Detroit Motor Show: Lexus GS F first official pictures

HEY BMW M5, over here! Meet the Lexus GS F that's set to wrestle the mighty BMW and its arch-rival Mercedes-AMG E63 in what's set to be a serious dust up.

The super-Lex uses the same snarling 5.0-litre 90-degree V8 as the smaller Lexus RC F Coupe to deliver 348kW – well shy of the M5’s 423kW and E63’s 430kW, yet Lexus claims the GS F will be the featherweight of the class, but while its 1830kg provisional claim for the US-spec model is still some 40kg lighter than the M5, it's still porkier than the 1975kg E63. Regardless, it’s game on for the super sedans.

The letter 'F' is Lexus lingo for fire breathing, its high-performance butt-kicking flagships, so the GS F follows suit with a bolder exterior clad in a sculpted body kit and riding on 19-inch alloy wheels and wider tyres. Of course, there's a set of quad exhaust pipes at the rear like the rest of the F models.

That 4969cc V8 makes the GS F the only car in its class to use a naturally-aspirated engine, for better throttle response and using the Atkinson cycle in order to meet the increasing stringent emissions laws without resorting to turbocharging. A torque figure of 527Nm is a clear 149Nm more than the GS 350’s, but three 3Nm less than the same engine makes in the RC F.

THE GS F will be offered with an eight-speed automatic transmission to send power to the rear wheels – there’s been no talk of a direct competitor of the all-wheel drive E63 AMG offered in other markets or the Audi RS6 quattro – where its forged-aluminium multi-link suspension’s specific tune, passive rear-wheel steering and torque vectoring differential will help it deliver its punch to the road or track. Three driving modes will be offered – Standard, Slalom and Track – for that rear diff.

The fastest GS is currently the 450h, with its 5.9sec 0-100km/h claim. For the GS F to be a credible contender, it will have to be at least close to the BMW M5’s 4.4sec effort recorded by Wheels, and the E63’s as-tested 4.3sec sprint with a 12.2sec quarter-mile. When fitted in the RC F Coupe, which at 1780kg weighs 50kg less than the GS F, the V8's good for a 4.5sec 0-100km/h run, so expect the GS F to be in the ballpark when it comes to the numbers. It should also be in the same league when it comes to price, too, at around $230-250K.

The GS F is set to be revealed at the 2015 Detroit Motor Show but is not yet confirmed for Australian showrooms.