Are there any Lexus R&D or prototypes of an IS with the 430 V8?
There should be..... Cream the new GTO and hang with an M3 at least. BMW and MB both make really fast cars, why not Lexus? Even the new Caddycrap is faster than the fastest Lex!
I guess a GS430 can still beat all the new Lincolns.... if that is good enough??
Yup, there is an IS v-8:
It was at the SEMA show this year and there was also a write up in Autoweek magazine in Nov or Dec of 2003....
I would imagine that a 4.3 liter V8 in the front of that tiny car would make it front heavy and screw up its handling. Seems to me like a good car for the racer-boys who want to go fast, but only in a straight line-- and even then the wheelspin would be considerable. Am I missing something?
I would guess that the v8 is lighter than the straight six. Modern tyres and electronics probably reduce the chance of unplanned wheel spin. The most fun is to be had from a powerful rear wheel drive car with a LSD. Every empty roundabout becomes a big grin.
MrCheerful
Yes. The iron block straight 6 and the alloy V-* are the same weight. The front/back blalnce is almost unchanged. This is per the Lexus cd-rom they were giving out.
You're probably right MrCheerful. Although the car would be fun to drive every once in a while, I can't see that many people actually going out and purchasing an IS430 if Lexus were to mass produce the vehicle. It would probably sell fairly well in South Florida or Southern California--but that would be about it. I could certainly be wrong about this, but I don't think so at this point in time.
Speaking of the Lexus IS series, Saturday morning I was at the local dealership for an oil change in my 2002 IS300. All seven cars in the dealership's showroom were IS300s. Three graphite grey metallic pearl ones, two black and two champagne/pewter--or whatever that light gold color is that Lexus has. Not sure what Lexus actually calls it. Lexus must have decided to start promoting the sales of the IS more. This dealership usually only has one IS300 in its showroom at all times.
S.T.
A car like the IS should be able to keep up with same year GTOs and Mustangs. It's pathetic that they cannot come anywhere close to doing so.
So what is the problem with a v8 IS?? Sure, it would cost more. But you don't expect to get the extra 80 HP for free do you? BMW owners buy M3s, and Lexus owners would buy a V8/IS for the same reasons.... except they would not have to wind the crap out of the V8 to get that good power like M3 six needs.
Ever hear of a BMW 540? Pretty great car. Well it is just the 525 with a v8.
How about a GS400 vs GS300? Which one would YOU prefer to drive? Same car, but one has a v8.
Even the dumb Americans have put inline six and V8s into the same car... since the early fifties. Since the Lex 6 and 8 weigh the same, there is no down side except cost.... unless you care about hurting the feelings of Mustang/GTO owners when you dust their butts!
Oh, so the reason that the IS300s aren't selling so well is because people are holding off due to the lack of a V8? They're just sitting back waiting to come off of even MORE money for a faster version of a car that they are already hesitant to purchase.
Of course I'm aware of the BMW 540. I see them on the road all of the time.
car, but one has a v8.
I wouldn't want to drive either of these cars--although they are both really nice. They're just not for me personally.
It would be interesting to see if your theory turned out to be true. But I'm afraid that an IS430 wouldn't sell as well as you think. Although I really do like my IS300, I don't think that the increase in horsepower would turn this platform into a smash success. There are other reasons that a large percentage of the luxury sport sedan buyers as a whole haven't truly embraced the IS300. They're good cars, but they do have some pitfalls that need to be addressed. Even if they DID have a V8 under the hood!
Actually I am an ES300 owner who lusts for 200 more HP. I owned a Corvette and an old GTO, and would like something faster then them to drive now.
I would like to see a Lex hotrod like BMW M3. An M3 would stomp all these old muscle cars. Both BMW and Mercedes sell really fast cars. So why not Lexus.... like Lexus AMG!
Can you imagine a supercharged ES330 or a twin turbo LS430? The Germans sell such cars.
Road & Track reported a few months ago that Lexus is working on a V-10 powered exotic performance car in the $100K range.
-- Pete (who also wouldn't turn down a 375-hp LS 550)
TANKIE wrote:
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