Still...additional 25-50hp wouldn't hurt on a IS350. Need to keep up with the times

 

Don't be scared...

 

I agree, another 50 would be nice. It sucks we'd have to spend $60k to get 400+hp in a Lexus.

 

Subaru 2.0L Turbo Boxer 4 makes 296hp 295lb ft in JDM Legacy with return of high 20s MPG. Come on Lexus, beat that number.

 

i don't know about you guys, but my next car will have over 400 hp or I'm not a buyer. my 350 feels lethargic to me. granted i live at 6500 feet ASL and i am a bit spoiled due to my last car being a Z06 corvette but i do miss the torque!
something i think a lot of car manufacturers struggle with is torque. the fact is HP is a calculated number it is torque x rpm / 5252.
with this math anything that makes peak torque near 5k rpm and has a redline of more than 5252 will have more HP than torque.
the problem is HP is what everyone talks about and HP sells. people should really look at the torque figure as it is the actual twisting force coming out of the engine itself.
engines that make a lot of torque at low rpm generally get the best MPG (which also is a selling point)

i know from experience that you can have both performance and good MPG. now that manufacturers are finally starting to put some real overdrive gearing in cars we can get the better MPG but you also need an engine that makes a decent amount of TQ at those highway RPM's

my Z06 corvette used to get 32 MPG highway with a 7.0l honking V8 due in part to the very tall final gear ratio (1600 rpm at 75 mph) and the gobs of TQ the car made at that RPM. not to mention the car was fairly light and low drag coefficient.

i think manufacturers are afraid to put larger displacement engines in cars because they are worried people will shy away thinking they get bad MPG
the fact is anything will get bad MPG if you keep your right foot into it.
i get 33 mpg pretty regularly at 75 mph highway in my IS but i know it could get better with a little more power and a slightly taller gear ratio. and with the 8 speeds would still make for a good performance car.
personally i think if Lexus slapped a turbo on the 3.5 you wouldn't add much weight, you wouldn't have to change the transmission but it would perform more like a sports car should and be a direct competitor to the turbo bmw and SC audi counterparts.
IMO the only thing holding back Lexus sales in the eyes of the competition is they have forced induction!
most buyers in this segment demographically speaking would much prefer something with a turbo especially on the F sport.
why lexus doesn't see this is beyond me.
but if i have to spend 60-70g to get a V8 in a lexus sports car, so be it, i spent 90k on a corvette! from a practicality standpoint the lexus is far more practical for me than a corvette.
but this is a perfect example of how HP sells, and if they were smart they would know that adding a turbo to the current 3.5 cost wise is minimal, but would command easily another 5-8 grand in value and i for one would gladly pay it.

 

Torque makes for a nice daily driver (and usually efficient if you make a lot of torque at the RPM where your vehicle is geared to cruise). Power makes for high performance, though.

Think about it this way, there is no time element in torque (Nm or ftlb). You can apply torque without actually moving anything. Power is how much work that can be done in a given time. That is why power matters for performance. We ultimately judge performance by the time it takes to do something.

Either way, I think the IS will see a massaged 2.0T more meant for someone what would be willing to rev it out. On something like the NX, most drivers will rarely see above 5k RPM (or want to go that high, for that matter). Maximizing power in the 2k to 4k range will make more sense for those drivers. IS drivers, though, are more likely to appreciate power at 5k to 7k. I imagine that the 2.0T will be optimized for each car and we'll see a 250 or 260hp version on the IS.

 

It's very funny to read comments that a manual transmission has no place in a luxury car due to the inconvenience or "crudeness" of it and that cruising and listening to music somehow replaces that experience (LOL). It's fine if someone wants an automatic and the 8-speed auto is fine. It just doesn't feel like a manual for obvious reasons.

I'm very interested in this 2.0T IS. It's the closest Lexus has come to the original formula of the IS300/Altezza 2.0L 3S-GE four. And like their competitors, they should go to the trouble of offering a 6-speed manual and mechanical LSD package. Yes, on a luxury car. If you can buy such things on a vehicle costing tens of thousands less then I fail to understand why such options are not offered on a luxury model with a steeper MSRP. I'm sure the very advanced navigation and high end stereo will be available on all IS trim levels regardless.

 

With Lexus being more bold with their designs and now engines I wish they would offer a manual. More and more manufacturers are moving from manual and Lexus making a 2.0t manual would entice that market to come by. It would also I'm sure entice more aftermarket to come by for the 2.0t. If my is250 had a turbo and manual I would never get rid of it anytime soon. And if the new 2.0t came along next year I would definitely wait for it. Otherwise looks like I have to bring my money elsewhere. I'm sure many owners that have is250 manuals will also look at other cars after the time comes to get rid of the car.

 

True. I will take manual as a free option just like what BMW does to M5.

 

^^ Yep. And it's still mind-boggling as to why the IS350 didn't get the 6-speed option since it's the car with more horsepower. The majority of IS250 buyers (who didn't buy the 6-speed) weren't exactly looking for the fast car that most general 6-speed buyers want.
Anyway, we know nothing until Lexus releases formal specs.

Edit: I also realize that the Altezza I referenced earlier wasn't given IS350 horsepower either but it is a different type of car compared to the smaller IS300 that preceded it. With this 2.0T IS it should be a bit more return to form with the smaller inline engine RWD formula. One hopes. Again, yes, in an entry luxury car.

 

Everytime I get into an auto car, I find myself looking for the third pedal. I'm not a very good manual driver, and I may have clutch slip every now and then, but man, it's just more fun to drive a manual car. Last time I drove IS-F, I yawned.

Edit: I know I can use paddle shifters in IS-F, but if me or anyone else own an auto car, 99% of the time, we just put the car to D because it's just more convenient. Until a car manufacturer can find a way to closer the gap between MT and AT, I would pick manly gear box over AT. Though I probably have to drive another AT car because I just love Lexus.

 

Yup, drivers choose manual trans. I don't care if the AT shifts in .08 seconds, it doesn't hold gears it just isn't the same. Problem is probably less than 10% of people even know how to drive a manual and people are lazy and don't want to learn so they don't buy them and sales go down so manufacturers quit making them. I've also noticed p**** whipped guys who do know how to drive them say "my wife said I have to get an AT cause she doesn't know how to drive a manual" who's paying for it? weak sauce . Luckily BMW still makes them, you sacrifice reliability though.

 

Another option, get NA Miata.

 

You drove it wrong. I've been driving a stick since my first car, but the IS-F in the S+ mode is downright savage. For a turbo 4, I prefer a stick. I'm not sure a stick would have improved the experience in an IS-F.

 

IS250 6MT on the 2IS is a horrible example. Unoptimized gearing made it 3mpg WORSE than the AT