LIKE the proverbial iron fist a velvet glove, the Lexus GS460 combines scintillating V8 performance and a world-first eight-speed automatic transmission with Japanese refinement and an extensive equipment list - at a sensible price. Large German V8 sedan buyers should overlook the fuel-efficient, rear-drive GS flagship at their own peril, because despite a couple of oversights, the Lexus answer to the likes of BMW's 5 Series, Audi's A6 and the Mercedes-Benz E-class puts up a persuasive argument.