coupe" or sticking with the fastback profile. Therefore, in my opinion, the 3GS never DIRECTLY competed with the 5 or E. It was indirect competition. Now the 4GS will be a DIRECT competitor. No odd-ball styling. No being too close size-wise to an IS or ES. The 4GS will finally be properly sized between the IS and ES and the LS. It will fit in styling-wise with the rest of the Lexus lineup while still having enough styling details to differentiate itself from the rest of the lineup. The 4GS it looks like will have a variety of interior options, a variety of engine options (that hopefully are done right this time), and a true high performance variant (GS F) that is almost definitely coming.

If Lexus believes there is a market for it, then they can perhaps make another model, a CLS-type competitor, a "4 door coupe" type sedan that would end up being a spiritual successor to the 3GS design-wise (built on the 4GS chassis), with a sweeping fastback profile for example, that makes compromises in the name of style.

Good stuff, thanks for the info . Nice to see some confirmation of a V8 model. Very very glad to see that the V8 remains, despite some rumors to the contrary.

Also glad to hear how masculine the car is. That's exactly what Lexus needs with the 4GS.

 

i like the lexus ***** better.

overall layout is very german. but the finish is done better in the lexus.

 

best thing about 5 series and A6 is lights... without them, those cars are nothing special... E class might be ugly to some, but at least it was different.

And i dont know how can everyone see anything from camoed vehicles... at least that interior shot shows top of the complete dash to be in leather, which is obviously really good and step up from the competition.

Another good pointer is CTh - its interior has really held up well and is improvement compared to previous lexus launches which had squeaks inside.

so they are obviously working on their weak points.

 

I am really wondering how you're gonna work that mouse on right side of the console over shifter and mode **** on the left.

 

i would guess it is done on purpose so you actually do not have to move your hand, just wrist... like smooth player you are :-)

 

Agreed, nothing special at all. I give the 5 credit for having more space in it's rear seats compared to 3GS. And to all those bishing about a bland LF-Gh, 5 series isn't any better but that front end has the typical BMW appeal, that they do very well.

Appreciating minimalism is a must to see the fine details in LF-Gh's side profile. TRDFantasy had a good post in the older LF-Gh thread about some of the lines/curves in the design.

On the interior, Euro-style interiors tend to be boxy with many sharp angles and a very hard mechanical and traditional feeling (I love some euro interiors), we know Lexus brings us more curves and a 'plush' feeling. I get the same feeling from the LF-Gh interior teasers, it is different because it is refined, not 'euro'. Lexus knows their identity and they are not euro, not before, now now, not ever.

 

Everyone is entitled to their opinion, but based on your remarks above, I have to ask if you have ever been in the F10 5 Series or latest E Class?

Do they look cheap to you, or are the materials and quality cheap? There's obviously an important distinction here.

I don't care much for how Mercedes interiors look, but I've been in the new E Class several times and the inside of the car is anything but cheap. Everything is top notch, the materials feel extremely high quality, the seams and gaps are minimal, the finishing touches are beautiful, etc.

With that said, I think the current 5 Series interior is easily best in class. This might be the nicest interior that BMW has ever done, IMO, and once you sit in the car, I think it'd be hard to say otherwise.

 

i think it looks sophisticated, but lets be fair, lexus gs interior has always looked rich.

now that it is bathed in leather, i have no doubt it will be exclusive feeling.

 

GS interior has always been nice and I love a lot of the detailing in it, but at this stage in the life cycle, I don't think it can hold a candle to the F10.

 

According to another forum, someone in the know (a dealer perhaps) in Australia has given word that there will be two new F models in the near future. I think we can safely say there will be a GS-F.

 

http://brisbanetimes.drive.com.au/me...701-1gu1u.html Here's a key quote taken from this article-

Lexus also showed off a concept car called the LF-Gh, which is a pointer to the arrival of a new GS range soon. The GS, which was launched in 2005, is struggling in the showroom against newer opposition from BMW and Mercedes-Benz.

Cramb wouldn’t reveal when a new GS would arrive in Australia, but did say that the brand would expand its F range of sports variants with two all-new models next year.

 

^ yeah if there are two new F cars next year, probably they will be ISF Cabriolet and GSF.

Although possibility also it will be ISF cabrio and LFA cabrio.

 

New additions to the F lineup to me means GS-F and CT-F (Gazoo ran CT with a bigger engine at Nurburging race).

 

I think the F Sport division of Lexus should by now be fully operational and offering customers options to juice up their lexus cars! Time to compete wiz zee germans!

BMW = M Division
Mercedes Benz = AMG
Audi = S Division
Opel = Stienmetz