Lexus revela protótipo LF-Gh

[marciomota]

13 Abril 2011 12:26 www.autohoje.pt

A Lexus mostrou as primeiras imagens do protótipo LF-Gh que antecipa o seu próximo sedan Premium Grande «Touring». A sua estreia está marcada para o Salão Automóvel de Nova Iorque, que decorre entre 20 de Abril e 1 de Maio. Tem quatro portas, mede 4890 mm de comprimento, 1870 mm de largura e 1450 mm de altura. Integra um sistema híbrido de propulsão, possivelmente composto por um motor Diesel e por outro eléctrico.

[kiling]

Belo carro mas talvez um pouco agressivo na frente, aquela grelha me parece grande demais...

[Banzai]

13 Abril 2011 12:26 www.autohoje.pt

A Lexus mostrou as primeiras imagens do protótipo LF-Gh que antecipa o seu próximo sedan Premium Grande «Touring». A sua estreia está marcada para o Salão Automóvel de Nova Iorque, que decorre entre 20 de Abril e 1 de Maio. Tem quatro portas, mede 4890 mm de comprimento, 1870 mm de largura e 1450 mm de altura. Integra um sistema híbrido de propulsão, possivelmente composto por um motor Diesel e por outro eléctrico.

Está

[Martins_Viseu]

Será que este vem susbstituir o GS450h ou não tem nada a ver o cú com as calças?
Está engraçado o bitxo

[Comandante]

A Lexus sempre esteve a anos luz no que respeita ao design. Vou já começar a juntar € para comprar esse

[D4Dpower]

Não gosto nada... esteticamente, acho que a grelha não é nada harmoniosa, com aquela forma de ampulheta, além de ser grande demais e estraga completamente a frente... a vista traseira, desse angulo, lembra demasiado a forma do bmw serie 5 anterior...

Para além disso, a notícia não tem grande credibilidade já que dá a entender que poderá existir uma motorização híbrida diesel-eléctrica, que a Toyota já afirmou várias vezes não ser o ideal...

[telmo.salgado]

Não gosto nada... esteticamente, acho que a grelha não é nada harmoniosa, com aquela forma de ampulheta, além de ser grande demais e estraga completamente a frente... a vista traseira, desse angulo, lembra demasiado a forma do bmw serie 5 anterior...

Para além disso, a notícia não tem grande credibilidade já que dá a entender que poderá existir uma motorização híbrida diesel-eléctrica, que a Toyota já afirmou várias vezes não ser o ideal...

Eu acho um brilhante estudo, e o resultado é francamente bom. Mas gostos não se discutem.

Realmente, a motorização híbrida-diesel não faz sentido pois em toda a memória de afirmações da Toyota, nunca tal se previu nos ligeiros. E o GSh ainda é ligeiro :)

[Comandante]

Completando um pouco mais o tópico, aqui ficam uns videos



Mais imagens em:

http://www.autoblog.com/2011/04/12/l...ew-york-debut/
http://carscoop.blogspot.com/2011/04...rts-sedan.html

[CrasyE12]

só a grelha... é demais... os espelhos? é por camaras? ???

[Martins_Viseu]

só a grelha... é demais... os espelhos? é por camaras? ???

Sabes que há diferenças entre protótipos e carros de produção certo?Isto é um protótipo...

[CrasyE12]

Sabes que há diferenças entre protótipos e carros de produção certo?Isto é um protótipo...

sei.. e cada vez mais inventam tudo. poderia ser ou não?

[Martins_Viseu]

sei.. e cada vez mais inventam tudo. poderia ser ou não?

Sim...no futuro acredito que seja por câmaras;)

[martins]

Ja anda no Nur !!





















[COLOR="Silver"]

[Martins_Viseu]

Vamos lá ver o que sai daqui!

[TerrorTechWar]

Motor 1.4D4D e tapetes de alumínio para o cantinho em crise a SE da Europa, se faz favor!

[martins]

Vamos lá ver o que sai daqui!

Uma coisa parece ser certa,é o fim do relogio digital no tablier ,este parece usar um analogico !!!
So falta ver se também mudam os comandos dos espelhos e ai sim podemos falar de um revolução na Toyota/Lexus !!!

[martins]

A imprensa ja deitou as mãos num GS !!


Tambem uma novidade é a introdução do motor do IS250 na Gama GS,o mercado europeu fica a ganhar :)

While the North America edition of the next-generation Lexus GS appears to be carrying over the 3.5L V6 from the current generation (in both hybrid & non-hybrid formats), the fourth generation sports sedan will be getting a new engine for European (and likely Japanese) markets: the GS 250, which will likely be powered by the same 2.5 4GR-FSE engine seen in the current IS 250.

