Towing with the IS
#16
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Towing is hard on clutches, brakes, and dampers, but doesn't put as much strain on the drivetrain as a day at the track. The forces acting on the tranny, differential, etc. is equal the amount of torque applied by the engine, not the load it is pulling. You would probably want to use manual shift mode though to prevent the tranny from using too high of a gear.
When I posted about towing my boat with my S2000 on the S2000 forum, EVERYONE either called me stupid, or a liar. I posted pictures and a video to prove I wasn't a liar, but it took 2.5 years of towing it without problems to prove I wasn't stupid.
BTW, here is another pic when I was towing my bigger boat.
When I posted about towing my boat with my S2000 on the S2000 forum, EVERYONE either called me stupid, or a liar. I posted pictures and a video to prove I wasn't a liar, but it took 2.5 years of towing it without problems to prove I wasn't stupid.
BTW, here is another pic when I was towing my bigger boat.
#17
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Towing is hard on clutches, brakes, and dampers, but doesn't put as much strain on the drivetrain as a day at the track. The forces acting on the tranny, differential, etc. is equal the amount of torque applied by the engine, not the load it is pulling. You would probably want to use manual shift mode though to prevent the tranny from using too high of a gear.
When I posted about towing my boat with my S2000 on the S2000 forum, EVERYONE either called me stupid, or a liar. I posted pictures and a video to prove I wasn't a liar, but it took 2.5 years of towing it without problems to prove I wasn't stupid.
BTW, here is another pic when I was towing my bigger boat.
When I posted about towing my boat with my S2000 on the S2000 forum, EVERYONE either called me stupid, or a liar. I posted pictures and a video to prove I wasn't a liar, but it took 2.5 years of towing it without problems to prove I wasn't stupid.
BTW, here is another pic when I was towing my bigger boat.
Thats cool and thats Smart of you! 90% of the people would just buy a truck to tow 1 boat. Thats good you didnt waste $15k+ on buying a truck just to to a boat a few times a year. I would of done the same as you.
The key is just to be easy on the gas. Everything would be fine.
#18
You can tow anything with anything, that doesn't mean its safe. I hope that S2000 never experiences an emergency/panic maneuver. You will not see any manufacture making a hitch for a car that the OEM has recommended not to tow with. If there is an accident or an injury to someone with/from a vehicle that was not intended to tow, it will get ugly!
Koz
Koz
#19
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You can tow anything with anything, that doesn't mean its safe. I hope that S2000 never experiences an emergency/panic maneuver. You will not see any manufacture making a hitch for a car that the OEM has recommended not to tow with. If there is an accident or an injury to someone with/from a vehicle that was not intended to tow, it will get ugly!
Koz
Koz
I'm not recommending that everyone tow large loads with the IS (or S2000), but it is doable. If the hitch is designed well for this specific application, then it will do fine. The safety issue has more to do with how it's driven. Any vehicle that is towing a heavy load is unsafe if driven poorly.
#20
You would be suprised at the hitches available for some cars
I had a hitch and trailer for my track tires on my boxster. The hitch was removable and didn't damage the bumper, and the trailer held a set of track wheels+tires and had enough room for some tools/hitch
not my car, but this was the hitch:
I had a hitch and trailer for my track tires on my boxster. The hitch was removable and didn't damage the bumper, and the trailer held a set of track wheels+tires and had enough room for some tools/hitch
not my car, but this was the hitch:
#21
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Thanks for the replies everyone.....picking my car up on thursday. White IS250 AWD with cashmere interior with the luxury package, rear lip spoiler, weathermats and headlight washers....cannot wait. I think i'm going to pass on the towing....let my gf's 2000 Audi A4 take care of that.
#23
Wow....I can't believe that you would buy a luxury performance car and then tow with it!!! I see the pics of the S2000 and the Porche Boxter and all this talk about towing with an IS and can't believe it. I am in no way trying to say it can't be done, but the car is simply not designed for it. I'm sure it would take a toll on the tranny and the suspension. The brakes are really good and I don't see that being a huge problem. Nevertheless....WHY?!?! You can get an old pickup with a hitch for about $5000-$6000 which is about what you would be paying if the tranny took a dump. So, my advise, tow with a vehicle made for towing....don't ruin your beautiful IS!!!!
