The GS series had first appeared in the mid-1990s, as the Japanese automaker's answer to a European-dominated sports sedan market. The GS had undergone many revisions in ten years, and this second generation had continued to evolve on an almost yearly basis. In 2003, the GS 430 sedan was further improved by a longer list of standard features. Heated seats, leather trim, a CD changer, and a moon roof could now be found in every GS.
Every GS engine was equipped with Toyota's Variable Valve Timing + intelligence technology, a camshaft regulation system with a set of important benefits. Thanks to this technology, the GS 430's powerful 4.3 liter V-8 received additional power, while its emissions and fuel consumption were both decreased. The GS needed the help: the large 300 horsepower engine inside the 3700 pound sedan certainly stood to pull efficiency down. Fuel economy was rated at 18/23 mpg. According to Lexus, the GS 430 traveled from 0 to 60 in 5.7 seconds. Lexus had developed and steadily improved a sedan that performed like a comparably priced BMW or Mercedes. It is also important to note that the GS 430 could be counted on like a Lexus. Many GS drivers who had previously owned European cars were amazed at how little time their Lexus spent in the service bay.