Let’s look at what Auto Car had to say after driving the lowest-displacement GS:


Our test car came with the adaptive dampers that automatically shuffle between nine different settings depending on driving style and road conditions, and the driver can select more sporting settings that will keep the car in the firmer ranges of the damper movement. And they do the job very well. The slightly desensitised and light, if nicely granular steering means that this is not as focused-feeling as the BMW but it’s not far off the same sort of serene, flowing sensation that Mercedes specialises in, and the excellent low-speed refinement only goes to emphasise that sensation too.

The rest of their review, which is surprising in its shortness, has no complaints about a lack of power or really anything about the engine at all, which is a good sign the 2.5L V6 is a fully capable powerplant for the GS.

Adding another engine option to the GS lineup is an excellent move, given the type of choice Europeans are used to. Of course, it might have been more brand-appropriate to have a 2.5L V6 hybrid, I think the primary goal of the GS 250 is to lower the cost of entry — which leads me to believe we’ll see some very interesting option packages when more information becomes available.


A Autocar ja testou aa versão GS 450h

Lexus GS 450h (Autocar) First DriveTest date 20 July 2011 Price as tested TBA


450h gets the dynamic handling pack as standard, and that brings with it rear-wheel steering
What is it?
It’s the new Lexus GS; a model that has faded into the background in recent years but is now set to come back armed with new-found levels of driver reward, according to Lexus.

Driven here in prototype form ahead of the car’s showroom debut next June, we’re testing the range-topping GS450h complete with its heavily updated petrol-electric drivetrain, which uses a 3.5-litre naturally aspirated V6 mated to two 35kw electric motors. Power is sent to the rear-wheels, and with the engine remaining a ‘full hybrid’ the GS can be driven on electric-only power at low speeds.

What’s it like?
Whilst the drivetrain is improved it is the new chassis that Lexus maintains is the biggest step forward. Sitting on an all-new platform with multilink suspension at the front and rear, the GS has been set up with active dampers and a new dynamic handling package that allows the driver to select two differing levels of sports mode, as well as normal and eco settings.

The result is a substantial improvement on the current model. Body control is noticeably improved regardless of the chosen setting, so there’s now less dive and lateral body movement; particularly noticeable over bigger bumps at lower speeds.

The 450h gets the dynamic handling pack as standard, and that brings with it rear-wheel steer, which translates to a much sharper turn-in. It can feel a touch nervous initially but with familiarity you become used to just how little steering input is required. Whilst this doesn’t mean there’s any genuine sensation to the steering it does make the GS feel more nimble whilst also improving stability.

Essentially the new GS450h takes what was good about the old model – its refinement and impressive performance – and adds to it a rather more balanced driving style. Not focused or immediate, but certainly more responsive and willing to deliver a happy blend of relaxation and reward.

The biggest criticisms come in the form of too-sharp brake response and slightly fidgety low-speed ride that was delivered through the 19-inch alloys on our test car, but there are still some final tweaks to be made to the GS that may help to sort these niggles.

Should I buy one?
Without official emissions and economy figures, not to mention prices, it’s difficult to judge just how justifiable the GS will be. But even so, on evidence of this early drive it is at the very least a significant step forward, and one that those looking for a bit more enjoyment from a big executive saloon should pay attention to.

Vicky Parrott


Lexus GS450h
Price: £45,000 (est); Top speed: 155mph; 0-62mph: 5.9sec (est); Economy: 45mpg (est); Co2: 160g/km (est); Kerb weight: 1800kg (est); Engine: 3456cc V6 and electric motors

Lexus GS 450h - Road Test First Drive - Autocar.co.uk

---------- Mensagem adicionada em 04:13 PM ---------- Mensagem anterior em 03:57 PM ----------

[William_1991]

Mas que interiores!!!

Quero um!!!

[martins]

Mais uma review !! Tou mortinho por fazer um test-drive a este carro !! :)

Test


2013 Lexus GS 350 First Drive

BMW and Benz Better Look Over Their Shoulders

By Scott Oldham, Editor in Chief | Published Jul 22, 2011

Poor
So-So
Pretty Good
Good
Excellent
.
46 Ratings
.





Comments (85)



Creation of the 2013 Lexus GS 350 began in the summer of 2007. In Germany. On the unrestricted Autobahn.

Lexus engineers and product planners needed to rethink the GS, which had been getting its taillights kicked by the BMW 5 Series and Mercedes-Benz E-Class since the mid-1990s. So they did the right thing; they gathered in the homeland of Benz and BMW and they drove fast.

