The Lexus GS-F 5.0 liter V8 is an engine exclusive to the brand with a very high feature content compared to the 5.7 liter V8 which is shared with some Toyota products. It’s got a lot of expensive hardware and a high-tune.

To that it offers up 467 naturally aspirated horsepower and 389 pound-feet of torque. It achieves this through a number of technologies and operation modes starting with both port and direct-fuel injection systems that can operate separately or together.

Furthermore, dual variable valve timing has a wide-band range which can operate the engine in both an Otto and Atkinson Cycle. This means it can be a high-performance monster for power with a 12.3:1 compression ratio and dial back to a Prius style combustion mode for higher fuel economy.

So that’s why with the engine cover off you can see why there is one, there’s a lot going on here.

Following the airflow, a large filter box up front pulls air in from both ahead of the grille and ambient from the engine compartment. A controlled flapper at the side inlet controls where it draws from for optimum air temperature.

From there it leads to a single throttle body up into the composite blue painted intake manifold and then down into the engine. Because the fuel system features both port injection and direct fuel-injection you can see fuel rails under all of this if you look hard enough.

The high-pressure direct-injection fuel components are hidden underneath its aluminum valve covers and each bank has its own fuel-injector control unit mounted right onto the valve cover on top. With all these systems, a great deal of wiring is routed virtually everywhere.

Underneath it, the all-aluminum 32-valve V8 does have high-revving lightweight hardware like forged connecting rods and titanium intake and exhaust valves. All of this affords its high-revving nature with a 7,300-rpm redline. And yes, it wants premium fuel.

Looking around the engine compartment, the packaging is pretty tight here but servicing the engine remains straight forward. Oil and dipstick are easily found up on top of the engine as expected. The battery, fuses and relays are also under hood and clearly marked.

Both the coolant and windshield washer fluid reservoirs are located right up front for easy check and top off. The brake fluid is up at the driver side firewall, easily reached and seen. Aside it is the ABS controller, hidden away by a small plastic cover.

While this engine does have a very good sound, much of what you hear inside the car is manufactured. Its Active Sound Control or ASC electronically synthesizes and adds sound through front and rear speakers in the cabin.