Lexus LC News
11-21-16, 07:42 PM
#2506
Lexus Champion
I still don't understand the hybrid in a top tier flagship car costing near $100k. Perhaps the price befuddles me. When the batteryjuice runs out you're left with a $100k car with a weak 250hp V6, presumably these will be driven hard and petal to the metal, how long will the battery power boost last to maintain performance befitting of this level of a car? This engine makes sense in an RX or GS or even LS, but the RC...I just don't understand.
No, a hybrid car's battery NEVER runs out. The car and/or the engine is charging the battery every chance it gets.
When you coast with your foot off the accelerator, the momentum of the car is charging the battery; if the engine is running when coasting, it will add more charge to the battery. This is energy that would otherwise be wasted.
As you place your foot on the brake pedal, the initial braking force is provided by what is known as regenerative braking; the drag of the electric motor acting as a generator provides that braking force. This too is energy that would otherwise be wasted (as heat).
As you accelerate from a stop, you start off in EV mode, with only the power of the electric motor to drive you. When the engine turns on to boost the power as you accelerate faster, part of the power from the engine will provide more acceleration power, but power not needed to drive the car is channelled to the generator to charge the battery.
The battery is never charged to its fullest capacity so that there is a little bit on top to take on charge. If you are coasting or lightly braking going downhill, there will always be a bit of spare battery capacity so that you never waste that energy.
Hybrid cars are designed to NEVER let the battery run down completely.
11-21-16, 09:14 PM
#2507
In other news, Lexus has been consistently boosting the LC hybrid advertisements on Facebook. Looks like they're building up for something.
I do hope the Hybrid version is more affordable than the v8, that is the one I am preferring right now, if not the v8 sounds good too.
For anybody that has driven the LC (rominl or others) did you guys notice interior sound funneling from engine/exhaust sounds?
I do hope the Hybrid version is more affordable than the v8, that is the one I am preferring right now, if not the v8 sounds good too.
For anybody that has driven the LC (rominl or others) did you guys notice interior sound funneling from engine/exhaust sounds?
LC500h.... i will let you be the judge. again i will just say for now that while LC500 is top on my list if i am in this segment, LC500h is not on my list at all
11-22-16, 07:32 AM
#2508
Pole Position
A hybrid luxury car -- especially the flagship -- is about technology rather than brute force power. And the LC will have new hybrid vehicle technlogy that no other car has, namely the 10-speed transmission. I am betting that it will also have Toyota's new higher-capacity, yet smaller and lighter lithium-ion battery. You pay for the technology in a flagship luxury car.
No, a hybrid car's battery NEVER runs out. The car and/or the engine is charging the battery every chance it gets.
When you coast with your foot off the accelerator, the momentum of the car is charging the battery; if the engine is running when coasting, it will add more charge to the battery. This is energy that would otherwise be wasted.
As you place your foot on the brake pedal, the initial braking force is provided by what is known as regenerative braking; the drag of the electric motor acting as a generator provides that braking force. This too is energy that would otherwise be wasted (as heat).
As you accelerate from a stop, you start off in EV mode, with only the power of the electric motor to drive you. When the engine turns on to boost the power as you accelerate faster, part of the power from the engine will provide more acceleration power, but power not needed to drive the car is channelled to the generator to charge the battery.
The battery is never charged to its fullest capacity so that there is a little bit on top to take on charge. If you are coasting or lightly braking going downhill, there will always be a bit of spare battery capacity so that you never waste that energy.
Hybrid cars are designed to NEVER let the battery run down completely.
No, a hybrid car's battery NEVER runs out. The car and/or the engine is charging the battery every chance it gets.
When you coast with your foot off the accelerator, the momentum of the car is charging the battery; if the engine is running when coasting, it will add more charge to the battery. This is energy that would otherwise be wasted.
As you place your foot on the brake pedal, the initial braking force is provided by what is known as regenerative braking; the drag of the electric motor acting as a generator provides that braking force. This too is energy that would otherwise be wasted (as heat).
As you accelerate from a stop, you start off in EV mode, with only the power of the electric motor to drive you. When the engine turns on to boost the power as you accelerate faster, part of the power from the engine will provide more acceleration power, but power not needed to drive the car is channelled to the generator to charge the battery.
The battery is never charged to its fullest capacity so that there is a little bit on top to take on charge. If you are coasting or lightly braking going downhill, there will always be a bit of spare battery capacity so that you never waste that energy.
Hybrid cars are designed to NEVER let the battery run down completely.
11-22-16, 08:01 AM
#2509
My own experience is that with sports mode and race up a mountain I have run out of juice. Two bars of charge left means the car is a lot less perky.
Will be interesting to see if the LC is similarly affected.
11-22-16, 01:06 PM
#2510
trying to put a lexus hybrid on the race track is just a silly idea. the car is not tuned for track use and the battery simply won't be able to handle laps after laps of torture. it doesn't matter how much the system is trying to regenerate. if the car has that much battery capacity then it's going to be very heavy so it's not good either
i forgot if it's car and driver or motortrend, they also tried to put the tesla model s (p90d?) on the track. it was very quick in the beginning but half way through the car started to give up as well.
i forgot if it's car and driver or motortrend, they also tried to put the tesla model s (p90d?) on the track. it was very quick in the beginning but half way through the car started to give up as well.
