The Lexus GS is a midsize executive car which was first introduced in 1991. The GS is styled as a performance saloon, and it competed against the BMW 5-Series and the Mercedes Benz E-Class. The GS is manufactured by Toyota. It has garnered a number of awards since its introduction, including Consumer Reports’ most reliable in the luxury division in 2005, best midsize car, most appealing midsize luxury, and Top Ten in Initial Quality from J.D. Power and Associates between 1994 and 2005, and Auto Bild’s Auto 1 award in 2007. The Lexus GS is currently in its fourth generation of production.
The S140 is the GS’ first generation, designed by Italdesign Giugiaro in 1988. A simpler design more suited for the European market was applied. The S160 second generation was a huge restyling from the first. This 1997 model introduced the quadruple headlines the GS is known for in other markets. A SportDesign edition was also released for the North American market in 2001.
S190 third generation was produced starting 2005. Conception for this version took roughly six years and two designers. The current fourth generation, the L10, was designed by Yoshihiko Kanamori and finalised by Akio Toyoda. It was unveiled at the 2011 Pebble Beach Concours d’Elegance.
