Lexus GS: history, nicknames and how to spot one

At a glance

206–467 hpPower

4.4–8.7 s0–60 mph

190–270 km/hTop speed

285–527 N·mTorque

The coral arc spans the family, from its mildest version to its wildest.^{2,3,5,8,10,12}

Engine: 2.0 L turbo I4; I6/V6/V8; I4/V6 hybrids; GS F: 5.0 L naturally aspirated V8^2,9,11
Layout: Front engine; rear-wheel drive or all-wheel drive⁵
Gearbox: Early GS: 4/5-speed automatic; later GS: 6/8-speed automatic; GS 450h: CVT^2,6,9
Built at: Tahara plant, Japan^5,6

The story

Lexus created the GS as a sharper, better-equipped step above the ES and below the LS, aimed at BMW and Mercedes. Rear-wheel drive set the tone, while Giorgetto Giugiaro gave the original a European profile.^2,3

GenerationsBefore and afterMilestones^2,5,6,8,20

Show the numbers

Year	What happened
1991–1997	Lexus GS / Toyota Aristo (S140)
1997–2005	Lexus GS / Toyota Aristo (S160)
2005–2011	Lexus GS (S190)
2012–2020	Lexus GS (L10)
From December 2018 (Europe)	Lexus ES (European replacement)
1991	Aristo debuts with Giugiaro styling
1993	GS 300 launches above the ES
1997	GS 400 brings 300-hp V8 power
2005	Third generation adds V6 and AWD
2006	GS450h pioneers rear-drive hybrids
2011	Fourth generation debuts at Pebble Beach
2013	GS 300h adds a four-cylinder hybrid
2015	GS F: V8 and torque vectoring
2020	Eternal Touring marks the farewell

1991
Aristo debuts with Giugiaro styling
The Aristo debuts with Giorgetto Giugiaro styling and naturally aspirated or twin-turbo 3.0 L inline-sixes.⁴
1993
GS 300 launches above the ES
The Lexus GS 300 arrives above the ES: a 227-hp 2JZ-GE 3.0 L straight-six, 285 Nm, and a four-speed automatic, later a five-speed.^2,5
1997
GS 400 brings 300-hp V8 power
The in-house second-generation design gains a 4.0 L GS 400 V8: 300 hp, 420 Nm and a claimed 5.7-second 0-60 mph.⁵
2005
Third generation adds V6 and AWD
A new 245-hp 3.0 L V6 replaces the iron-block inline-six; the third-generation GS 300 gains all-wheel drive and a six-speed automatic.^6,7
2006
GS450h pioneers rear-drive hybrids
The GS450h launches in Japan with the first hybrid system designed for rear-drive passenger cars, a two-stage motor reduction gear and 5.6-second 0-100 km/h.¹
2011
Fourth generation debuts at Pebble Beach
Pebble Beach hosts the fourth-generation debut, with GS 350, GS 450h and F Sport variants; the smaller GS 250 follows at Guangzhou in November.⁵
2013
GS 300h adds a four-cylinder hybrid
The GS 300h arrives with a 2.5 L four-cylinder hybrid powertrain: 9.2 seconds to 100 km/h and a 190 km/h top speed.^8,9
2015
GS F: V8 and torque vectoring
At Detroit, the GS F pairs a naturally aspirated 5.0 L V8 with torque vectoring and an eight-speed gearbox capable of 0.1-second shifts in M mode.¹⁰
2020
Eternal Touring marks the farewell
F Sport-based Eternal Touring goes on sale in June; GS production ends in August after four generations.¹¹

Every generation

S1401991–1997
S1601997–2005
S1902005–2011
L102012–2020
Lexus ES (European replacement)From December 2018 (Europe)

Power over the years

From 300 hp to 467 hp in 18 years.

^{2,5,6,7,8,9,12,13}

Show the numbers

Year	Horsepower	Model
1998	300	GS 400, 4.0 L V8
2001	300	GS 430 4.3 L V8; 0-60 mph: 5.7 s
2006	245	GS 300 V6
2007	303	GS 350 V6 (US)
2007	339	GS 450h, 2007 model year
2008	342	GS 460 V8, eight-speed automatic
2012	206	GS 250 V6, six-speed automatic
2012	340	GS 450h F Sport, 5.9 s to 100 km/h
2013	306	GS 350 F Sport
2015	242	GS 200t turbo introduction
2015	313	GS 350 V6, eight-speed automatic
2016	467	GS F, 5.0 L naturally aspirated V8

Versions

12 versions worth knowing, with their power.

