Seems Merc’s S65 AMG and Jaguar’s XJR575 are being challenged.
Spy shots and insider sources suggest that Toyota’s luxury offshoot Lexus is hard at work bringing to market the very-first high-performance variant of its flagship ‘LS’ luxury saloon. Likely to be dubbed the LS-F, the car has appeared in southern Europe undergoing hot-weather testing.
At this point, little can be gleaned on how the LS-F will differ visually from the 2018 Lexus LS F-Sport (which is an aesthetic upgrade rather than a performance one), the likes of which were seen when the LS debuted at the New York motorshow earlier this year. Notably, the LS F-Sport was said at the time to only ever feature a V6 engine (be it the twin-turbo unit from the standard LS500 or the multi-stage hybrid from the LS500h), which we found odd considering the marque’s propensity for loading large, atmo V8s into their range-topping cars. This was especially odd given that not only did the preceding LS carry a V8 as standard, but the new-generation LC500 grand-touring coupé also sports a V8.
It was suggested at the time that the designation of F-Sport trims to only carry V6 powerplants was in order to leave room for a fire-breathing, full-bore V8 to sit at the very top of the tree, and the surfacing of a high-performance, “notably louder” LS testing with altered bumpers and taped-up badges reinforces the potential offering of a V8 LS-F. Should that be the case, the LS-F will have to do battle with cars like the Mercedes-AMG S63 with its 450kW/850Nm 4.0-litre biturbo V8, and the Jaguar XJR575 423kW/700Nm. These figures are considerably more heady than the current outputs of the LS500’s V6, hence the probability of a larger engine.
At the launch of the new LS, Lexus was keen to point out that their flagship limousine balanced luxury and performance greater than any LS before it, though it remains to be seen if it’ll be able to hold its own against blue-blooded performance propositions in this end of the market. The Jaguar, for example, is hailed as the best-handling large limousine of its kind, while the BMW M760Li xDrive is nothing to be scoffed at. On top of that, Lexus’ haven’t exactly been known in the past for providing the most involving driving experience… but maybe that’ll change here. Maybe.
For more information on Lexus, check out our Showroom.