They brought along 10 cars to flog, including multiple versions of the 5 and the E. They brought diesels, V8s, even an M5. They also brought along a Porsche Cayman as a steering benchmark and a 2006 Euro-spec Lexus GS.

"I'll probably get in trouble for telling you this," says Ben J. Mitchell, who participated in the gathering. "But our GS was all done at 110 mph."

He hesitates. We're sitting in a dimly lit steak house in Pasadena, California, and the Lexus product planning manager isn't sure he should say anymore. But he does. "It would have gone faster," he says of the 2006 GS, "but you didn't want to drive it any faster. The sedan's structure wasn't up to it. The doors started moving in their frames and the car just stopped being fun to drive."

Mitchell drops his knife and fork and grips an imaginary steering wheel in the 9 and 3 positions. "The Mercedes felt best," he says, pretending to steer a car delicately. "It was still easy to drive at 150."

That triple-digit-speed field trip taught Mitchell and the Lexus engineers exactly what the next Lexus GS should be. "More fun to drive became a top vehicle priority," says the sedan's Deputy Chief Engineer Koji Sato. "The next GS had to have a more engaging driving experience."

Duh. The Lexus GS has always had the personality of a supermodel. As in none.

More Fun
Six years after that brilliant revelation, I'm driving a 2013 Lexus GS wearing more zippers and black leather than The Gimp. (Not me, the car. I'm wearing chinos and a button-down.) And I'm driving it on the Angeles Crest Highway, a fantastic driver's road just northeast of downtown Los Angeles.

Slow at first. The last thing I want to do is scuff up the sedan's kinky leather mask, which will finally be removed at the Pebble Beach Concours next month. Trust me when I tell you that it looks very much like the LF-Gh Concept that Lexus showed at the New York auto show last spring.


It's still a Lexus as it should be. Smooth. Comfortable. But it's the best-driving Lexus sedan yet.

The first thing I notice is that I can hear the engine. And I mean hear it. Really hear it. And it sounds good. There's even a little gear whine. Amazing. Then I notice how perfect the seat is. It's no longer dead flat and Buick-like. It has bolsters. It has bolsters that adjust. And it's sized for adults. This is no hard and silly race seat that can only fit anorexic metrosexuals named Josh; it's a proper sport sedan seat with an endless combination of power adjustments and just the right amount of size and shape.

And the driving position is a revelation. Sato lowered the driver's hip point half an inch. It doesn't sound like much, but it changes the entire character of the car. Now you sit in the GS, not on it. Hey Lexus, don't change a thing.

That goes for the steering, too. The ratio is spot-on and the feedback from the front tires is...is...dare I say it, BMW-like.

This car is fun. And the more comfortable I get with the machine, the faster I go. After a few miles at a safe seven-tenths I turn it up a notch and the new GS hangs in there, responding to trail braking and midcorner corrections like...like...dare I say it, like a BMW. It turns in well and takes a nice set in long corners. Plenty of grip.

At an extreme pace the 2013 Lexus GS will push its front tires mildly, and in the grand Toyota/Lexus tradition, its stability control system intervenes just when things are about to get really fun. Too early, if you ask me. But you can shut all that off and drive this car as well, or as poorly, or as far off the road backward, as you wish.

More Power?
They may have let me drive the car, but Sato and Mitchell won't tell me much about it. I do know there will be three models offered when Lexus hits the on-sale button early next year. There will be the GS 350, which will be shown at Pebble; a hybrid model, which will be shown at the Frankfurt auto show in September; and the more performance-oriented F Sport, which will debut at SEMA in November.

All three will be rear-wheel drive and powered by a tweaked version of the 3.5-liter all-aluminum V6 and six-speed automatic transmission. But horsepower and torque ratings are still a mystery. Today that engine is rated at 303 hp and 274 pound-feet in the Lexus GS. Expect more, but not much more. Maybe 315 ponies to topple the rating of the BMW 535i.

Basically the hybrid takes over for the big displacement of a V8 model, but the door is still open for a BMW M5-fighting GS F, which would be powered by the 5.0-liter V8 and eight-speed transmission used in the Lexus IS F. When asked about this model, Lexus folk get all coy and sheepish. Trust us, it's coming. Probably early 2013.

So the GS's drivetrain isn't new, but the rest of the sedan is fresh. The chassis is new and it's stiffer thanks to increased spot and laser welding on the firewall, in the rear partition area and around the door openings. Lexus also added more structure under and behind the rear seat and larger-gauge material to the engine cradle and the transmission crossmember.

