Like I did when the 3GS debuted, this thread will be for any articles/reviews ONLY. The other thread is for discussion. PLEASE only post reviews/pics/facts/scans in this thread. Thanks.
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If Edmunds can get 5.5 sec., others usually can do much better
Quote:
Lexus GS450h -- Proof Toyota Will Eventually Rule the World
I just spent the morning in the GS450h, and as expected it came off as a spectacular car. The primary point this car makes is that you can drive a hybrid vehicle with absolutely no penalty (except, of course, cost). Toyota's earlier hybrid efforts (Prius and RX400h) are fine vehicles, but the hybrid element is very apparent while driving them. For instance, when the engine fires up to assist with accleration on the Prius, you know about it. And when you apply the brakes in either car there is an inconsistant feel as the drivetrain switches from motor to generator. These issues are minor by earlier hybrid standards. For instance, in the Honda Insight you REALLY know when the drivetrain is doing its "hybrid" thing, while in the Prius you just sort of know and in the RX400h you only kinda know.
In the GS450h you have to purposely "feel" for these drivetrain shifts, or you will not be aware of them. Instead, the car just seems extremely quick and responsive when applying the throttle, and the brake pedal has a slight mushiness to it (about as mushy and many other, non-hybrid vehicles). I like how you can put it in "sport" mode to stiffen up the suspension, and I like how you can put it in "power" mode to tell the drivetrain, "Hey, forget that whole mileage thing right now and just make the car go fast." It seems to work, too, as the GS hybrid pulled a 5.5 second zero-to-60 time in instrumented testing. I've also noticed with each new Toyota hybrid vehicle that their ability to recharge the battery keeps getting better. Keeping the Prius battery full takes some effort on the driver's part, but the battery in the RX400h seems to rarely go out of "green" mode, and the GS's battery was green during most of my test drive -- even though I was hammering the throttle most of the time. Our company owner also drove the car and was thoroughly impresed. In his words, "Toyota is way out in front on this." That's a hard point to argue, considering Toyota is rapidly improving their hybrid drivetrains while most other manufacturers haven't even built their first version.
Posted by Karl Feb 24, 2006 12:44 pm
From LexArrazo
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2007 Lexus GS450h
Can hybrid technology make a great sedan even better?
by Paul A. Eisenstein (2006-02-24)
The Big Island of Hawaii is a land of surprises. Along the warm, dry Kona Coast it's sunshine, swimming, and golf. But just ten miles away, along the cross-island Saddle Road , a torrential rain is pummeling down, while a blizzard scours the island's twin volcanic peaks.
So it was an unexpectedly appropriate place to go for our first drive of the 2007 Lexus GS450h, a sedan that delivers a variety of its own surprises. The new model could very well redefine both the Lexus brand and the concept of hybrid-electric vehicles.
"Hybrid" is, of course, what the little "h" stands for, making this the second gasoline-electric offering in the Lexus lineup. The first, the RX400h, debuted barely a year ago. A version of the automaker's crossover wagon, it's proved both immensely popular and quite controversial. Like the little Prius sedan sold by parent company, Toyota , Lexus bills the RX400h as an environmentally friendly vehicle whose high-mileage technology reduces both emissions and reliance on imported oil.
In real-world use, the RX is more about feeling good than helping Mother Earth. Some reviewers, including those at TheCarConnection.com and The New York Times, have gotten just 21 mpg. Polling owners, the enthusiast site, GreenHybrids.com, got the average closer to 25 mpg, still a significant shortfall from the 33 City/28 Highway sticker. But if you don't save much fuel, there's the feel-good factor - and the access to the diamond commuter lanes with one person onboard, offsetting the steep hybrid price penalty.
Well aware of the controversy, Lexus is nonetheless still singing a green tune as it prepares to launch the GS450h. But it is fine-tuning that message. The emphasis here is on environmentally sensitive performance.
Cleaner than the average car
The sedan, boasted chief engineer Shigetoshi Miyoshi, is "80 percent cleaner than the average car." But during a background briefing, he put the real emphasis on the fact that the new hybrid is not only the fastest-ever Lexus, but with a 0-60 time of 5.2 seconds, quicker than a Porsche 911 with the Tiptronic transmission. Top speed is a limited 131 mph for the U.S. version.
Will you also get better mileage? Well, it depends. Almost certainly better than a 4.5-liter V-8, which officials claim is what you'd need to get comparable performance - and why the 3.5-liter sedan is designated the GS450h, rather than GS350h. According to Lexus, the '07 hybrid should match the fuel consumption of a stingy, 2.5-liter in-line four, rated 27 mpg City and 28 Highway.
