bam

I still can't believe that Lexus after seeming to be doing things right with the new 4GS, decided not to put a v-8 in the car. I know Lexus/Toyota is going after the fuel efficient image but imo, not putting a v-8 in the car is a big mistake. Look at Acura. They've refused to put a v-8 in their RL since it was introduced and has anybody ever taken that car seriously? Nope. It's not even in the same league as the GS, 5, E, or A6.

What makes it even worse, is the engine in the 4GS is the same one from the previous generation but somehow, Lexus keeps saying that it's a new engine. Even in the E class where 80 or 90% of buyers are buying the v-6, they still need to have the v-8 for the image. Besides, it's not like it's a special v-8 only for the E class. It's the same engine they use for the "base" model of the S, CL, and CLS. Lexus can do the same with their v-8 engine and simply drop in the engine from the LS but detune it a little, which is what they did for the 3GS.

Maybe, in the next few years, they'll introduce a v-6 twin turbo to "replace" what should have been the v-8 option and then introduce a turbo or twin turbo v-8 for the gs-f.

Personally, I appreciate Toyota/Lexus' efforts in trying to be fuel efficient but I don't like driving hybrids. Granted the hybrids I've driven have been the prius or the HS250 so they have been really down on power and I'm sure the new 4GS hybrid will have some pick up and go but I can't stand the CVT tranny.

Lexus, please don't take 2 steps forward and then take 3 steps back.

jtrue28

They're not going to upstage the flagship (LS). The GS won't have a new engine until after they release the new LS. Same thing happened in 2005/2006.

jjbenzo

Yep, Lexus has become a joke. I use to love all of their cars in the 90's-00's, but there is not a single car I would buy from them today. I wanted to love the new GS so bad....but I just don't. There are way too many cars out there that I would rather have. The new BMW 550 with the M-Sport package or the new Jaguar XF Supercharged are way better contenders for my dollar. I grew up a Toyota/Lexus fan. I am an avid enthusiast of their older cars and trucks, however, even with AKio Toyoda in the main seat, the company has still not turned around, it's more of the same old crap. I love my GS430. Everything about it from the exterior styling, interior comfort, to the effortless power of the V8. Not a single new Lexus I would trade it in on.

bam

I'm not saying they need to upstage the LS but they should introduce the 4GS with the carryover engines and then during the refresh, introduce the new engines. Then when the new LS is introduced, a new v-8 (although detuned) can be put into the 4GS.

Simply saying that they're not putting a v-8 in the 4GS is silly. Like I said, even if there are very few takers, they still need it for the image. Look at the E class. A MB sales person told me that they sell 1 v-8 to every 20 v-6 in the E class but yet they still put the v-8 in the car. Again, look at the Acura RL. It's never been taken seriously and every car magazine always bashes it because of a lack of the v-8. Even in the RL with only a v-6, how many of them do you on the road? Does anybody even care when you see one on the road because it's so bland?

Like I said, I don't necessarily need them to create a completely new v-8 for the 4GS, but they should have at least used the existing v-8 and put it in there. This would at a bare minimum help with the economies of scale.

Justin2JZ

I still strongly believe that they're gonna do what they did with the 2&GS. Perhaps a 2nd year update. The 06 GS had the 3.0 and the 07 had the 3.5 so probably a engine/transmission refresh is coming.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

for all i care they could have done the gs460 and just up the hp to 380hp like the ls460 and i think that's great already

don't tell me they can't do that, they did exactly that with gs400 and gs430

User 121523

I don't understand the need for a v8. In the current generation, it's 5% faster than the v6 (in 0-60) while burning 10% more gas (combined mileage). With the GS-F coming, which will most likely be much, much faster than the v8 anyway, the market between the v6 and the -F for the v8 is slim to none, and there's no need to hold up the image since that'd already be done by the -F.

As for Acura, they've never been a serious contender against MB, BMW, Lexus, Audi, the likes, not to mention that the latest designs are fugly, to the point where I think Hyundais look more interesting than they are. For the same price, one can get much more prestigious brands. I really don't think the lack of v8 is the reason RL doesn't sell.

My 2¢.

MPLexus301

iTrader: (3)

LS is supposed to get a significant refresh next year so if they were really that concerned about upstaging it, they could have endowed the LS with the new V8 just a few months after the GS came out.

As I just pointed out in the GSF thread, the ISF 5.0L V8 is perfectly competitive with the E550 and 550i - greater HP with better MPG - and yet, when pressed on the issue, Lexus says that engine is old and not efficient enough for a new car. Oh really?!

jtrue28

Right, so they'll release a new set of engines next year, but only after the LS has been "refreshed". That's what I said.

GSteg

iTrader: (15)

I've never thought of the 5.0L has an 'old' engine. Hell, most engines last at least 2 generations (with updates) before they get replaced by a newer engine. If anything, the ISF' engine is good for another few years.

bam

I hear what you're saying but the GS-F will need to compete with the E63 and M5 where the E63 makes 518hp and the M5 makes 560hp. The E63 makes even more with the performance package.

So the gs350 makes 306hp and the GS-F will need to make at least 500hp, I believe there's room for a middle gorund car. Even the E550 makes over 400 hp depending on which car the engine is in and the 550i makes about 400hp. I appreciate Lexus/Toyota trying to stay green with the hybrids but imo, that's only an image thing to satisfy the prius lovers. When you're getting into the price range of where the E550 and 550i, emotion plays a part in the purchase decision and being able to say that you have a 4.4 twin tubo v-8 or a 4.7 twin turbo v-8 is better than saying you have a hybrid v-6 with a cvt tranny.

Sometimes, better business decisions don't always make the most "cents." So just because the v-8 might not give Lexus the best ROI, it's still something they need to have. Otherwise, they'll be classified along with Acura and the sad RL. As far as I know, there aren't any other Executive sedans out there without a v-8 in this class of vehicle. MB, BMW, Audi, Jag, Infiniti, Cadillac, even Hyundai all has a v-8 in this class of vehicle. The only car that doesn't is the Acura and many would agree that Hyundai has now even surpassed the Acura RL with their new Equus.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

as i mentioned in another post, i see plenty of e550 and 550i on the road every day, especially in rich areas. of course, not as many as e350 and 535i (better be), but far more than e63 and m5. look at the price difference, it's a HUGE gap between the v6 and the amg / m. people who are able to afford v8, some aren't really looking into 6 digit area yet. plus those cars are quite a bit more hardcore on performance (compromising rides), not exactly what everyone looks for

Blackraven

The hope is that the GS-F will compensate for the lack of a regular V8 variant in the 4GS lineup.

I do hope the GS-F coming (and with at least 500 hp at minimum)

bam

It's "old" in the sense that it's an old style 5 liter v-8 engine instead of the new style turbo engines. It's old compared to all of the newly introduced v-8's being put into the current crop of cars. Other than that, it still has direct injection and variable valve timing. What's old about that? Nothing. It doesn't have the stop/start tech to save gas at red lights but honestly, I hate that and I would deactivate that feature if I bought a car and it had that feature.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

the funny thing is the 5.0L pushing 415hp together with the 8 speed, its gas mileage is probably better than or similar to competitors' v8 (tt setup)