Thx for correction, (sorry joedaddy1) guess I was mixing it up with the first year 3GS that carried over the older 4.3 v8, plus that v6 was only around 1 yr in the 3GS too, so thought it was carry over.

Anyway, that v6 engine was short lived so wouldn't make sense for the IS, unless perhaps the engine is still used somewhere else in the world maybe.

 

of course it was used and it is used still :-)... big wide world my friend.

but i dont think they will be using it in IS anymore since 250 is their cheaper option.
It will be IS250, IS300h and then IS350.

TerrySmith - GS250 already got improved transmission so there is no reason for IS250 not to get it too.... so it will probably be slightly better combo in next gen IS250.

 

The 2013 LS is aggressive (for a Lexus). May be a signal: Makes the possibility of a very performance oriented IS more likely and a hardcore IS F realistic.

 

not sure about the 4gs, but for 3gs, a lot of regions actually stayed with gs300 throughout and never saw gs350

 

No, those said regions got the "GS300" only because their oil quality had been deemed not high enough to use direct injection reliably, so they got the 3GR-FE with port injection instead that outputs just 228hp, not the 248hp 3GR-FSE that the US-bound GS300 got.

 

that is for middle east. maybe someone has more info, but for example i think hong kong had gs300 all along and i think that's the FSE. i think hong kong has better grade of gas than the US

 

Ah I think you're right. Never realized the 3GR-FSE did carry on in the GS300 in these regions. Thanks.

 

could also be tarriffs or other taxes based on engine size caused local lexus to prefer smaller engine.

 

yup, places like hong kong, tax is crazy and is based on engine size. once you go above certain threshold you get taxed big time

 

i dont think it went to 4GS though, they introduced GS250 in those regions.....

 

Shouldn't there be test mule pics and other "leaked" pictures by now? If it's going to introduced in a few months already.

 

I don't think Europe ever got GS350 if you don't count Russia. It was GS300 from 2005 to 2011.

I always thought that's because of the taxes and registration based on displacement in most European countries.

 

europe had gs300 but now lost it for gs250... which is dog slow.

 

There already have been test mules running since the spring, but if you mean prototypes, they are already in testing. For some weird reason spy photographs barely exist from Japan and only get here in the form of renderings or artist interpretations. Most of the Lexus prototypes are tested in Japan well in advance of testing in other regions. The only spied prototypes we see are the ones running around in Europe, West Asia, and the Americas. As for leaked photos, absolutely not as you will never see a leaked Lexus before any prototypes.

 

I have now heard that there are apparently disguised XE30 prototypes testing around Torrance, CA, so we should expect spy pics hopefully soon. The person who said this is the same guy that said in March the 2013 LS would be a facelift, with a very accurate description of the changes. He turned out to be very correct and obviously works for Lexus.