Well, that's what the window sticker is likely to show. But we wouldn't expect that in everyday use. Sure, in heavy L.A. traffic, you'll spend time in electric-only mode. But stomp on the drive-by-wire throttle and you're going to drain a lot of that imported petrol. During several admittedly brief runs around the Big Island , our test GS delivered results ranging from 19.3 to 24.4 mpg. Steep hills and hard acceleration, as you'd expect, quickly slashed away at the numbers.
Now, as we tore through the Hawaiian countryside, we have to admit, we weren't all that worried about fuel economy. This hybrid-electric proved an absolute, er, gas to drive.
Flat-out performance is exhilarating. The throttle nailed, you quickly sank back into the sedan's well-bolstered seats. Thanks to the "electric supercharging" system, the GS kept pulling as long as there was power in the batteries. And we found no noticeable loss in performance as we climbed to higher altitudes on this well-terraced island.
With last year's introduction of the GS sedan, Lexus took a great leap forward. As the division's general manager, Bob Carter, readily admits, this is not a brand known for its high emotional quotient. Parent Toyota is trying to change that. It has set up a separate Lexus board of directors, engineering arm and design center. And the '06 GS made great use of the division's stylish new design theme, known internally as L-finesse.
Lexus chose not to plaster the word, "hybrid," all over the vehicle, preferring discreet badging and otherwise subtle visual differences from the standard GS sedan.
Synergy at work
What matters most is largely found under the skin. Lift the hood and you'll discover an engine cover emblazoned, " Hybrid Synergy Drive ." It's an extraordinarily complicated package of technology - and not easy to boil down to a paragraph, but let's try.
The 292-hp V-6 delivers power through a new hybrid transmission specifically developed for the GS450h (and likely other high-performance models to follow). The transmission can also be driven by the most powerful hybrid twin-electric motor system Toyota has ever built, which is capable of punching out 197 hp and lots of on-demand torque.
(Don't try to add the horsepower ratings of the gas engine and electric motors. It doesn't work that way. All told, the GS450h makes a maximum 339 hp.)
When slowing or coasting, the synergy drive system can recapture waste energy, as can the vehicle's so-called regenerative brakes, which create current, rather than waste heat. This power can be re-directed to the electric motor, or recycled into 40 nickel-metal-hydride batteries.
The hybrid package is smaller and lighter than that used in other Toyota hybrids, notably the RX400h. That reflects the emphasis on performance over mileage, as well as the need to provide reasonable cargo space. There's room for two full-size golf bags in the trunk. Still, the motor, power electronics, batteries, and other hybrid accoutrements add about 386 pounds to the standard, V-6 GS sedan, which now weighs in at a hefty 4134 lb.
On the road, you'd likely not notice. Nor are you aware of all the complicated machinations ordered up by the hybrid's computer controllers. "It's a challenge, when you're (switching from electric drive to gas-power) to tell when the engine starts," asserts executive engineer Dave Hermance. After trying, we have to agree.
This is easily the most transparent of any hybrid we've driven. There's very little of that rubber-banding effect you feel in a Prius or RX as the engine revs, seemingly independent of actual road speed. It's even better when you put the shift in manual mode, where it does a reasonable job of emulating a six-speed manual.
Alphabet soup
The '06 GS introduced an alphabet soup of technology designed to improve handling, performance, comfort, and safety. There's a full review on-site, so to keep this piece from stretching on indefinitely, we'll touch on only a few key features, like VGRS, which provides variable gear ratio steering. The steering is electrically assisted.
The Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management System, or VDIM, takes input from sources like steering angle, yaw rate, brake pressure, and acceleration sensors. That regulates various traction systems, including anti-lock brakes, or ABS, Vehicle Stability Control, or VSC, Traction Control, or TCS, Brake Assist, or BA, and Electronic Throttle Control with intelligence, or ETC-i.
Our test vehicle also included the optional Active Stabilizer Suspension system. (Perhaps you can understand why Lexus uses no acronym here.) It's similar to the BMW system used to variably torque stabilizer bars, but Lexus has gone electric instead of hydraulic.
Toss in the standard rain-sensing wipers, Park Assist, and rearview camera and you've got a car with more silicon and copper circuitry than you'd find at a small Radio Shack. But what happens when it's all running?
While we may be skeptical of the mileage claims, it's hard to fault the performance and pure fun of driving the GS450h. It's smooth and quick and nimble. As with the '06 GS, the steering is precise and quick and the suspension keeps you firmly planted on the road. Better yet, with the electric portion of the drivetrain directly linked to VDIM, the traction systems seem to work just that much more smoothly.
