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Every Lexus ever offered in the U.S. has been naturally aspirated. No superchargers. No turbochargers. For the brand's 23-year existence. This should change, and the Supercharged 2013 GS350 F Sport, which is just an outsourced show car created for SEMA, would be a good starting point. Following the dog-earned, weather-worn playbook that correlates a SEMA appearance with public perception of sportiness, Lexus asked longtime marketing partner VIP Auto Salon to build a hotter GS350. The resulting car not only features forced induction—if it's been dyno tested, they're not talking about it—but a freer-flowing exhaust setup, coil-overs, and a Wald body kit. The 20-inch Vossen wheels look a little dated, but red Brembo brakes never fail to pump blood to the appropriate region of the body.
It's not that Lexus needs a supercharged GS because its cars are otherwise too low-performance: The GS350 F Sport dispatches 60 mph in 5.5 seconds, and that's hardly slow. Bolting on a blower, though, would add to torque and flatten out its delivery. More important, perhaps, is that even though superchargers are very old technology, using forced induction and smaller engines couldn't be any more modern. BMW's 5-series uses nothing but turbocharged engines, and Audi splits duties between turbos and superchargers for the A6. If Toyota is serious about positioning Lexus as a sporty brand—a debatable decision, but one that's guiding the company for now—it needs to do more than add LEDs and F Sport body kits.
from Car and Driver Blog http://blog.caranddriver.com | |||
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Monday, October 29, 2012
Lexus Should Build the Supercharged GS F Sport Show Car [2012 SEMA Show]
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