jroosh

Today Lexus announced the new IS350...with a 3.5L V6 that produces over 300HP

and the GS450h, which has a hybrid 3.5L V6 and probably produces around 300HP

not to mention the Avalon...but I digress

and yet the GS300 makes due with a 3.0L...

If I was interested in the GS300 I would wait right now.

GammaLex

Thats exactly why im look at the ls430.

AsianGirl007

iTrader: (1)

Probably Lexus didn't want to wait any longer to release 3rd gen? It's been 7 years already.
Yes, some people might wait for the GS450h or the IS350, but some people will get the GS300 now AND then get another GS350 or GS450H down the road.
Many people also lease their cars so they will definately be gettting another GS later down the road. I don't think people wanted to wait any longer than the 7 years that already went by. I know I didn't want to wait any more than the 7 years. It's way too long to wait for a new body style IMHO.

LexFather

1. The 3GS 300 has a full second improvement in performance over the 2GS 300. So right now, it DOESN'T need more power. The BMW 530 had 189hp until it got bumped to 225hp. It will get 255hp in a couple months, which is 10 more than the GS 300.
2. The IS is a cheaper car and more tuned to people who want more aggresive handling and now speed. The IS was loved by the auto press except not enough power. Well it will have it now with the IS 350.
3. Yes, the 450h will have around 330hp. It is the flagship GS. It will be loaded with all the options. It may have more power, depending on how much the final IS 350 rating is.
4. The Avalon does have 280hp,


As stated before the only reason this makes sense, is what Lexus said, they want to update engines in the GS later. So they had to put something in them now.

I am curious why the 3.0 did not make the IS.

Now that I think about it, I feel (time to go eat)

jroosh

My point is why would they have to wait? Why did Lexus take the time and resources to develop a seperate 3.0L engine alongside the 3.5L at the same time? ....when they could have just put the 3.5L in now? It doesn't make any sense. Why wouldn't they make IS owners wait? 245HP would me more than enough in that car.

XeroK00L

It's all about long-term profit for the business. They are in business to make a profit, not necessarily to entertain.

Please refer to my post in a similar thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...7&postcount=12 .

Gojirra99

I think it will eventually - the next upgrade for the IS250

jroosh

here is your post from that thread:

...and I'm not buying this. There will be plenty of things to update in a couple years like there always has been. It doesn't make sense to develop an inferior engine only to offer an upgrade to an engine that is available in the IS350, the GS450h (in Hybrid form), and the Avalon. It's not like they just grabbed an existing engine off the shelf. They had to spend extra money to develop this engine...and only to replace it in a year and a half? Your theory doesn't hold water, but that isn't to say I have anything to offer in its stead which is why this is so puzzling.

XeroK00L

There will be plenty of things that can be updated for sure, but nothing gets more press and media attention than an engine update. Just imagine, which one of the following will you rather hear from Lexus regarding the new IS in two years down the road?
a. "We've got a new exterior color for the IS",
b. "We've got a new wheel choice for the IS",
c. "We've got a new Sport/Coach/Anniversary/Super-Splendid-Spectacular Edition of the IS",
d. "We've got a rear-seat entertainment system for the IS", or
e. "We've got a new engine for the IS with 50 more horsepower and 45 lb-ft more torque!!!"

Also, it does not cost Toyota any more to put that "inferior" engine in the new IS than to put in the 3.0L engine instead--the 2.5L has already been used in many JDM models such as the Mark X and Crown series.

HKGS300

I think your are wrong ..

The IS250 is an upgrade from the initial IS200, that was mainly sold in Europe and was lacking power...

Due to the IS250, it would not make any sense to do the IS300, since these 2 are too close to each other... likely Toyota has a production capacity issue, and is reserving all the 3.5L for the US version of the IS...

Also, most GS drivers (not us on this board) are less performance oriented (pls no flames ), and the GS drivers also have an option to go for the GS430 ...

Gojirra99

I think it makes a lot of sense, & the IS250 & IS300 will not be too close,the Europeans do that all the time, when the current 3 series was introduced in 1998, it's a 328, a couple years later, it became the 330. Also 318 to 320 etc. . .

Also both the new 3 series 325 & 330 to be on sale soon will be a 3.0 litre engine in the US but the 330 just makes more hp/torque than the 325, BMW surely didn't think that is too close . . .

spwolf

3.0 engine was developed before 3.5, almost year before. As well as 2.5l engine.

It is 3.5 engine that was latest to the mix. First showing of 3.5l FSE engine will be in October 2005. They could not have put it into the car now.

You think sales of GS300&GS430 should have been delayed until mid-2006 until GS350 and GS460 were avail?

IS250 exists because it is cheaper and more economical. It still gets decent 0-60 times for people who dont care about all out performance... I bet a lot of people will get it because it gets nice mpg numbers...

Power freaks get IS350....

rominl

iTrader: (4)

my guess is when the new gs was ready to be released, the 3.5 engine was nto fully done yet (meaning not 100%). same with the new 4.6 v8. that's why the gs doesn't have it. but the new IS is going to get the 350, and the gs is getting the 350 immediately, only 1 yr after its release

CK6Speed

iTrader: (1)

This could be the case. But then I have to ask why the heck are they releasing an 06 model in March of 2005? Surely they could have waited until the August/September and included the 3.5 engine. At first when I bought my 04 in April 2003 it was kind of fun to say you had an 04 when everyone else was just came out with their 03. However, 1.5 years later when I inquired about a trade in during the middle of 04 (Just checking my options) I already had 24K miles and my resale was shot to hell. Nobody really likes an 04 with 24K miles in the middle of 04 and it didn't matter if I had the car for 18 months already. I learned my lesson. I won't but another new car that early in the year anymore. Why does Lexus do this?

looknow12

Where did you read 330hp for the 450h? Those numbers don't exactly jive. The 6 cyl will produce 300hp +. The electric drive motor has to produce more than 30hp in my opinion. I agree it is about torque mostly, but it seems like not enough of a draw. I thought read high 300's.