#24
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Wow....I can't believe that you would buy a luxury performance car and then tow with it!!! I see the pics of the S2000 and the Porche Boxter and all this talk about towing with an IS and can't believe it. I am in no way trying to say it can't be done, but the car is simply not designed for it. I'm sure it would take a toll on the tranny and the suspension. The brakes are really good and I don't see that being a huge problem. Nevertheless....WHY?!?! You can get an old pickup with a hitch for about $5000-$6000 which is about what you would be paying if the tranny took a dump. So, my advise, tow with a vehicle made for towing....don't ruin your beautiful IS!!!!
Besides, there are other uses for a hitch than just towing trailers. I would MUCH rather carry my track tires on a TireTail than cram them in the passenger compartment.
#25
Besides, there are other uses for a hitch than just towing trailers. I would MUCH rather carry my track tires on a TireTail than cram them in the passenger compartment.
For me dragging my girlfriend or some friends to each event so they could haul my gear just wasn't going to happen...maybe once or twice but not every 3-4 weeks for 8-9 months out of the year.
#26
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agreed! It was much easier putting the hitch on the boxster and driving off to an auto-x track or track days. The PCA club (Porsche's car club) was very active and between auto-x and track days you could go to an event at least every 3 weeks... having dedicated track tires made things alot easier. And in the case of the boxster or the S2000 its impossible to bring a track set of wheels to events.
For me dragging my girlfriend or some friends to each event so they could haul my gear just wasn't going to happen...maybe once or twice but not every 3-4 weeks for 8-9 months out of the year.
For me dragging my girlfriend or some friends to each event so they could haul my gear just wasn't going to happen...maybe once or twice but not every 3-4 weeks for 8-9 months out of the year.
#27
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I really wouldn't recommend towing anything with the IS. If the manufacturer doesn't recommend it, don't do it. If it had the capability to do it reliability, you can bet that they would have mentioned it.
I'm sure you've all seen things being trailered get squirelly on the highway because of a dip or pothole...those type of forces will damage or compromise the chassis if it were to occur on a vehicle not designed for towing. Parts of the subframe are welded and constructed to withstand certain types of forces acting upon them...towing puts stress on the car that it was not designed for.
I'm sure you've all seen things being trailered get squirelly on the highway because of a dip or pothole...those type of forces will damage or compromise the chassis if it were to occur on a vehicle not designed for towing. Parts of the subframe are welded and constructed to withstand certain types of forces acting upon them...towing puts stress on the car that it was not designed for.
#28
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I really wouldn't recommend towing anything with the IS. If the manufacturer doesn't recommend it, don't do it. If it had the capability to do it reliability, you can bet that they would have mentioned it.
I'm sure you've all seen things being trailered get squirelly on the highway because of a dip or pothole...those type of forces will damage or compromise the chassis if it were to occur on a vehicle not designed for towing. Parts of the subframe are welded and constructed to withstand certain types of forces acting upon them...towing puts stress on the car that it was not designed for.
I'm sure you've all seen things being trailered get squirelly on the highway because of a dip or pothole...those type of forces will damage or compromise the chassis if it were to occur on a vehicle not designed for towing. Parts of the subframe are welded and constructed to withstand certain types of forces acting upon them...towing puts stress on the car that it was not designed for.
Something else to consider is that the ES 300 and ES 330 actually had class 2 hitches available for them. Does anyone know what Lexus' recommendation was about towing with the ES? Was the ES very different structurally than an IS?
#29
Towing a tiny trailer with 4 tires is one thing but towing a boat is another. Do yourself a favor and DON"T tow with the IS, you will be making a big mistake. If you have to tow anything take the time to visit http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm and do SOME research.
Koz
Koz
#30
Lexus Champion
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Towing a tiny trailer with 4 tires is one thing but towing a boat is another. Do yourself a favor and DON"T tow with the IS, you will be making a big mistake. If you have to tow anything take the time to visit http://www.rv.net/forum/index.cfm and do SOME research.
Koz
Koz