This is also a larger car than before. Sort of. The wheelbase remains at 112.2 inches and the overall length is still 190.9 inches, but the packaging is different. The front overhang has shrunk by 0.4 inch and the rear overhang has grown by the same amount. That has increased trunk space to the point of fitting four golf bags instead of just two. The car is also 1.2 inches taller, which has increased headroom front and rear, and when measured at the mirrors it's 0.8 inch wider.

Two Models
Lexus actually let me drive two prototypes: standard and F Sport. The differences are minor but significant. The most obvious are the wheels and tires. The standard car rolls on Dunlop SP Sport Maxx 050 rubber measuring 235/45R18 all around. The F Sport gets larger and stickier Bridgestone Potenza RE 050A tires measuring 235/40R19 in front and 265/35R19 in back. It also gets larger front brake rotors, but Lexus would give me no brake dimensions to share.

For years, Sato and his engineering team worked on the GS's front suspension, which is basically the same design as before, but with new geometry and some new hardware. The team switched to aluminum upper and lower control arms and an aluminum knuckle to save 4.4 pounds. They also increased the caster trail for improved stability and steering feel. To further improve the ride and reduce harshness, Sato increased the size of the lower number-two bushing and the shock absorber inclination angle.

Some of the same technology also went into the rear suspension, which now uses a lighter cast-aluminum carrier and lower arm, as well as a rear-mounted toe link for additional stability.

But the most significant change to the GS's suspension is its width. Lexus has increased the GS's track 1.6 inches in the front and 2 inches in the rear. That's a huge change and it's a big part of the sedan's newfound agility and stability.

Suspension tuning is unique for each model. The F Sport is tuned more firmly than the standard car, but it's still very comfortable around town. The standard car also has plenty of feel built in, but it is on the softer side once the suspension gets into its travel.

Sport+
Both prototypes I sampled were equipped with a new system Lexus is calling Lexus Drive Mode Select. It's controlled by a large knob behind the shifter, and offers four settings to tune the car to the driver's liking. Eco for the greenies, Normal, which is the default setting, Sport, which tightens up the initial throttle response and amps up the transmission and Sport+, which also adds more effort to the steering and more damping to the suspension.

It's a system similar to BMW's Dynamic Drive Control and Audi Drive Select. And it works, even if such systems still seem unnecessary. I drove both cars in all four settings and I prefer the standard GS in Sport+ mode to eliminate that slight bit of float built into its suspension, and I prefer the F Sport in the Normal setting, which is an exceptional combination of sport and luxury.

My only real dynamic gripe about the 2013 Lexus GS 350 is with its transmission. Although it matches revs very well when you manually ask for a downshift, it only matches revs if the shifter is over in the M position. Otherwise the paddle shifters are still active but the rev-matching is not.

The transmission also insists on upshifting at redline, even when the M position is selected. In other words, Lexus never lets you touch the V6's rev limiter. This is a problem in the mountains. More than once it upshifted to 3rd gear a split-second before I jumped on the brakes and entered a corner. Not good.

Better Than the IS F
Lexus should be proud of this car. It's still a Lexus as it should be. Smooth. Comfortable. But it's the best-driving Lexus sedan yet. It's refined, but it doesn't feel synthetic or computer controlled, which isn't something that can be said about another Lexus four-door, even the monster-motored IS F.

Although it was covered with quite a bit of duct tape in these prototypes, the GS's new interior should also strike a pleasing combination of sport and luxury. French stitching is abundant, the buttery leather used is of typical Lexus quality and the new extra-large display screen in the dash center is plucked right from BMW's playbook.

Of course, until we see the 2013 Lexus GS in the flesh and drive the finished production version, we can't really form a complete opinion about the sedan. But I did come away from my drive very impressed. Lexus may have finally figured out the sport sedan.

Edmunds attended a manufacturer-sponsored event, to which selected members of the press were invited, to facilitate this report.

2013 Lexus GS 350 First Drive

[William_1991]

Comparado a um BMW...isto sim é inovação

[Martins_Viseu]

Este review é muito elogioso!Parece que vem aí coisa boa!A ver vamos!

[martins]

Top Gear tests the new Lexus GS
Sam Philip heads out to Belgium to feed back on the pre-production 5-Series rival


This anonymity is partly because the current GS - a medium-large exec rival for the BMW 5-Series and Audi A6 - has been knocking around for nearly seven years, but also because it's not a car that offers anything to the driver who enjoys... y'know, driving.

But, for the next-gen GS - due on sale early next year after an official unveil at Pebble Beach in August - Lexus wants to shed that reputation for uninvolving dynamics. Which is why Top Gear was invited to Toyota's brand-new, top secret Belgian proving grounds just off the E40 in the Zanventem district of Brussels to drive a pre-production version of the new GS and give some, erm, constructive feedback.


