LexFather

I can believe this. Considering the GS is Lexus luxury sports sedan, I can't see em keeping the 300hp rating. 400hp from a hybrid is totally feasible.
Only thing is, will it just be an option or a M/AMG competitor car. With those cars makingin excess of 450hp with the RS-6, 400hp is taken as a from magazines. Like the Jag S-type R or XK-R. The fastest Jags but not the best or fastest sports sedan.

I wish a manual was coming. If the car KEPT the same 300hp rating, we'd knock of at LEAST 1/2 a second with a manual.

LexFather

Just got this info on the new A6:

The top version is the 4.2-liter V-8 with 355 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque. The latter is the slightly reworked powerplant of the S4. The engines are teamed to a six-speed manual or a six-speed automatic transmission.

So the 545 makes 325hp, the E 500 makes 302, the A6 4.2 355....

mooretorque

Not to pick a nit but the electric motor(s) are reported to be in the rear, with no prop shaft between front and rear, with the 3.3L V6 being kept up front and the electrics providing an addl 40 hp driving the rears, and probably only at urban speeds (where electrics really shine).

As far as 400 hp, I, too, am skeptical since all the mags have reported that the 4.3 L will be carried over (and AWD will only come with the 3.5L V6, which is NOT from the same block as the 3.3 L!!). Their sources are usually better than anything I ever get from my dealership, where I usually am telling the salespeople what to expect for the coming year based on the various print mag stories. And they've been accurate so far................

DaveGS4

iTrader: (2)

Rumored pics of next engines from a japanese online mag:

koreanpers

the "5" in the 4.5 pic, looks photo shopped doesnt it?

Letsride

I dont think so.....

looknow12

I love manual transmissions also, but with the automatic transmissions Lexus has been delivering, they are soo smooth, it is tough to beat their acceleration times with a manual.

Add in the possibility of a hybrid and the acceleration curve is even smoother.

jdmaristo

so theres going to be a 3.5 L engine

fever

I absolutely believe this will happen. The only question is will they offer it as quickly as 2006 model? I don't mind waiting for this one.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

the 2006 gs430 is going to start selling in very early 2005 as 2006 model....

ST430

why not believe it? the es300 was bumped up to 3.3L and denoted as es330 after a one year launch...as i have stated before, I'm under the impression they'll launch with this new gs430 in late 04' as an 05 model. Release the 06' LS500?!! in late 05', which will then coincide powertrain wise with the gs500 or so....

lexmaster

This info is very reliable as far as I'm concerned. This is the same individual who told me about the RX 330 coming out a few months before it actually happened (and showed me pics), and he also told me about the Hybrid RX before it was officially announced last year. He mentioned that he was told this info by Lexus executives. 300 hp on rear wheels and 100 hp on the front wheels. An official announcement will come in the near future, and although he was not sure, he speculated that an announcement at NY might be very possible.

looknow12

No, my point was that if they announce a 400hp version of the GS in Nov 04 and then they release the 06 GS in Jan 05, it will hurt the sales of the GS or at least the V8 powered model.

Threxx

My opinion from watching Lexus for years:

-The V6 will remain at the specs they have announced for it.

-The current 4.3L V8 will either be upgraded inbetween now and launch to produce more power and possibly even introduce hybrid technology- this all depends on market research as well as what the engineers and production teams are able to accomplish inbetween now and then though. Lexus has a habit of not announcing things until they are 100% perfected and destined for release. If they do end up using the standard 4.3L V8 for the new model, you can bet on the fact that in the next year or two after that, they will have a revised motor and/or hybrid technology.

-Expect AWD to be released for the V8 GS about the same time as hybrid technology, as the two kind of go hand in hand, as you see on the RX400H which uses two eletric motors... one powering the rear wheels, one at the front.

doug_999

I agree with Threxx

The releases have touted the V6 and its hp figures, but they have been suspiciously quiet about the 4.3 and its figures. I'm betting they find some additional power in it before next year.

I was however surprised to hear that the AWD will be limited to the V6 however. The new A6 and STS will be the leading candidates unless this changes - and no way will I go with a hybrid. I get all the electromagnetic radiation I need with my cell phone thank you.