"lexus Plays Passion Card":

[Lexusfreak]

This article is out of the Toronto Star 'Wheels' section Saturday Dec 4th, 2004. I personally have the GS on my 'short list' for when the time comes to replace my ES. Simply because of the AWD & the georgous looks of the redesign. Enjoy everyone! B)

Dec. 4, 2004. 01:00 AM

Lexus plays passion card

GS sports sedans gain sculptured styling

New, 245-horse V6 replaces inline-six

GERRY MALLOY

Lexus customers want the brand to reflect their values, not merely be a status symbol, Toyota Canada president Ken Tomikawa says.

In response to that shift in expectations, Lexus is putting new emphasis on design and technology.

The 2006 Lexus GS luxury sports sedan is the first tangible result of the brand's "more passionate direction in styling," Lexus spokesperson Stuart Payne notes.

Two models are offered: the V6-powered 300 and the V8-powered 430.

Previewed at last year's Detroit auto show, the GS 300 is more sculpted than its predecessor, with a long hood, short overhangs and a wide, powerful stance. It offers all-wheel drive — the first such application in any Lexus car.

The GS 430 includes a new Vehicle Dynamic Management system, said to be less intrusive but more effective than regular skid-control systems.

An all-new, 245-hp V6 replaces the 220-hp inline-six used in the current GS 300. The GS 430 sticks with a variant of the marque's 4.3-litre V8.

Both engines connect to an all-new, close-ratio six-speed automatic transmission with a sequential manual-shift mode.

The new GS will make its Canadian debut at the Montreal auto show in January.