Standard

GS 300 (first generation)

1993–1997

227 hp
Standard

GS 300 / GS 400 / GS 430 (second generation)

1998–2005
Standard

GS 250 / GS 450h (UK launch trims)

2012
Standard

Toyota Aristo 3.0Q / 3.0V

1991–1997
Standard

Toyota Aristo S300 / V300 / V300 Vertex Edition

1997–2005
Performance

GS F Sport (fourth generation)

2012–2020
Performance

GS 300 Sport
Performance

GS F

2016–2020

467 hp
Special

GS 300 / GS 400 Platinum Series

2000
Special

GS Eternal Touring

2020
Limited

GS 300 SportDesign

2002–2003

220 hp
Limited

GS 300 L-Tuned (Australia)

2003

223 hp

20 built

How to spot one

Look for

First generation: rounded wedge body, high trunk lid and available two-tone body/bumper paint.⁵
Second generation: four separate headlights, with an oval inner pair.^2,5
Third generation: four headlights remain, joined by a fastback profile and LED taillights.⁵
2016 facelift: a spindle grille with satin-chrome surround and Bi-LED headlights.⁹

Year by year

1998 redesign
The second generation introduces a four-headlight face, with elliptical inner lamps.^2,5
2001 facelift
Grille, taillights and headlamp tint change; extra cabin wood and GS 300 steering-wheel shift buttons mark the update.⁵
2006 redesign
The third generation keeps four headlights but gains a fastback profile, LED taillights and one-piece bumpers.^2,5
2008 facelift
Look for revised bumper, headlights and grille, plus turn signals integrated into the side mirrors.⁶
2009 GS 450h
The hybrid gets its own grille design, distinct from the other third-generation versions.⁶
2016 facelift
Bi-LED headlights flank a satin-chrome-trimmed spindle grille; rear lamps and 18- and 19-inch wheel designs also change.⁹

Don’t confuse it with

GS
Lexus SC
Lexus SC
The second-generation GS shares the SC coupe's four-headlight look; count four doors on the GS.⁵

Against its rivals

GS vs Audi A6 3.0T Quattro (2012)

0–97 km/h lower is better

GS5.4 s

Audi A6 3.0T Quattro (2012)4.7 s
¹³
GS vs BMW 535i (2012)

Price as tested lower is better

GS$58,800

BMW 535i (2012)$63,245
¹³
GS vs Infiniti M37S (2012)

0–97 km/h lower is better

GS5.4 s

Infiniti M37S (2012)5.5 s
¹³

Prices

Price when newAuction sale

^{2,3,5,6,7,13,17,22,23,24,25,26,27,28}

Show the numbers

Year	Price	Amount	Detail
1993	Price when new	$38,000	US base, GS300
1994	Price when new	$37,500	US as tested (est.), GS300
1997	Price when new	$46,000	US base, GS300
2000	Price when new	$42,344	US base, GS300 Platinum
2000	Price when new	$49,894	US base, GS400 Platinum
2006	Price when new	$43,550	US base, GS300
2013	Price when new	$53,465	US base, GS350 F Sport
2013	Price when new	$58,800	US as tested, GS350 F Sport
2019	Price when new	$85,375	US base, GS F 10th Anniversary
2025	Auction sale	$18,500	2007 GS350 AWD, 38k miles, BaT
2025	Auction sale	$73,500	2020 GS F, 20k miles, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$6,000	1993 GS300, 164k miles, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$7,600	1998 GS400, 149k miles, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$21,750	2017 GS350 AWD, 49k miles, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$6,100	2002 GS300 SportDesign, 132k miles, BaT
2026	Auction sale	$18,650	2017 GS350 F Sport AWD, 86k miles, BaT

The rest of the story is in the app

The full file tells why each version matters, the legend behind the car and what to check before buying one.

Versions
- Why each of the 12 versions matters
Legend
- 11 stories from its legend
- “First hybrid system for rear-drive passenger cars”
- “17th of 33 at Tokachi”
Generations
- The story of each of the 5 generations
Market
- 2 things to check before buying one
- Where prices are heading, and why

Read the full file in SPOT

SPOT is free on iPhone. Full car files come with SPOT Plus.

Sources

Every fact on this page links to the source it rests on.

