Lexus’ GS-F to challenge high-performance luxury rivals

Luxury brands have done well with a slew of high-performance variants of their base vehicles, whether it's Mercedes-Benz's AMG division or BMW's "M" designation. But with the exception of the high-powered LFA Supercar, Toyota's Lexus brand has mainly stayed out of the horsepower-fueled fight.

Now the Toyota subsidiary appears to be coming out swinging. With rival Infiniti's "IPL" edition of the G37 coupe selling well and Audi recently announcing the A6, Lexus has pulled the lid off of the GS-F, a high-powered version of its GS midsize sedan, to compete with the speedsters in both Germany and Japan.

Road and Track reports that the GS-F will source a 5-liter V8 engine from the company's previous IS-F compact. That engine delivered 465 horsepower, which would put the GS-F at a competitive disadvantage with cars like the M5, which may have over 600 hp in its next version. It's possible that Toyota could choose to use a supercharger to up the numbers, but the news source cites unidentified sources in saying that the GS-F will shed a significant amount of weight in order to surpass rivals in 0-60 times with the decreased power.

No pricing has been announced, but the GS-F will likely carry a high price tag. Those interested in high-performance vehicles on a budget may want to buy a cheap used car and make some upgrades themselves.