LEXUS GS AND IS NOMINATED FOR WHEELS CAR OF THE YEAR (22 December 2005)
Lexus' IS250 as well as GS300 and GS430 have all been nominated for Wheels magazine's Car Of The Year (COTY) 2005.
The three Lexus are part of the 21 cars nominated and selected for COTY testing from more than 30 new releases in 2005.
The winner of COTY will be announced on 25 January 2006, with full details in the February issue of Wheels on sale that day.
Only nominated models from the year's new releases qualify for COTY testing, based on significant changes from previous models.
The three Lexus COTY nominees are all-new generations of the GS and IS Lines.
"Lexus IS250 and GS300/430 are the first Lexus models built with the brand's noticeable new L-finesse styling, which we've debuted in a series of concept models released since 2003," said Scott Grant, divisional manager, Lexus Australia.
"Car Of The Year nominations for IS250 and the GS Line are solid recognition of where the Lexus brand is going.
"We have traditionally challenged the luxury car paradigm, and our latest and upcoming models continue the spirit," he said.
The evolution of exterior styling is matched by significant design and drivetrain engineering developments across the board, with both model lines featuring new chassis, suspension and engine technology.
The new GS300 introduced a three-litre direct-injection all-alloy dual-VVT-i V6, while the GS430 brought a 4.3-litre V8 to the Lexus GS Line for the first time.
IS250 features a 2.5-litre version of the direct-injection all-alloy dual-VVT-i V6 , a first for the Lexus IS range.
Engineering breakthroughs in all three vehicles have included many world firsts, as well as several more sector firsts.
The all-new Lexus IS250 world firsts include twin-chamber SRS airbag technology for front passengers, the world's smallest bi-xenon headlamps, and sound-absorbing material in sun visors to optimise its audio systems.
GS430 increased available active safety technology with the world-first Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management.