This Forgotten V8 Lexus Now Sells for Toyota Camry Money

When car enthusiasts shop for used performance sedans on a budget, they already have a few options in mind. On one hand, you have used European sports sedans with crazy performance and unmatched highway composure but with potential expensive repair bills. On the other hand, you have sensible, virtually bulletproof Japanese commuter sedans that rarely excites you on a twisty back road. But what if you didn’t have to choose between the thrill of performance and appliance-like dependability? Lexus quietly built a car that has effortless V8 power, rear-wheel-drive dynamics, and flagship-level refinement for the price of a modest used family sedan.

Affordable Luxury Sedans Usually Come With A Catch

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There is a reason why car forums are filled with listings for used German luxury sports sedans. A decade or two of brutal depreciation can turn an $80,000 engineering marvel into a $10,000 used purchase. On paper, the value proposition is enticing: a powerful twin-turbo engine, rear-wheel-drive, and a prestigious badge. However, buying a depreciated European luxury car is often a high-stakes gamble.

The second and third owners quickly discover why these cars lost their value so quickly. Complex air suspensions can fail, plastic engine components turn brittle from heat exposure, and intricate electronic modules go haywire. High-strung engines also require meticulous maintenance, and deferring service can result in catastrophic failures with bills that sometimes exceed the market value of the entire car.

Most Used European V8 Sedans Are Cheap To Buy But Expensive To Own

Via: Bring a Trailer

Because the cost of ownership on used luxury cruisers is so expensive, many buyers rationally walk away. They’re willing to give up all that luxury and performance and settle for a safe, used midsize sedan like a 2015 to 2017 V6 Toyota Camry. A V6 Camry has good power, low running costs, and rock-solid reliability that lets you sleep at night. But every car guy is willing to sacrifice a little reliability for a more engaging car.

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Lexus Quietly Built The Exact Car Everyone Wanted But Forgot

Lexus

Lexus is one of those brands that offers the luxury of most German brands with reliability and ease of ownership. Back in the late 2000s, Lexus set out to directly challenge the dominant German sports sedans on their home turf. If you don’t want the flagship LS or the compact IS, you have the option of the GS. It has most of the structural engineering, obsessive sound insulation, and refined underpinnings of the flagship LS wrapped in a slightly smaller, stiffer chassis with short overhangs and an almost fastback-style profile. This was Lexus take on a sporty luxury car without compromising its bulletproof reputation.

It Arrived At The Worst Possible Time

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Introduced for the 2008 model year, its arrival coincided almost perfectly with the peak of the 2008 Global Financial Crisis. As the markets froze and big budgets evaporated overnight, sales of high-end luxury items plummeted and that includes expensive luxury cars. Buyers who still had money were buying economy cars rather than midsize sport sedans. Because of this bad economic timing, production numbers were shockingly low. While Lexus sold thousands of V6 models, the flagship V8 variant never got its fair share of the spotlight and became an instant rarity.

The Lexus GS460 Delivers V8 Luxury For Camry Money

via Bring A Trailer

The third generation Lexus GS was released in 2006 and was refreshed for 2008. Lexus retired the GS430 with the aging 4.3-liter V8 and introduced the crown jewel of the lineup: the Lexus GS460. Sharing the same underpinnings as the flagship LS460, the GS460 was tuned specifically for a sportier, more responsive personality. Its exterior design was also more sporty with the distinct dual headlights and taillight which are design elements from previous generations but with a fast back style rear end.

When new, these cars cost around $53,000 before options, but as we’ve established, they also came out right at the peak of the financial crisis. So when the crash happened, no one could justify spending on such a high-end Lexus, especially since its price was not far off from its German rivals. But the GS460 has been out for almost two decades and its current value puts it squarely in the price territory of a used 2015–2017 Toyota Camry V6, yet offering a completely different experience.

A 342-HP V8 Japanese Sports Sedan

via Bring A Trailer

At the heart of the GS460 was the 1UR-FSE, a 4.6-liter naturally aspirated V8 featuring Toyota’s advanced D-4S system, which combined both direct and port fuel injection. This engine replaced the outdated 4.3-liter 3UZ-FE V8 which had peak power at 300 hp and 320 lb-ft of torque and had been around since the 2000 model year. This 1UR-FSE was a technical masterpiece compared to the outgoing 3UZ-FE engine.

It was paired with a rapid-shifting eight-speed automatic transmission. This was the world’s first eight-speed in a production passenger car when launched in 2007 with the LS460 before the GS460 got it in 2008. The GS460 made 342 hp and 339 lb-ft of torque and could hit 60 mph in 5.4 seconds with a top speed limited to 149 mph. Its German rivals, like the Mercedes E550 and BMW 550i, did make more power at 382 hp and 360 hp respectively, but the GS460 was no slouch.

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