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if 350 bhp is your limit then might aswell settle for the 540i as its close to 300bhp from factory and being a larger displacement V8 engine, it will take Intake, Header, Exhaust mod very well which could free up some more horses maybe 15-20bhp which might take it to around 310 maybe 320bhp which is close to your target of 350. alternatively, opt for the GS430 rated as 280bhp but most guys in US have had theirs dynoed and it actually makes around 300bhp at crank. same intake header exhaust mods could also be done for this which could bump out put to around 320bhp taking it close to your target. this will also have 5 speed gearbox and VVTi as opposed to Gen 1 GS300. one advantage of going NA instead of Turbo is no Turbo lag and also you wont have to be replacing turbos if and when they go which keeps cost down. on the road, there might not be a lot of difference in performance between 320bhp and 350bhp car if they are of equal weight. who ever has better gear ratios, and an efficient gearbox which wont loose a lot of the crank horse power from engine to the wheels and flatter torque curve will come out on top. so if the car does not necessarily need to be a Turbo the GS430 will be your best bet and might also work out cheaper to buy and run in the long run compared to going NA-T in a GS300 unless you aiming for 4-500bhp+ then i'll say go NA-T GS300

It's hard to explain what these cars give you...I work in quite a volatile workplace and I would say when I get into my ls after a shift, it gives me a feeling of serenity, calmness....it relaxes me....never had a car like that, even the jags iv owned made me feel special in a way no other cars have, but they never gave me this inner serenity....I am writing a little review of the ls that, hopefully explains what I mean and touches on how it is imbued with character but it's a character you won't "get" unless you own one....these are not the anodyne, soulless barges the media made out...

will all depend on your budget, type of power you looking at, where the car will be spending most of it time i.e. on the street, motorway or at the tracks and what you would like to be 'seen' driving in. As you already aware the Gen1 GS's have the potential since they share pretty much the same engine parts as the Twin Turbo version used in the Aristo V300 and Supra so the potential is there. £300 for the GS was a bargain so long as the engine and gearbox are still in good health, the other issues are just cosmetics which could be sorted out thats if you willing to put the money into it. the 540i is also a good base to start. its a v8 with almost 290bhp but as you said it wont be cheap. 3000GT are quite old and rare so you will have to look hard for one in good condition. RX8's also have potential so will boil down to if you want something practical aswell in terms of space. but for high way cruisers it will boil down to two if i had to choose from your list.. which is the GS300 or 540i. so next will be how much power you looking to get out of it and how reliable they will run once boosted. also consider if its worth just getting the E39 M5 over the 540i or alternatively importing a Twin turbo Aristo from Japan and tuning it further.

I've only had the LS for 5 days and already I'm beginning to think that it's gotta be a keeper, what else is there for the money? I took my bro in law out in it yesterday, he's a bit of car nut, he was so genuinely impressed by the car but when I told him I much I paid for it, I'm sure he cried

I am wrestling with same man maths...my ls gets used about 2-300 miles a week and I can afford the fuel....but, I may have a grand or so spare at the end of the month and bluesman has posted you CAN get conversions done down South for less than the 2k iv been quoted up here....my man maths tells me that it doesn't actually MATTER how long it takes to be in the black because the savings would be instantly noticeable....and it's spare money that WILL otherwise be spent on stuff that gives NO return...

Seen that for a while....put it like this, my car has 67k, three owners and a full history, lexus till few years ago....I think it's in fantastic condition and I DID have it advertised for 2k...till I woke up and realised I would never find another like it, it owes me nothing in real terms and the mileage I do and the way I drive, it's so over engineered it could last me indefinitely! Find a good one, cherish, enjoy...

Tank there was not enough room at the Museum

I have just returned from a 2,500 mile return trip to Venice 4 adults, 1 child and a boot full of luggage in my '93 84,000 mile LS400. The journey involved hours of cruising at 90mph+, sitting in traffic jams at 32 degrees with the aircon on full, steep mountain roads, blazing sun, torrential rain and it never missed a beat. Overall I averaged 21mpg and didn't use a measurable amount of oil. Not bad for a 21 year old car which I suspect had been off the road for at least 5 years prior to me buying it in December and a real life indictment of Lexus quality - particularly of the LS400.

Well if your car was actually fitted with the sat nav from factory it would have a remote or control pad next to the handbrake. It would also have a disc drive in the boot on the right of the spare wheel compartment where the maps are read from. If it doesnt have those someone has merly fitted the screen and housing up top. You could deff use the double din slot for a touch screen setup for sure. You'd need to bypass the amp tho, buts thats another subject