The Lexus GS Black Line Is The Last Hurrah For A Soon To Be Dead Model

The Lexus GS will soon be no more. Toyota‘s luxury division canned it in Europe two years ago, replacing it with the front-wheel drive ES, and after 2020 the GS depart from the rest of the world too, it’s been confirmed.

Refreshingly different from the usual German options it might have been, the GS has been a consistently slow seller for Lexus. It made up just four per cent of the brand’s US sales in 2019, while only 73 units of the tremendous BMW M5-rivalling GS F were sold in the UK in three years. Its death has seemed inevitable for a while, but at least the GS will go out in style thanks to the Black Line.

The run-out special is based on the GS 350 F Sport, meaning it’s powered by a 3.5-litre V6. No N/A V8 heroics here, we’re afraid, but the 2GR unit is good for a handy 316bhp. For the Black Line, that six-cylinder engine can be hooked up with either rear or all-wheel drive.

Along with all the usual F Sport goodies, the Black Line features grille inserts, a spoiler and mirror caps all finished in gloss black. The F Sport wheels are finished in - you guessed it - Gloss Black, with some natty orange brake calipers shining brightly underneath.

You can team that up with either an Ultra White or Caviar exterior finish, while on the inside there’s black leather and lashings of Rioja Red contrast trim. The finishing touches in the cabin are made of - inevitably - carbon fibre and Alcantara. There’s also an exclusive, fancy luggage set available for the car, designed by Zero Halliburton.

Production starts this summer. We don’t know how much it’ll cost yet, but it’s safe to expect a modest increase on the $53,785 charged for a regular GS 350 F Sport.

For now, you know the button to press.