Issue link: http://viewer.e-digitaleditions.com/i/131994
alltorque Marqued for life With its new corporate face (Lexus calls it the "spindle grille") the exterior of the GS looks bang up to date – edgy and modern. It's inside, though, where all the magic happens. Lexus is the master of interior build. From plush leather seats to soft-touch plastics, every surface exudes quality. The infotainment screen is huge, and the Mark Levinson stereo keeps audiophiles in their happy place. The 10-way adjustable seats are padded to keep you from fidgeting on cross-country drives, and seat heating/cooling is appreciated. "Press the start button and the GS 350 twists into life and settles into a muffled growl." The steering wheel doesn't just feel luxurious: When you're holding it, you're experiencing a change. While Lexus was always known for well-built cars, all of them came in the same flavour: vanilla. The GS has changed that. Press the start button and the GS 350 twists into life and settles into a muffled growl. Under load, the V6 clears its throat and howls like Chewbacca being tortured. Glorious! Paddle shifters on the wheel allow you to take manual control of gear shifts, and with a 0–100km/h sprint time of just six seconds, nothing else stands a chance. The steering actually communicates with your fingertips, and turn-in is sharp. There are three options: the entry-level 2.5L V6 (GS 250, from $73,184 +ORC); the 3.5L V6 (GS 350); and the hybrid V6 (GS 450h). The competitors are the MercedesBenz E 250 ($94,500), BMW 528i ($98,800) and Audi A6 2.8 FSI ($91,000). A few years ago Lexus was lagging in the desirability stakes. Sure, these cars were extremely reliable and impeccably built, but the driver felt like they were steering a ship. These days, however, it looks like JD Power will be adding another award to the list. Just as a Lexus is a Toyota in a suit, other Japanese brands have created their own upmarket offshoots. ACURA Honda officially debuted its pimped Acura line in the North American market in 1986, opening 60 new dealerships in a single year. By 1990, Acura had sold almost as many vehicles in the US as had BMW and Mercedes-Benz combined. Still confuses visiting Australian petrolheads. INFINITI Nissan joined the fray in 1989 with Infiniti. Despite its initial success, Infiniti was facing extinction by 2000. Freshly minted CEO Carlos Ghosn – the chief of Renault, Nissan's new partner – saved the day, re-pitching Infiniti as a "Japanese BMW". A grateful Japan would later detail Ghosn's life in a manga comic. AMATI Mazda diversified in the late 1980s with three sub-brands: Efini (sporty), Eunos (luxury) and the surely-that's-a-Transformer'sname, Autozam (small). Plans for an assault on the US market under the name Amati were released in 1992, but no car appeared. It remains in an unmarked grave alongside pogs and hypercolour. 43