2005 Lexus Es 330 on 2040-cars

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2020 Lexus GS 350 F Sport Black Line Special Edition makes two cases for itself

The new 2020 Lexus GS 350 Black Line Special Edition brings a dark edge to the brand's mid-size luxury sedan. This offering follows in the tire tracks of the Black Line in the Lexus NX and IS ranges—the cosmetic package appeared first on the NX300, then the IS 300 F Sport, then the IS 350 F Sport over the past couple of years. The enhancements are available on the rear- and all-wheel-drive GS sedans, but will be offered only with two exterior colors, either Utlra White or Caviar, the latter being a rich dark brown. Visual changes outside include gloss black F Sport grille inserts, gloss black mirror caps, and a gloss-black decklid spoiler. The RWD version gets gloss black F Sport wheels with orange brake calipers, while the AWD model does without the flashy stoppers. Output of the 3.5-liter V6 doesn't change from 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque.  Inside, the black leather interior sees contrasting textures in Alcantara on the instrument panel, console, and armrest, and carbon fiber trim on the doors, instrument panel, and center console. Rioja Red panels provide contrast as does red stitching on the doors, steering wheel, seats, and center console. The special edition GS gets accessories as well: a two-piece Lexus Black Line Zero Halliburton luggage set. Starting with Zero Halliburton's Edge Lightweight Collection, the 22-inch Continental Carry-on and 26-inch Medium Travel Case feature linings embroidered with Intersect by Lexus spindle grille art, interior compression panels with a Lexus embossed leather logo badge, and chrome badges laser-etched with "Zero Halliburton for Lexus" outside. Naturally, they come in black. There will only be 200 of the special edition GS sedans produced, available starting this summer. Prices won't come until closer to the on-sale date, but the same package on the IS added about $5,000 to the price, and Zero Halliburton charges $1,000 for the luggage. With the rear-wheel-drive GS 350 F Sport starting at $53,785, we think $60,000 is a likely price tag.    

2013 Lexus ES300h

The Lexus ES lineup, the brand's bread-and-butter sedan, has been completely redone for 2013. With that tip-to-tail rework comes the model's first hybrid. We think the ES350 is better in every way than its predecessor, so a spin in the ES300h is warranted to see what it's like to live with the model sure to become the best-selling Lexus hybrid sedan. In particular, we wanted to see how the gas-electric luxury cruiser handled the battery-sapping realities of winter, so we ventured out into the slush and snow to file this report.
Driving Notes:
Peel away the slush, and this car sure is sharp-looking. It strongly resembles the excellent new GS, no bad thing. With the move to the longer Toyota Avalon underpinnings, the ES300h is long and elegant. Lexus has really upped its styling game lately.

Are you the Lexus GS F?

It's been a while since we've heard rumors of the fabled high-performance Lexus GS F, but thanks to our eager spy photographers, this looks to be our first real proof of the machine's existence. We don't have the usual brace of photos from all angles to work with this time around, our spies saying that every time Lexus' garage door opened, engineers jumped in front of the cameras to prevent the car from being photographed.
Even so, we have a pretty clear glimpse at some significant changes to this GS sedan, including the same staggered, quad-pipe exhaust found on the Lexus IS F. There's also an air diffuser panel nestled between the exhaust outlets, as well as a larger lip spoiler and unique wheels (matching those of the RC coupe) wrapped in high-performance tires.
Last time we heard rumors of the GS F's existence, sources predicted that the M5-fighting sedan would use a tuned version of Lexus' 5.0-liter V8, producing something like 465 horsepower. We have also heard that the automaker plans to reduce weight wherever possible, and that the final curb weight will be something like 3,700 pounds.