Our test car - a top-spec GS450h - is clad in a decidedly kinky leather get-up, so it's impossible to tell whether it'll offer more distinctive visuals than the current car. It seems likely: the new GS has a wider track front and rear, and, if the LF-Gh concept shown earlier this year is anything to go by, will feature much bolder lines.

Before setting out in the new car, we have a quick punt in the old GS, a punt that confirms the venerable Lexus isn't an awful drive, just an uninvolving one: lazy in the corners and short on feedback. The new car is far, far better.

Lexus has thrown an almighty host of chassis tech at this car - from adaptive damping to an optional four-wheel steer system (which, like that in the Renault Laguna, turns the rear wheels in the opposite direction to the fronts at low speed to improve agility and tighten the turning circle, but turns the rears in the same direction as the rears at high speed for better stability) and the results are impressive.

The GS's trademark body roll is controlled and you can push it much harder before it eventually succumbs to anguished tyre squeal. There's little feedback from the steering - hardly unusual for this class of car - but the turn-in is far, far sharper than the current car's. The most noticeable improvement is that the new GS, unlike its predecessor, doesn't try to plough its nose into the road under heavy braking.

Where previous GS models were mainly tuned on Japan's silky tarmac, Lexus engineers have decamped to Europe for the new model, testing the car over the worst roads our fair continent has to offer.

It shows. Apart from a slight jitteriness on scratchy tarmac on 19-inch wheels - we later had a shot in a new GS on 18s, which improved things a deal - the new GS doesn't trade in its essential... Lexusness in pursuit of wild-eyed thrills. It still offers fantastic refinement, but adds a welcome dose of composure when going fast over tricky surfaces. Promising stuff.

So what else can we tell you? Well, though much of the cabin was swathed in black tape, we spotted a simply ENORMOUS sat nav screen, plus a rather natty half-wood steering wheel which some will love and many will detest. It's optional, fear not.

Lexus has also worked hard to make the GS's seats the best in the business, and the chairs fitted to our test car were entirely lovely: comfortable and supportive and infinitely adjustable. Fans of 1980s digital watches will be delighted to hear the GS retains Lexus's trademark, incongruous pound-shop read-out.

Will the GS prove a genuine rival for the 5-Series, A6 and E-Class this time round? We'll withhold judgment on that one for now: it's five months until we get a shot in the final production GS, and we've driven enough pre-prod cars to know that, like financial investments, chassis set-ups can get worse as well as better in that time. But, on these early impressions, it should get mighty close to the Teutonic trio. Keep it on your radar.

[martins]

[Martins_Viseu]

Muito camufladinhos andam eles!

[martins]

No video veem-se bem as diferenças !!
Autoblog Short Cuts: 2012 Lexus GS prototype - AOL Video

[Martins_Viseu]

Adorna bem menos o novo!

[Darkness]

Não gosto nada... esteticamente, acho que a grelha não é nada harmoniosa, com aquela forma de ampulheta, além de ser grande demais e estraga completamente a frente... a vista traseira, desse angulo, lembra demasiado a forma do bmw serie 5 anterior...

Para além disso, a notícia não tem grande credibilidade já que dá a entender que poderá existir uma motorização híbrida diesel-eléctrica, que a Toyota já afirmou várias vezes não ser o ideal...

Estava a ver que era o único a ver ali um M5 E60... Não gosto da filosofia do "Vamos concorrer com outra marca copiando as linhas deles!"...

Comparado a um BMW...isto sim é inovação

E temos sonhador!

[JustaPor]

Muito camufladinhos andam eles!

Vê-se mesmo que não percebes nada disto, o carro está com frio e por isso deram-lhe um casaco e já que ainda por cima ia para a pista, deram-lhe um fato completo!!!

[martins]

Estava a ver que era o único a ver ali um M5 E60... Não gosto da filosofia do "Vamos concorrer com outra marca copiando as linhas deles!"...


E temos sonhador!

Na parte superior do tablier é verdade que tem ali uns toques de Bmw,mas hoje em dia qual é a marca que não copia?!?
Não acho que seja um defeito desde que seja bem feito até pode ser melhorado !!!

Mas quando o carro for testado ao lado do S5 ja sabemos ;)

[Martins_Viseu]

Vê-se mesmo que não percebes nada disto, o carro está com frio e por isso deram-lhe um casaco e já que ainda por cima ia para a pista, deram-lhe um fato completo!!!

E que pantufas estaria a calçar??Seriam uns belos Bridgestone RE050A?Isso é que era!