TRDFantasy

You think your beloved Mercedes doesn't overrate their numbers?

Why is it then that the current LS is faster than the current S500?

The SAE has simply revised their testing procedure, and it will affect all manufacturers. HP will now be closer to actual WHP.

jrock65

Kinda odd that the flagship Toyota will have more horsepower than the flagship Lexus for a year.

Not that it matters a darn, but a weird thing nontheless.

Gojirra99

What's the new Avalon's hp rating under the new testing procedure ?
Besides, the LS is still a V8 with way more torque than the Avalon . . .

Inabj2

I suppose, although I havent owned any of their cars to come to such a conclusion. But mercedes from what I heard of them get accelaration numbers generally speaking that is on par with what they claim.

I just get the feeling that before manufacturers fiddled with hp ratings to either inflate their numbers as much as possible or underinflate when convenient, their numbers as well. Unfortunately in some models Lexus especially more in the past then now I honestly believe their numbers were inflated to make the cars sound even better in paper. But youre absolutely right not the only company to do this, It still doesnt excuse them to fiddle with their numbers in such a way.


I suspect if a 2004 mercury maurader was retested that thing no way in hell would it get its 300 hp rating. Thats a classic example of a car that in my oppinion is well overated! oh come on it weighs slightly more then a E-class youre telling me with just 2 hp less that thing is going to be almost 2 seconds slower then the E class in the et? I know having one less gear and being winded with long legs hurt but thats just a ridicoulous difference!

New mustang, for example I bet it makes slightly more then 300 hp, 310? 315?, SRT-4 ya 230 hp my ***, more like 250+ hp.

If someone were to ask me how much hp my sc300 at made stock I could not tell them 225 hp with a straight face, itd feel like an outright lie. :-(. I feel shortchanged with my car. I want my extra 30 or so hp you guys told me it had DAMNIT!!! Although I have no proof to back my beliefs unless I were to take a fresh newly maintained car to get sae hp tested. But I do see interesting trends that are a little funny. Pre vvti sc300 225 hp, but considerably faster IS300, with vvti 2jz-ge 215 hp? huh? Where did the 10 hp go? Same with the second gen vvti GS300.

Oh btw just so you dont say im anti lexus (im not.) I bet anyone in here money that a 350z and infiniti G35 coupe will not make the 287-300 hp 298 hp they claim!! Watch that cars rating drop right back to 280 or maybe even slightly less!

AJL0365

uhm sorry if i made some arguements about this. by the way im reading it it sounds like yall re like yelling it each other, but anyways i just found it intresting. so what u are saying is that SAE is changing the way they calculate things? so like its power ratings is gonna be more or less? is that what yall mean?

vraa

iTrader: (2)

New way to calculate hp = differences.

Mercedes underrates their cars a lot. Why does the S600 do 0-60 in sub fours or quicker?

LexFather

BINGO!!!

The LS 430 with the LOWEST power rating in its class 290hp, is the or one of the quickest in acceleration, 0-60 in 5.9 seconds and mid 1/4 mile times. How on earth could this be overated?????

Lexus like Mercedes is either very accurate or underrated slightly.

You have a conspiracy theory on the SC 300/400 which always made the appropriate acceleration times in magazines. Its not like the car was rated at X amount HP and the acceleration times were disapointing.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

This still doesn't answer the question as to why some cars will increase HP under the new rating while others decrease HP. I'm basing this off the poster who mentioned the Corvette Z06 went up 5 HP from 500 to 505 with the new rating. Shouldn't everyone loose HP, or gain HP together?

Calculating HP at the wheels IMHO would be best if it were posible to get some sort of standardized testing. Right now, with so many different types of dynos, the numbers could vary so much it practically is useless. I think it is fine they way it is right now.

Vladi

Actually this situation is going to be quite interesting and I will watch it closely.

It seems that only Lexus V8 is affected but not V6. All those "new" power ratings for V8 almost match Euro-spec models ratings now. So I guess the current construction of V8 is kind of getting old. I am sure that with the new V8 they will make it to compile with the new rules and get the most hp out of it.

I can't wait to see how models from other brands are going to come out for 2006.
I will bet my money that TSX currently rated at 200hp will drop down to 190 like in EU-spec model. Also I am expecting changes in CTS-V becuase that car has been dynoed to 360hp so many times

Inabj2

The accelaration times in relation to the hp rated was PRETTY dissapointing thus far.

225 hp and Ive never seen anyone crack a 15 with the automatic version! Best I ran was a 16.8 which corrected for attitude is a 16.2. This was with great tune up when the car was in excellent shape when I made this run, this time proved to be consistent as well with no real reason to pin it on my driving.
A 250 hp V8... never seen it break 14s in stock trim.. I also base this on what I see the car dyno, if youre rated at 225 hp youd think the sc300 would dyno at around 190 rwhp, but in reality they tend to be in the mid 160 rwhp for the pre vvti model. Instead its the stock 250 hp V8 ones that dyno around this figure.

Even when I look up the best possible time for a stock auto it was written as a 15.8, Ive yet to see anyone accomplish this in a stock sc300, anywhere. In fact Ive read that this was only accomplished in a pre production model!

After I pass my cars mid life maintenance crisis Ill take it for a re baseline, at around 1000-1200 feet of altitude it is unrealistic of me to expect anything faster then a 16.4, thats a pretty sad time for a 225 hp car dont you think? Even the trap speeds seem low for the suggested power.

Inabj2

Some manufacturers purposely underate their cars for various reasons. Just like others give a rather optimistic number.

Skulinex

one word: insurance purposes, sometimes those extra 5hp will end up costing you an arm and a leg insurance wise

The whole point here is that nobody is loosing or gaining, the METHOD of testing is simly changing... the old one tested the engine itself <as some of you call it, hp at the crank> NOW they are testing the engine under the load of its other components: alternator, water pump, etc. so yes it can happen that the LS DOES have 300hp at the crank, but after adding all the other loads, then it gets closer to 288 or so, basically as someone pointed it out in one of the replys, this new method is going to give you a closer rwhp, is not ADDING or SUBSTRACTING power, simply showing you a different number

TRDFantasy

It could be that the LS has a huge load placed on the engine, which it does, resulting in less stated HP. The Z06 definitely has a lighter load, substantially less features and electronics, which all drain the engine of power. It could also be that the Z06 was underrated a bit, as mentioned, for say insurance purposes.

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

That makes sense. I have the old 1UZFE and with the hydrolic fans and power steering pumps and such I definately can buy that theory especially compared to electric fan cars. Eitherway, I wasn't doubting any claims, just wondering why some goes up and some goes down. I'm not really worried about it

mjr24

When are they redoing the LS? 2007?