See all 28 sources

Lexus Launches GS450h in Japan | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website global.toyota
Lexus GS: History, Photos, Generations, Specifications, and More motortrend.com
1994 Lexus GS300 Test: Watch Your Back, Germany caranddriver.com
75 Years of TOYOTA | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GLOBAL WEBSITE | Vehicle Lineage | In-depth Vehicle Information, Specification toyota-global.com
Lexus GS - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
Lexus GS (S190) - Wikipedia en.wikipedia.org
Tested: 2006 Lexus GS300 caranddriver.com
Used Lexus GS buying guide | DrivingElectric drivingelectric.com
Frankfurt Press Information: The Revised Lexus GS Range - Lexus Media Site media.lexus.co.uk
Lexus Premieres 'GS F' High-performance Sedan at Detroit | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website global.toyota
LEXUS、GSに特別仕様車“Eternal Touring”を設定 | レクサス | グローバルニュースルーム | トヨタ自動車株式会社公式企業サイト global.toyota
2012 Lexus GS450h F Sport review | evo evo.co.uk
Six-Cylinder Midsize Luxury Sedan Comparison - Audi A6, BMW 535i, Lexus GS 350, Infiniti M37 - Motor Trend motortrend.com
Lexus GS430 / GS300 The Appeal Of The Driver's Car - Lexus Media Site media.lexus.co.uk
75 Years of TOYOTA | TOYOTA MOTOR CORPORATION GLOBAL WEBSITE | Vehicle Lineage | In-depth Vehicle Information, Specification toyota-global.com
Lexus GS300 | Auto Express autoexpress.co.uk
Lexus and American Express Introduce Platinum Series Luxury Vehicles theautochannel.com
2001-2005 Lexus GS300 SportDesign - Road Test & Review - Automobile Magazine motortrend.com
Used Lexus GS (2nd-gen) review - ReDriven redriven.com
GS 300 Aristo - Giorgetto & Fabrizio Giugiaro Designers giorgettofabriziogiugiaro.it
History of Toyota Hybrid System-Racing (THS-R) | Toyota Motor Corporation Official Global Website global.toyota
No Reserve: 1993 Lexus GS300 for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $6,000 on June 25, 2026 (Lot #249,571) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
No Reserve: 1998 Lexus GS400 for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $7,600 on June 22, 2026 (Lot #248,843) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
No Reserve: 2017 Lexus GS350 AWD for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $21,750 on March 28, 2026 (Lot #235,427) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
No Reserve: 2002 Lexus GS300 SportDesign for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $6,100 on January 15, 2026 (Lot #226,515) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
2017 Lexus GS350 F Sport AWD for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $18,650 on January 5, 2026 (Lot #225,701) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
No Reserve: 38k-Mile 2007 Lexus GS350 AWD for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $18,500 on November 20, 2025 (Lot #220,522) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com
20k-Mile 2020 Lexus GS F for sale on BaT Auctions - sold for $73,500 on February 27, 2025 (Lot #181,870) | Bring a Trailer bringatrailer.com

global.toyota
motortrend.com
caranddriver.com
toyota-global.com
en.wikipedia.org
drivingelectric.com
media.lexus.co.uk
evo.co.uk
autoexpress.co.uk
theautochannel.com
redriven.com
giorgettofabriziogiugiaro.it
bringatrailer.com

At a glance

The story

Aristo debuts with Giugiaro styling

GS 300 launches above the ES

GS 400 brings 300-hp V8 power

Third generation adds V6 and AWD

GS450h pioneers rear-drive hybrids

Fourth generation debuts at Pebble Beach

GS 300h adds a four-cylinder hybrid

GS F: V8 and torque vectoring

Eternal Touring marks the farewell

Every generation

Power over the years

Versions

GS 300 (first generation)

GS 300 / GS 400 / GS 430 (second generation)

GS 250 / GS 450h (UK launch trims)

Toyota Aristo 3.0Q / 3.0V

Toyota Aristo S300 / V300 / V300 Vertex Edition

GS F Sport (fourth generation)

GS 300 Sport

GS F

GS 300 / GS 400 Platinum Series

GS Eternal Touring

GS 300 SportDesign

GS 300 L-Tuned (Australia)

How to spot one

Look for

Year by year

Don’t confuse it with

Lexus SC

Against its rivals

Prices

The rest of the story is in the app

Versions

Legend

Generations

Market

Sources

Photo credits

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