11-22-16, 01:07 PM
#2511
Lexus Champion
I believe that was Car & Driver in their "Lightning Lap" test/article.
11-22-16, 04:42 PM
#2512
The LC hybrid buyer is not going to be hung up on horsepower.
They are getting the most luxurious contemporary coupe in the segment with forward thinking propulsion.
Nice and relaxing on the inside to allow them to contemplate their fine dining, theater and travel experiences.
They are getting the most luxurious contemporary coupe in the segment with forward thinking propulsion.
Nice and relaxing on the inside to allow them to contemplate their fine dining, theater and travel experiences.
11-22-16, 05:17 PM
#2513
Lexus Fanatic
The LC hybrid buyer is not going to be hung up on horsepower.
They are getting the most luxurious contemporary coupe in the segment with forward thinking propulsion.
Nice and relaxing on the inside to allow them to contemplate their fine dining, theater and travel experiences.
They are getting the most luxurious contemporary coupe in the segment with forward thinking propulsion.
Nice and relaxing on the inside to allow them to contemplate their fine dining, theater and travel experiences.
11-22-16, 06:03 PM
#2514
Jill
I completely get what you are saying.
The word justify ends up falling out of the purchase story board.
The LC hybrid customers aren't justifying the price differential. They are saying I like that and I'll take it.
Going a little further, you can't justify buying a Bentley when a GS 350 AWD will get you everywhere (physically) that the Bentley will. People with the resources select them.
I completely get what you are saying.
The word justify ends up falling out of the purchase story board.
The LC hybrid customers aren't justifying the price differential. They are saying I like that and I'll take it.
Going a little further, you can't justify buying a Bentley when a GS 350 AWD will get you everywhere (physically) that the Bentley will. People with the resources select them.
11-22-16, 06:43 PM
#2515
That said, Lexus admits the LC500h will feel a lot like hybrids with only a conventional CVT when driven in its Normal or Eco modes, albeit with fewer engine-rev spikes that feel out of step with acceleration. The transmission arrangement puts the four-speed effectively at the output of the two-motor CVT, which means the electric motors don’t have to spin as fast, reducing electrical losses and thereby improving efficiency. The new setup also allows for electric-only driving up to 87 mph; the old transmission, as installed in the LS600h and GS450h hybrids, would only allow for 62 mph. (For further reference, the Two-Mode system was capable of 32 mph.) But put the LC500h in Sport or Sport+ mode, and the transmission acts like a conventional 10-speed transmission—the number of ratios in the regular LC500’s gearbox—using “virtual gears.” We’ll have a deep-dive story with all the juicy details on Multi Stage soon.
Last edited by G Star; 11-22-16 at 07:28 PM.
11-22-16, 06:47 PM
#2516
Lexus Champion
You really expect Lexus to give you the parallel -- second -- powertrain, the one-of-a-kind 10-speed hybrid transmission with 2 electric motors, and a hybrid battery, for free? Are you the new VP of marketing for Lexus?
11-23-16, 07:08 AM
#2517
Pole Position
The LC hybrid buyer is not going to be hung up on horsepower.
They are getting the most luxurious contemporary coupe in the segment with forward thinking propulsion.
Nice and relaxing on the inside to allow them to contemplate their fine dining, theater and travel experiences.
They are getting the most luxurious contemporary coupe in the segment with forward thinking propulsion.
Nice and relaxing on the inside to allow them to contemplate their fine dining, theater and travel experiences.
11-23-16, 07:31 AM
#2518
Now let's consider the sports car part
To me the LC hybrid will be a fashion statement GT with a side of Eco
It will handle great but it won't be a 911 in terms of total performance
The buyer will get something that looks distinctive.
I expect Lexus ads to make connections to the much higher priced LFA in their advertisising for the car.
To me the LC hybrid will be a fashion statement GT with a side of Eco
It will handle great but it won't be a 911 in terms of total performance
The buyer will get something that looks distinctive.
I expect Lexus ads to make connections to the much higher priced LFA in their advertisising for the car.
11-23-16, 07:31 AM
#2519
Lexus Fanatic
Jill
I completely get what you are saying.
The word justify ends up falling out of the purchase story board.
The LC hybrid customers aren't justifying the price differential. They are saying I like that and I'll take it.
Going a little further, you can't justify buying a Bentley when a GS 350 AWD will get you everywhere (physically) that the Bentley will. People with the resources select them.
I completely get what you are saying.
The word justify ends up falling out of the purchase story board.
The LC hybrid customers aren't justifying the price differential. They are saying I like that and I'll take it.
Going a little further, you can't justify buying a Bentley when a GS 350 AWD will get you everywhere (physically) that the Bentley will. People with the resources select them.
The way they will package it will be a base gas version but no base hybrid version. So the mid level hybrid model will have more options and higher MSRP than the base gas.