THERE’S so much to admire about the Lexus GS F that it’s difficult to choose where to start.

We could begin with an appreciation of the dramatic exterior design. Although the Lexus GS has been with us for a while, the GS F is a quite different animal.

The F designation is reserved for Lexus’s sporting models, with the letter standing for Fuji Speedway, where all F products are tested. So this is a hot car with a genuine pedigree.

In standard form the GS has always been quite a striking design, albeit in a relatively low-key way. In F form, finished in signature blue, it squats low over beefy alloy wheels with bigger bumpers featuring larger air intakes to match, plus orange brake callipers, four tailpipes and a modest carbon fibre rear spoiler. It’s definitely handsome and sporty but not in-your-face-aggressive.

The design is a good starting point when considering the GS F, but the star of the show has to be the engine.

What Lexus has done is take the mid-sized GS, swap the hybrid powertrain for a naturally aspirated V8, match it to an eight-speed transmission and add in some impressive technology, including an electronically controlled differential with torque vectoring.

Settle down behind the GS F’s chunky leather steering wheel and in the first few miles there’s only the occasional V8 backbeat and the sporty seats to tell you that this is a hot Lexus. You can leave all the various settings in their mildest form and cover ground with ease and in great comfort. The GS F’s suspension is a little firmer of course, but unless the road is particularly poor it’s just as relaxed as the standard car.

Press on a little and the GS F starts to reveal its super sportier side. The naturally aspirated V8 obviously gives a little away to turbo rivals but you get the noise and the response instead; not that it’s short of pace with 0-62mph despatched in just 4.6 seconds.

There are Normal, Eco, Sport and Sport+ modes for the steering, engine and transmission, while the differential has its own Standard, Slalom and Track modes. It is not an aggressive car but will respond keenly to driver inputs, with only the occasional hesitation from the gearbox.

Now let’s take a closer look around the cabin.

The GS F is a mid-sized executive saloon and is therefore not short on space. Up front it’s the width of the transmission tunnel that makes the cabin feel a little cosy but there’s plenty of space for adults. It’s the same story in the rear too, with comfortable leather chairs which are optimised for two but can accommodate three. The boot is also large with 520 litres on offer, making this a genuine executive express.

The GS F’s specification list is lengthy, over and above that of a standard GS. It gets full leather throughout, electric front sports seats, satellite navigation and 10-speaker audio system with a 12.3-inch display all as standard. The options list is almost non-existent.

An exciting executive sports saloon is possibly the best kind of family bus because it gives the main driver plenty of luxury and performance while still be capable of doing all the boring stuff. That the GS F requires zero extra effort to drive compared to the standard car is a major plus point and makes it totally suitable for everyday use, if you can afford to live with average fuel economy of about 25mpg.

The GS F strikes an excellent balance between fantasy and reality.