Och

iTrader: (3)

The GX460 only has 300hp? Is it the same V8 used in the LS with 380 and GS with 340?

MR_F1

Supercharge it. No 570 necessary.

LexFather

Different engine.

tC350

No, thats a completely different engine; might be related though.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

I didn't research on the price but I remembered reading where people were saying it was like another $10k (over the gx premium) to get into the new lx.

well, guess lexus will use that for the refresh model

dgsvt

GX premium loaded 70K... LX 76-82K... So it is only 6-12K more. It really isn't that much more for the LX570 since there aren't many options on the LX.

I'm not sure why it wasn't a GX460 and a GX570 (instead of the premium). The premium model would have the 5.7 and the regular model could only be had with the 4.6. Why the need for an extra 3-5K for the 5.7 motor. Is it that much more expensive to produce than the 4.6? I think it's only a 1K option on a Tundra for the 5.7 over the 4.6. I just don't understand all this talk about how much more expensive it would be if it had the 5.7. For the price Lexus is asking for the 2nd Gen GX there should be a 5.7 in it.

There should be NO need for a price increase for a GX570 vs a GX460 premium.

Here's an example... 2010 ford mustang vs. 2011 mustang. Ford put in an amazing 5.0 in the 2011 that gets 412hp vs the previous years 315hp V8. 97hp more costs a whopping $1,250 more in a 2011. I think that price increase isn't that much more than it would have been if there wasn't an engine change from 2010 to 2011.

What is even more troublesome for me is that the 4.6 in the Lexus has a lower advertised power (301hp) running on premium fuel than the Toyota 4.6 (310hp) running on regular fuel. Why would you lower the power on your high end truck that runs on premium fuel below the base V8 motor on a 26K Tundra. From a marketing standpoint I just don't get it. I get the feeling that Lexus said "Hmmm... Yeah... This is good enough to sell 14K units..."

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Lexus owners don't like the idea of using anything 'regular' . It breaks their heart to be using the same stuff as their Toyota counterparts

I find this to be the case for many previous models. The previous gen ES for sample, shares the exact same drivetrain as the Camry, yet it uses Premium instead of Regular. No change in performance when you go from one to another and if you do 'feel' a difference, then its all placebo.

LexFather

lol, its smuggy!

I want to say the HS uses regular fuel? No? There are also some non luxury cars that ask for premium.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Yep, the HS uses regular fuel. Probably the first ever Lexus to do so. The only other Atkinson-cycle engine Lexus has is from the RX450h, but it uses premium fuel. The HS is definitely an exception to the rule. Good thing for the end user I guess


A Lexus dealer once told me using premium fuel will reduce the funky transmission shift that's plagued in the 02-06 ES. I asked him how it affects the transmission mapping and he started rambling on about a bunch of BS


Anyways enough about that. If Lexus offers a GX570, then it should have slightly less output than the LX570. It doesn't make much sense if your little brother has as much power as you do, while being slimmer.

mmarshall

Yep, gotta agree. Simple but effective. But (maybe) one potential snag....history has shown that some manufacturers won't allow towing with turbocharged/supercharged light trucks and SUVs.

MR_F1

Really? I did not know that...

mmarshall

Yes. Ford wouldn't allow towing in the Lightning or SVT pickups, Dodge (to my knowledge) wouldn't allow towing with some of its high-performance R/T and Shelby Durangos or pickups, and GM would allow it either on the supercharged Cyclone pickup and Typhoon SUV (not sure about the SS Silverado). And I don't think that Jeep allows towing on the SRT-8 Hemi Grand Cherokee either. So, while it is not necessarily a definite or a given, it seems unlikely that Toyota or Lexus would allow towing on a boosted 4Runner or GX either. That (may) be partly because the typical torque/HP curve on blown engines (and some N/A high-performance ones), while good for rapid acceleration, is not necessarily good for dragging heavy loads.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

Ford/Chevy/etc won't allow towing because those cars are made more for track performance than heavy duty towing. Most of them are lowered and run different suspension than their towing brothers. It's just a coincidence that they are boosted.

MR_F1

What does Toyota have to say about the TRD supercharged tundras?

From your description, a simple "tow mode" button could possibly resolve the issue by disengaging an electronic clutch for the supercharger flywheel. Seems strange, because a good V8 would have a similar torque curve to a smaller supercharged engine. Toque peaks quickly and only slightly tapers off top end. Table like. Could it be for cooling reasons as well? Thoughts?

mmarshall

The torque curves of boosted powerplants (besides more torque, of course)are often different from their identical N/A powerplants, for a number of reasons. I'm not enough of an engineer to know just exactly how it is done, and how the spark, EFI, timing, valve opening, etc...is altered, but there are often differences...and that can affect whether the engine is more suited for towing or for acceleration.

GSteg has also brought up some good points, above, about chassis/suspension differences.