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Visually, that’s a good thing. The new GS300 represents a bold and beautiful break from Lexus’ amorphous aesthetic. The four-door’s front end seems a bit of an 8-Series crib, and the rear is as confused as an absinthe drinker, but the GS300’s hunkered stance and nose-heavy proportions project a genuine sense of aggression. The rear pillars are especially wikkid, and the swageless sides add a statement of streamlined modernity. If ever a car promised to give the BMW 530i a decent run for the money-- and quite a lot of money it is too-- the GS300 is it.

Entering the GS is a disconcerting experience. Although sumptuous leather stimulates your smug satisfaction gland, little details jar. The gray matte plastic surrounding the touch screen and dials is an obvious and unwelcome refugee from the Toyota side of the tracks. While the GS’ central display and flanking buttonology are a clear and present arranger, the graphic display is pure Prius. The default screen’s real-time reminder of fuel consumption invites ridicule on every level. The instrument cluster is more garish-- and garishly lit-- than the Moulin Rouge, and about as elegant as its crocodile wrestler. Overall, the interior’s stuck on Pampercon 5.

A luxury car without a smooth, powerful, quiet, slick-shifting engine is like a bodybuilder without a syringe. By failing to provide a magic carpet ride, the GS300 is a drug-free bodybuilder with a hernia. Despite double-wishbones at the front and a trick multi-link set-up at the back, the GS crashes over major and minor surface imperfections with all the grace of a Toyota Avalon; maybe less. The GS300 makes a mockery of Lexus’ well-earned rep for imperious wafting-- to the point where you wonder if the model was designed as a secret torture device for America’s nouveaux riche.

The harsh ride probably reflects a focus group’s assertion that the sporty-looking GS should possess sporty handling dynamics. That it does. The original Lexus LS400 was such a wallowy luxobarge owners were heard to shout “Hard ‘a port!” through rotaries. The GS300’s handling is the exact opposite; Lexus’ revised sedan is so tied down that chauffeuring a professional dancer is the only way you’ll ever get body lean.

Curb Weight: 3536lbs.
Engine: 3.0-liter DOHC
Horsepower: 245hp @ 6200rpm
Torque: 230 ft,lbs. @ 6200rpm
Drive Type: rear wheel drive
0 to 60: 6.8 secs.
1/4 Mile: 15.4 secs
Price as Tested: $51,579
Top Speed: 130 mph (limited)
Towing Capacity: NA
MPG: 21/27