Rider

I can across this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7mEJA...eature=related and my expression was =0!
The acceleration to 260 is in aprox 30 sec which is almost the same as an M5 lol... I tried accelerating to 260 with my 460 and dont think its this fast! How come a 3.5L car have this much acc speed

Modeler

What do you mean by "3.5L"? What makes 450h so powerful is the electric motor. I've been driving 2007 GS 450h for three years, and my lease is coming to an end. I just went through a month-long car search process where I drove almost every available luxury and near-luxury car in "under $75K". What I found was that for my money there is no better / more powerful car than the 450h. Just ordered the 2010 version to replace my 2007. It's not because there's much difference, but because my 2007 car was in a bad accident before.

Rider

doesnt its powertrain include a 3.5-litre V6 engine??
So, its faster than the 460 =0?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

450h is 3.5L v6 plus an electric motor. a lot of the powerful tq are from the electric motor, especially when one needs to keep in mind the 3.5L is already detuned

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

Those 2 cars are in different class. A 550i would be a perfect class comparison and speed ETC ETC. Now lets take the 335i on track and see how far behind the lexus is gonna be.

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

Why not just take the 135i then?

Modeler

450h will beat 550i hands down.

GS350Lexus

iTrader: (5)

550i v8 4.8 360 horses 360 torque the lexus should be behind but lex is 0-60 in 5.2 sec while the 550i is 0-60 5.5. Hm i wondering up to 100

lucasb7

There are several factors that lead to the 450h's outstanding acceleration.

• First, the CVT removes inefficiencies found in conventional automatics. Also, in traditional gear cars, they spend the majority of the time at WOT in an area of their powerband that is not their actual "max." In the 460 the power during this type of run ranges from around 300-342hp. Meanwhile, assuming the 450h has a full battery, it is held at a constant 339hp.
• The electric motors can also give huge twist. The electric motor alone has the capability of adding upwards of 300lb-ft of torque and over 200hp. In this limited application however, HP from the motor is limited to somewhere around 40hp. But we as conumers do not really know how much it is outputing at various times. What is true is that this motor and electric combination in the 450h at full battery power will provide 441+ lb-ft of torque. To put that number in perspective the M5 has 383lb-ft @6100RPM. The S6 has 398lb-ft. Although torque isn't everything, it does have a lot to do with a car's fun factor.

As modeler says, the 450h is really in a class of its own.

LexFather

It sure is it also has class leading passing power against V-8 competition. It also depends on the battery charge and ensuring the battery is full when you floor it (if possible).

It simply continues to be one of a kind

rominl

iTrader: (4)

when comparing a hybrid with a v8, things can be a bit different

Rider

Hmm,, if this car is the fastest after the IS-F, and has the best mpg, how come the sales of the hybrid are low compared to the regular GS?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

coz' gs350 is a lot cheaper?

same thing why bmw sells a lot more 535 than 550, and mb sells a lot more e350 than e550

Yang1815

iTrader: (1)

True.

GS350 gets quite a bit of power and not bad fuel efficiency. Would I like even more power and the fact that it's a hybrid? Sure. Do I want to pay the difference of $10,000 + less room for negotiation for the hybrid = probably around $12, $13k for that? Nope.

Plus for me, I wanted AWD so...

Modeler

Two reasons:

(1) People as a whole are stupid and ignorant. They see "hybrid" label and they assume it's has a Prius-type of uninspired performance. Lexus did very little to advertise this car and what it's really capable of, which I think is a huge mistake. In the three years I've owned the 450h I have met only ONE person who has both heard of this car and was aware of its capabilities.

(2) The car is fairly expensive. Not compared to BMW 550i, but because of point (1) very few 550i shoppers will look at GS 450h. Very few GS 350 shoppers will look at 450h because of the large cost differential. However, a lot of them don't realize that 450h base model includes a lot of features that are optional on the 350.