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2017 Lexus GS F and RC F get adaptive suspension upgrade, increased pricing

The 2017 Lexus GS F sports sedan and 2017 Lexus RC F sports coupe have been upgraded with the company's Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) system.

James Wong

15:3016 November 2016

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AVS electronically monitors and controls the damping force at all four wheels simultaneously, based on driver preferences and the road conditions.

Designed to improve ride comfort and handling stability, the AVS system relies on a range of sensors to adjust the suspension damping, including G-force, yaw-rate and speed sensors.

The adaptive suspension system also helps to keep the vehicle composed in situations where the body could pitch, such as in heavy braking or hard acceleration.

Above: Lexus RC F, Top and Bottom: Lexus GS F

Drivers can also take control of AVS using the Drive Mode Select control, which offers several driving profiles; Eco, Normal, Sport S and Sport S+.

In the first three modes, AVS prioritises ride comfort while also contributing to greater handling stability based on driver input and road conditions.

Meanwhile, in Sport S+ the system prioritises handling while the engine and steering are switched to their sportiest settings.

Both models also feature an updated display that shows when Sports AVS has been selected.

Other new features include a new grey paint option for the GS F and a new black option for the RC F.

The RC F also gets a new machine-finished alloy wheel design with seven pairs of spokes.

Unchanged is the 5.0-litre naturally-aspirated V8 that lives under the bonnet of both the GS F and RC F, producing 351kW of power and 530Nm of torque.

Prices are also slightly up, with the GS F starting around $2000 more than before, while the RC F kicks off nearly $3000 dearer. However, the top-spec RC F Carbon, with it's driver assistance systems and 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, is a whopping $9000 pricier than last year's model.

Across the rest of the line-up, RC350 Luxury and Sports Luxury models have been upgraded with a front performance body damper that was previously exclusive to the F Sport variant - adding small price increases across the V6-powered range.