With oversized wheels pegged at the corners and a contoured body marked by flat side panels and the stubby prow and tail that leave scant space for overhangs, the IS 300 compact-class sports sedan looks like a high-strung rally car and acts like a road-hugging German touring sedan. The straight-six engine, producing 215 hp, whines a high-revving tune played through five speeds on the automatic transmission or optional manual five-speed. With the automatic there are toggles on the steering wheel that enable an aggressive driver to shift up and down sans clutch with only a flick of the thumb and without removing hands from the wheel.

A five-door hatchback wagon edition expands the series under the name of SportCross. It carries the same equipment as the sedan with the automatic transmission, yet has the rear liftgate and cargo bay plus a rear seatback that splits and folds to make more room for sports gear like a mountain bike. All versions reveal bold contemporary styling for the cockpit in a theme of bright silver and black interior accents with drilled aluminum pedals and stainless steel scuff plates studded with rubber on doorsills.

Sports sedans under the GS label contain high-output engines and high-tech handling gear for world-class performance and Lexus-style luxury. The exterior design, with wheels pushed outward to extremities and radical sheet metal panels of curves and flat faces worked around a form with blunt nose and tail, features a powerful face with unusual oval headlamp clusters flanking a classy front grille. Concealed behind the slick skin, sophisticated engines for the pair of GS models shape their sporty personalities. The ultimate edition -- GS 400 -- stokes the twin-cam Lexus 4.3-liter V8 rated at 300 hp. A second version -- GS 300 -- gets a dual-cam six-cylinder plant with in-line layout and displacement of 3.0 liters to muster 220 hp. Both cars employ the Lexus electronically-controlled automatic transmission, which has five forward gears and intelligent shift logic.

The two-seat sports car from Lexus can convert from a hardtop coupe to a daring convertible with push-button ease. With the top raised, it carries an arching profile that looks energetic up front but retro in the rear with a roly-poly rump. With the hardtop folded into the trunk, it seems fluid and fast like a racy roadster. The squatty stance sets up a flat-footed posture in the manner of a classic sports car with all of the right components aboard. It has a big engine too. The aluminum V8 displaces 4.3 liters and makes 300 hp.

Lexus lines the car with gear for safety and performance, as well as electronic displays and lavish (even for Lexus) appointments. The standard audio package comes from Mark Levinson. A 240-watt amplifier combines with nine speakers, a cassette deck and six-disc CD changer mounted in the dash. All-season run flat tires are new to the list of options this year, as is an upgraded navigation system with enhanced graphics and new functions. (...BACK)