In the mid size luxury sport sedan segment, the Lexus GS holds its rightful place in the league of champions. A car of Lexus’ caliber and status warrants only the slightest of change. In the eyes of the masses, the sweeping design is both unique and aerodynamically absent of flaw.

Behind the wheel of the GS 350 AWD you can expect the cozy, relatively quiet, comfortable ride that keeps Lexus fans thrilled, according to JD Powers. At this size and weight, it moves quickly, powerfully and gracefully at the tap of either pedal and the touch of the wheel. In fact, if the GS 350 AWD was a person its nicknames would have to be “Calm” and “Cool.”

Luxe-life accoutrements are abundant throughout.
All windows are automatic on the down and up. The seat, steering wheel and side view mirrors all have one touch memory to provide multiple drivers with instant access to their favorite position behind the wheel.

Two of the three trim levels–the GS350 RWD at $46,1000 and the GS350AWD at $48,050, feature 303 horsepower, 3.5 liter V6 engines that produce 274 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed sequential-shift Electronically Controlled Transmission ensures a smooth shift for every gear.

The daddy of them all—the $54,570 GS 460 RWD, bares a 342 horsepower, 4.6 liter V8 engine, yielding 339 lb-ft of torque for 0-60 in 5.4 seconds. The 460 also boast an eight speed Electronically Controlled Transmission and a combined fuel efficiency of 20–17 city/24 highway. Then there’s the GS 450h, with hybrid engine technology at $58.050 and a combined fuel economy of 23—22 city/25 highway.

The push to start/stop GS is totally keyless. With the remote in close proximity every door unlocks with a mere touch. All four doors have a sensitized button on the handle that can be depressed to lock the door on your way out the car, so long as the remote is in possession. The same holds true with the trunk release. And at night–with the remote in close proximity, course, the handles and interior lights illuminate gradually as you approach the vehicle.

Absent at the 350 trim level are cooled seats, rain sensing wipers, power rear sunshade and intuitive park assist—each of which is optional. The rain sensing wipers, however, do come standard at the 460 trim level. At $2,945, the Navigation System / Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound system includes a 14-speaker 330 watt stereo (with less than 0.1% total distortion), hard drive navigation, backup camera, Bluetooth, XM satellite with NavTraffic, Nav Weather and subscription based Lexus Enform.

When combined with a navigation system, Lexus Enform offers a suite of services to include destination assistance, eDestination and Safety Connect to get and keep you connected in time of need. At $1,165, the HDD Navigation System includes everything but the Mark Levinson stereo, should you feel the need to deny yourself of the indulgence.

Just be sure to give it some additional character with the $200 rear spoiler. And pimp it out slightly with a set of 18’s to replace the 17” standards.  Power and glory is the story of the Lexus GS for 2011.