Gojirra99

Is 204 hp for the IS250 officially announced as the exact hp for the U.S. yet ? or is it still up in the air like "300+" hp for the IS350 ?

LEXUS FAN!

i don't know if a GT version is better or an IS450h...

the reason i say that is because I don't think that Lexus should do both because it will create confusion in the brand because they were thinking of bringing a GT line. I think that they should make their hybrids as powerful as they can and market the "h" appropriately, so the speed is taken into account.

spwolf

you are completly off on your projections, 50% more power is huge. I dont really know why is that so hard to understand. As to BMW's high 6's, good luck to them with that, but what happens after 60mph? now that BMW's engines turned Japanese and have more a lot more hp than tq, unlike before. IS250 at 204hp has same torque as new 325i, and yes, it has constant torque curve

If people claim M45 is so much faster than GS430 with some 5% more torque, IS350 should feel as F16 compared to the propeller powered IS250. Manual might get to 60 better but who really cares? You are going to feel the difference every time you even think of hitting the pedal with 50% difference in power.

Good luck to BMW trying to combat 30% of less torque than IS350 with mere 75lbs less weight.

biker

Yes, you will feel the 50% power increase but it won't be that huge (lots of subjectivity in that) in real life as on paper.

BMW claims 6.7s 0-60 on the 325 with 6MT, and the 330 has already been tested 5.6s.

spwolf

Why would it not be huge? Is there any reasonsing behind that or is it just an statement? Both HP and torque are up, so difference will be huge

As said previously, everyone says how M45 is so much faster than GS430, when it has 5% more torque and is around 0.2 sec faster in measurments. And you are saying how 50% more, you wont really feel it? Why?

I could care less about 0-60, what about 30-50, 50-70? Thats what you are going to feel when you drive...

325i might get 6.7 to 60, but thats because of longer 2nd gear, performance wise, through the gears and in motion, car does not have any more power than IS250, so difference will come down to weight.

On the other hand, IS350 will have so much more power, that there is no way 330i will be anywhere as close, and weight difference will be minimal (75lbs).

I guess at that point BMW fans will call in M3 :-).

xravexboix

damn this thread is long...

The 7 Speed automatic (first one) was developed by Daimer Chrysler (which is partnered/owns, whatever, benz). The Lexus 6 Auto is the lightest one at the date of publication of the ASE Magazine (same issue, last Nov, I think)

If any of you have driven any of the GR series engines (2GR Avalon, 3GR GS, no 4GR USDM yet), then you'll notice the massive amounts of low end torque. It feels like a smaller supercharged engine (3.5L 2GR, non direct injection, felt like a supercharged 1MZ Solara, if you've ever driven one). The 2GR-FSE, which will be found in the IS 350, will have better milage (direct injection) and power (increased compression ratio as opposed to the 2GR-FE)

We're just going to have to wait until Road and Track or Car and Driver road tests the car and puts it in a comparison shoot-out with the rivals (vq35de cars, 330, C32 [I think?] and a few of the other compact sport sedans... )

Dual VVT-i (already seen in Double VANOS and a few other systems, I believe) really helps... but the suspension and braking are other factors we're all (obviously) dying to see.

I hope VDIM doesn't make the IS 350 a 'boring' car to drive (No over-ride avail.... to my knowledge)

xravexboix

If the GS 450H is an example of how the hybrid will stack up, then we will most likely see the 3.0L engine coupled to the hybrid drive train and pushing at about wha tthe IS 350 will do. Hybrids will be the flagship version of each model (as close to fully loaded as you can think...)

biker

As I said it depends on one's definition of huge. Mine is the diff between my 3.5sec 0-60 bike and 8sec 0-60 Accord.
As has been proven in the past HP paper advantages of cars over a 330 don't necessarily translate to on road advantages.
If you want really good 30-50 and 50-70 times get a turbo diesel engine. The BMW535d will beat virtually all cars (including some 200K exotics) in those stats. And that's just with "only" 272HP.

robloc93

Okay, I finally got a chance to post up the article from Automobile mag that has the power listed as 204hp for the IS250 and 315hp for the IS350.It's printed in the caption in the middle. Do you guys think these are the official numbers?


Here's a bad *** picture of the GS in the same issue....just thought I'd throw it in for the hell of it!!

andy2003si

The new IS side mirrors are HUGE! Look like 2 dumbo ears!

LexFather

Now that Lexus has joined the HP war, I wonder what people will pick on next Over 300hp is A LOT of power in small sedan.

flipside909

They'll pick on how the side mirrors look like dumbo ears.

spwolf

GR series engines have almost constant torque curve from somewhere around 1,800 rpm to the red line. Any difference in power between 2.5l and 3.5l version will be felt throughout the whole rev range, because at any point on the rpm range, difference will be the same.

Hence, the difference of some 40% more torque will be quite easily indentified by your behind and felt at any point of driving the car. whatever the difference in 0-60 might be, it is just letter on the paper. Real speed felt in the car will be significantly different.

There is no form of car driving where you actually benefit from 0-60 times. On the track, torque might not be as important as power since you can keep the engine in optimal range, but on the road, torque is more important for easy speed at any time.

But what is the most important thing here is that difference between 2.5l and 3.5l GR is constant, at any point of time and hence will be felt at any driving conditions.

So yes, you will be able to feel the difference.

biker

I agree with that, I just said for me it wouldn't be huge.

I got to drive a 6MT (Aisin) CTS (2.8L V6 VVTi) (and yes as rare as they are some Caddy dealers actually stock them) and to me it didn't feel that much slower than the 6MT G35. Despite the knock the CTS gets for its interior (yeah I agree that it's a step below others in the class), that 6MT is the best shifting 6 speed I have driven. I wonder if the same internals will be used on the IS? I assume Lexus gets its MTs from Aisin.

TheRupp

Although they don't really bother me, I'm somewhat bothered by the thought that they might be there to compensate for large blind spots