2013 Lexus GS 350 - New Car Joy Ride

It’s amazing to think how far the Lexus GS has come in a relatively short amount of time. When it was first introduced in 1993, the car was, unbeknownst to most, what you could consider special, as the GS 300’s lineage comes from one of Toyota’s greatest platforms, the Supra, and subsequently, was also derived from one of its Lexus brethren, the SC 400, sharing many things like suspension design and drivetrain. Of course, some of you know it more as an Aristo in JDM lingo, and for those of you really in the know, the way a 2JZ engine fits in the bay is more than just “really cool shit”—it’s sublime and perfect. Even the second gen GS became a popular car fit for engine conversions (more so in the US), drifting and bippu, maybe more so in Japan as drivers like Manabu Orido commissioned an Aristo himself for competition.

Skip ahead a couple decades and look what’s happened. The GS has matured. Over the years, it’s stood strong as the car the suave and stylish kids gravitated towards when the VIP craze took off. You might even be surprised to discover that the GS was the basis for Lexus developing its IS series of cars. Engine swapped or not, you put one on bags—or just slam it, period—and stuff a set of big, fat-lipped wheels on and you can call it a day. No crazy wings, paint jobs or fluff needed. But with the later versions, starting with the S190 chassis (’05-12), Lexus offered up an entirely new chassis with an engine unique to itself; no super crazy Japanese variant to swap in, but it could still get down to the floor and rock a mean set of wheels.

Now you’re being introduced to a new redesign and up to the GS 350 model, and let me tell you, Lexus isn’t f’ing around. Attacking the Mid-Luxury segment at full speed, the GS represents a new generation of Lexus vehicles. You’ll notice this most with the styling; it’s bold, aggressive and matches well with other platforms, like the IS and LFA. The front grill found on the GS is the first of many upcoming Lexus releases that will sport the same design. But just look at that mean front end; it’s all things aerodynamic and then some, plus it matches perfectly with the LED headlights, a styling trend that has become so popular in recent years. But the back end is very Euro, simplistic in nature; you might not know you were chasing a Lexus down until catching up to it. Just picture one dropped low with a set of concave TEs or BBS LMs…