rominl

iTrader: (4)

good thinking. i think that depends on whether lexus wants to make it the true premium that competes with the sl class, or stay it as is. if they stay it as is, it's actually just a deviate from the gs platform, so we might just see something like the sc450h. but if they want to make it so premium, then we will see the sc600hl. but one would expect to see a lot more as well and a HUGE price tag jump to 80k or 90k to "match up" with the ls600hl. personally i am not sure if lexus would do that, the SC as a class itself might not be that high up yet. and together with the fact that lexus is doing the high end sport coupe, they might just leave that one as the true premium

well i am still trying to separate all the GT version from the normal series, using amg as example let's say. the IS will get the is500 or so, matching up with the c55 (NA). in amg, you get the e55 and s55 both pretty much the same engine setup. so i was thinking if that means gs600hl as the GT version to match the ls600hl, but somehow my gut feeling says otherwise since lexus is marketing the ls600hl as competitor to the premium v12 s600 and 760li, a configuration not available in 5 series and e class (and we know lexus won't have v12 for a while).

on the other hand, having the v10 on the gs as the GT would be pretty funny as well. the v10 will most likely be first used in the lexus high end sport coupe pushing 500hp (rumor), putting it in the gs would make sense (similar to m5), but does that mean they will put it in the sc as well (since sc is closely related to gs in some sense, and the m6 uses the same v10 as m5). if so, how would that "conflict" with the end high sport coupe?

umm.... what a cloud of fuzz..

rominl

iTrader: (4)

lol, if they just take out the rear seats once and for all, that might help

GFerg

Or turn it into a true 2 seat convertible and have the batteries behind the driver somehow.

I think a coupe or convertible will be the last car we will see a Hybrid powertrain. SUV's, Trucks, and maybe Minivans IMO have a higher priority than a coupe.

Gojirra99

It doesn't necessarily have to conflict with the LF-A depending on how they want to make them. We still have very little on what the LF-A would be like, but if they make the LF-A as a light-weight sports car with little luxury features more suited for the track(closer to the NSX), & keep the new SC (with the V10) as a hardtop convertible GT loaded with luxury features(more similar to the SL55 & M6), then there will be little conflict

Gojirra99

Rear seats or storage bins behind the front seats are still luggage space, so that still is a sacrifice of storage space afterall ?

toy4two

Great...I'm sure it will be an automatic

Gojirra99

Lexus should really be working on at least a DSG type transmission to put in their cars if they don't want to offer manuals . . .

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Not necessarily. The hybrid system adds extra torque, which would help the car pass other cars. Sportiness is not just 0-60 time, but 60-80 time.

The big problem: the hybrid IS will be more than 4000 lbs. Lexus needs to trim the fat off the IS. If the IS will become a hybrid coupe, it needs to shed about 500-600 lbs to be considered a true sports performance coupe (with VDIM). Getting rid of the backseats will definately help...

Trucks, SUVs, and minivans would definately benefit from a hybrid system, but hybrids aren't efficient enough. Consider the Highlander/RX hybrids for example: it needs to save gas more than add power.

GFerg

And sportiness is not all about speed either. Which is why I highly doubt that we will see a coupe hybrid before more SUV and Truck Hybrids. Right now they are to big and heavy. Big and heavy do not go together when we are talking about coupes which are suppose to be sporty to begin with. On top of that space is a serious disadvantage when it comes to coupes and hardtop convertibles. Currently I just do not see a market for Hybrid coupes.

SUV's and Trucks though with falling sales are still very popular and some will never trade down. Right now many companies are adding SUV Hybrids(Audi Q7 Hybrid, GM Fullsize truck Hybrid, Saturn Vue Hybrid, even Porsche Cayenne Hybrid with a possible Toyota drivetrain) instead of coupe or sedan. Its just easier to package and IMO people like the idea.

On the contrary we have seen photos of a hybrid MR2/MRS(or so the publications say, but I call BS on that) running around the Nurburgring.

GFerg

They definitely should. That is without a doubt one of the best trannies I have ever experienced.

But they did say that the IS500 might have the Magneti Marelli tranny used in the Ferraris.

It really grinds my gears that Toyota neglects to put proper manual trannies in their higher performing cars. I hope that I am in for a surprise within the coming years cause right now it is very unexceptable.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

umm true i guess, in that case the lf-a would be quite a monster. light weight with 500hp.

i am sure if all these happen, we would be all crying for the LS with the v10 + hybrid hey how should we call that then? ls650hl?

well but with your top down, i dont really think it's a good idea to put much stuff in the back seat, you might be lucky to keep 50% of them when you arrive at the destination might as well make it into complete cabinate or use that space for batter (probably better for weight distribution) and keep the current space in the trunk

Inabj2

Ya what is sup with those droids? theyre really hard to find!

Gojirra99

Yes, driving with top down, stuff like newspapers & magazines is a no-no. Things that are more substantial like a brief case is OK though. I do agree sacrificing the space behind the seats for battery is probably a better option than sacrificing the trunk space if they want to make a SC convertible hybrid, but I still would rather see a V10 instead.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

come on, you forgot about the lf-a? that's the car you want man

Gojirra99

Umm, actually, I' ve never been too impressed by the LF-A shown to us in autoshows & spy photo's, except the prospect of a V10.
Quite frankly, my anticipation is higher for the prospect of a new NSX ( V10 too?) at this point . . .