What Is My Gs300?

[Tony W]

Hi All,

As you know I am a newbie to Lexus and bought my first one a few weeks ago. Its a nice clean black GS300 Leganto 106k on the clock and full history and Mots going back 7 years for £1500

It is on a "p" plate, I had noticed there are some blanked out holes in the sides of the bumpers where it looks like the might have been lights. Someone told me it might have been an import, but until the log book comes back from DVLA I cant tell. Anyone out the know how to tell just by a visual check? Also one thing that bothers me is the Owners manual is missing from the folder that comes with the car so tyre pressures and stuff like that are unknown, its running on 215/55/16 and though 36psi might do the trick. What do you think?

Tony

[kam05]

Yours is a MK1 GS300.

I think the MK2's came out in 98?

[TigerFish]

If its the same shape as mine in the pics in my signature, then you have a mk1.

What you have is a Legato, rather than Leganto. Not sure what the differences are to a standard GS other than the legato had cloth seats rather than leather. Personal preference I guess if you think that is a good or bad thing. Easy enough to tell if it is an imported Toyota Aristo or a genuine Lexus GS300. If the car has not been tampered with you will have Toyota badges on instead of Lexus and it will say Aristo in the back panel between the rear lights. If those have been changed out to rebadge it as a Lexus, then check if the front indicators are seperate or built into the head lamp unit. The Aristo had them built in so the front glass headlamp lense wraps all the way round the indicators. The Lexus had plastic seperate indicators. Also the Aristos had traction control, so there should be a trc (or similar) button by the dash.

The blanking plates you refer to are where the orange daylight running lights went on US models (and possibly jap models, not sure).

[Tony W]

Thanks for the quick replies chaps, the front indicators are seperate units to the headlamps. It has grey leather interior and no signs of rebadging, So in all it sounds like its a Mk1 Legato with added leather and not an import either.

Cheers

Tony