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2019 Lexus GS F 10th Anniversary Edition Drivers' Notes Review | Nothing gray about this sedan

The Lexus GS F is an old-school performance sedan with a big, naturally aspirated engine up front. You won’t find the phrase twin-turbo anywhere in its press materials, and thatÂ’s completely fine. With 467 horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque, the 5.0-liter V8 isnÂ’t going to outrun the high-powered Germans in a drag race. However, all of that power is usable on the street, right up to the glorious 7,300 rpm redline. A loud exhaust complements the loud styling on our particular test car. We had the honor of driving the 10th Anniversary Edition, which is limited to just 100 vehicles in the U.S. You pay extra for the special appearance, but man it looks good. Matte Nebula Gray paint wraps the exterior, while unique Fuji Blue leather trim covers the interior. Blue Brembo brake calipers behind BBS forged wheels keep the blue theme going on the outside. Michelin Pilot Sport tires come standard, providing an impressive amount of grip for the big sedan. Much of the magic to this anniversary car is thanks to the stunning blue interior — it even has blue carbon fiber and blue suede trim. Rear-wheel drive is the only way it comes — same goes for the eight-speed automatic transmission. The final price for our GS F 10th Anniversary Edition car comes out to $93,080. ThatÂ’s after the $5,000 anniversary package, $1,380 Mark Levinson audio and $900 head-up display. It still comes in under $100,000, which makes it cheaper than the M5 or Mercedes-AMG E 63 S sedan. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: I'm going to start off with something that might not be universal: I love this interior. I think the blue Lexus used here is to die for. The white stripes going down the center of the blue leather sport seats mirrors the blue steering wheel with white at top center. Those seats are actually pretty comfortable and super supportive, too. The blue microsuede-type liner on the dash is a little much, but in this case, a little much feels entirely appropriate. The blue stitching and even the blue-accented carbon fiber trim pop in this interior, mirroring the hint of blue spied on the brake calipers through the dark wheels outside. Finally, you might hate the mouse-type infotainment interface (this one managed to not piss me off entirely), but it looks cool inside this GS F. Lexus GS F 10th Anniversary Edition View 7 Photos Assistant Editor, Zac Palmer: I love that Lexus still uses big, naturally aspirated V8s in its performance cars.

Weekly Recap: Automakers rethink the definition of luxury

Variety is the spice of life, but it's becoming a prerequisite for luxury carmakers in the ultra-competitive US market. The Detroit Auto Show was strong evidence of this reality. It's not enough to offer attractive and well-appointed cars and SUVs anymore. Luxury brands that want to be competitive need to invest in everything from high-powered supercars to clever hybrids. To be relevant, you need to be green and mean – and everything in between. As General Motors product chief Mark Reuss said after the reveal of the 640-horsepower Cadillac CTS-V: "We are not leaving anything on the table." He was speaking for Cadillac, but he might as well have been speaking for the luxury car market. The CTS-V debuted in Detroit about an hour after Lexus surprised showgoers with the reveal of the RC F GT3 race car and then announced ambitious plans to return to competitive racing. That almost overshadowed the fact Lexus had just revealed another potent addition to its growing F line, the 467-hp GS F. View 20 Photos But for luxury brands, it's not just about maximum horsepower for well-heeled enthusiasts or decadent amenities for the Grey Poupon set. Strong competition from all corners has forced automakers to refine and expand their lineups in ways unforeseen even a few years ago. Case in point: Mercedes-Benz finally has an answer to the BMW X6, rolling out the GLE coupe in Detroit. The X6, which blends coupe-like styling cues with some of the functionality of an SUV, debuted in 2008. Back then it was a punchline, but seven years and more than 260,000 sales later, the X6's success has compelled Benz to respond. Mercedes – one of the strongest proponents of diesel technology – also debuted the C350 plug-in hybrid sedan, which promises a range of 20 miles on electricity, though fuel economy figures were not announced. The car pairs Mercedes' well-received 208-hp turbocharged four-cylinder with an electric motor for total output of 275 hp and 443 pound-feet of torque. Meanwhile, Infiniti will add the Q30 hatchback to its lineup by the end of the year, new president Roland Kruger reiterated in Detroit. It's expected to be joined by a crossover variant, and the additions will help strengthen Infiniti in the United States and abroad. "While we're expanding our product line, we're also expanding our market reach," he said. That's something echoed by Jaguar executives, who are preparing to launch the brand's first crossover, the F-Pace, in 2016.

Thanks to smaller engines, vehicle dependability falls for first time in 16 years

As automakers have made engines smaller and smaller to improve fuel economy, problems in those vehicles have gotten bigger and bigger. That's the synopsis of a J.D. Power vehicle-dependability study, which found that dependability dropped for the first time in 16 years, largely because the proliferation of four-cylinder engines is causing the vehicles to be less reliable. Specifically, the number of problems per 100 vehicles (or what J.D. Power calls PP100) during the past 12 months for 2011 model-year vehicles rose six percent from the year-earlier figures for 2010 model-year cars. Singling out four-cylinder vehicles revealed about a 10-percent increase in problems during the past year. This issues largely related to engine hesitation, rough transmission shifting and lack of power, signaling the inability of vehicle makers to iron out some of the problems in their smaller engines as they strove for better fuel economy. Six- and five-cylinder engines proved far more reliable. Among car brands, BMW's Mini sub-brand came out as least reliable, with 185 problems per 100 vehicles during the past year. Toyota's Lexus badge was easily the most reliable, with just 68 problems per 100 vehicles. Coming in second place was Mercedes-Benz. The overall average was 133. Check out J.D. Power's press release below. J.D. Power Reports: Increased Engine and Transmission Problems Contribute to Decline in Vehicle Dependability for The First Time in More Than 15 Years General Motors Company Receives Eight Segment Awards, While Toyota Motor Corporation Garners Seven and Honda Motor Company Earns Six WESTLAKE VILLAGE, Calif.: o Owners of 3-year-old vehicles (2011 model year) report more problems than did owners of 3-year-old vehicles last year, according to the J.D. Power 2014 U.S. Vehicle Dependability StudySM (VDS) released today. The study, now in its 25th year, examines problems experienced during the past 12 months by original owners of 2011 model-year vehicles. Overall dependability is determined by the number of problems experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100), with a lower score reflecting higher quality. The study finds that overall vehicle dependability averages 133 PP100, a 6 percent increase in problems from 126 PP100 in 2013. This marks the first time since the 1998 study that the average number of problems has increased. "Until this year, we have seen a continual improvement in vehicle dependability," said David Sargent, vice president of global automotive at J.D.