Our complaints, then, are relatively minor. We'd like to replace the mouse-fur headliner, and some of the buttons for the video display are cheap looking. But the display itself is incredible. It's the highest resolution display Lexus has ever offered and that permits a much more detailed, eye-pleasing image, whether you're watching the Hybrid Synergy Drive display or using GPS navigation.
Incidentally, the next-generation nav software now allows you to program street addresses by voice, so you don't have to stop and type - or so we're told. There are no maps for Hawaii , so we couldn't test the claim out.
Expect the powers-that-be at Toyota to be watching quite closely to gauge the reaction to the new GS450h. If things play out well, it's likely to be the first in a series of high-performance hybrids from the Lexus brand. But it could very well kick off a bit of a backlash among those who believe gas-electric technology should be used exclusively to boost mileage.
While we're skeptical of the save-the-earth claims, we're duly impressed with the GS450h's overall performance and handling. It's lavishly equipped and incredibly quiet, as you'd expect from a Lexus, but has a much more sporty feel than the brand has traditionally been known for. We expect a lot of folks to pay attention when the sedan reaches showrooms.
2007 Lexus GS450h
Base price: $58,000 (est.; GS430, $51,375)
Engine: Hybrid Synergy Drive consisting of 3.5-liter all-aluminum V-6, 292 hp/267 lb-ft, and two electric motors generating a peak 197 hp. Combined rating is 339 hp
Major standard features: Power windows, locks and mirrors; ventilated and heated leather power seats; AM/FM/six-disc, in-dash CD; rain-sensing wipers; moonroof; Park Assist; rear sunshade; headlight washers; remote keyfob and keyless start; adaptive suspension.
Safety features: Dual front, side, and front and rear side-curtain airbags; rear backup camera; daytime running lights; anti-lock brakes; traction and stability control
Warranty: Four years/50,000 miles; six years/70,000 miles drivetrain; eight years/100,000 miles hybrid components
user posted image
From Magneto112
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Toyota plans to build only 6000 Lexus GS 450h sedans for sale worldwide with just 2000 slated for the United States, so the car won’t significantly add to the company’s global bottom line. But the newest hybrid in the Toyota family is far more significant to the company in other, more important ways.
The GS 450h is the first rear-drive hybrid sedan, and while you can’t call it a test bed, it is full of technology that will play significant roles as Toyota and Lexus expand their hybrid model lineup. Until now the gas-electric hybrids from Toyota (and Honda and Ford) have been either fwd or awd. GM’s “mild hybrid” Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra pickups are either rwd or 4wd.
The GS hybrid has the same exterior dimensions as the gasoline-only GS 300/430—only subtle badges on the rocker panels and on the rear fascia give away its identity. All of the hybrid stuff (the electric motors, batteries and controllers) adds 386 pounds to the car, which now weighs a hefty 4134 pounds. For enthusiasts, the power bonus from the hybrid driveline overcomes the weight penalty.
The car has three power sources: a 3.5-liter V6 with dual injection that makes 292 hp at 6400 rpm and 267 lb-ft at 4800 rpm; motor generator one, which is the primary generator, engine starter and controller of engine speed that makes 180 hp; and motor generator two, which drives the rear wheels, makes 197 hp, and is the main piece in the regenerative braking system. As we have learned with previous hybrids, you can’t tally the total horsepower of all three to get a final number. Lexus says the total output of the system is 339 hp, which helps make the GS 450h one of the quickest cars Lexus has produced.
With the instant torque delivered from the electric motors, the GS 450h accelerates from 0 to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds. For comparison, the GS 430 needs 5.7 seconds to get to 60 mph.
Also impressive is the thrust from 30 to 50 mph, which takes just 2.7 seconds. Equally impressive is 40-to-80-mph acceleration and the 60-to-100-mph run where the acceleration pushes you in your seat. Top speed is 131 mph.
Hybrid systems in the Toyota Prius and the Lexus RX 400h feel seamless, but those seem almost crude compared to the GS version. If you consciously attempt to notice when the system switches from solely electric power to firing up the gas engine, most times it is nearly undetectable.
“This is the most powerful hybrid system to date from Toyota, and hands down this is the smoothest system we have developed,” said Dave Hermance, Toyota’s hybrid guru.
Hermance says the car’s transmission is the first longitudinal hybrid transmission. While it’s not a continuously variable transmission—no belts, pulleys or chains—it acts like one: Stomp the throttle, the engine revs to a peak power point and stays there as the speed climbs. There is a sequential downshift option for variable engine braking, but it does nothing for upshifts.
“It’s illusionary,” Hermance says. “You can’t hold low gear because there is no low gear. In grade descents it is extremely effective.” Here is yet another point in automotive brains that must be recalibrated.
Behind the rear seat are 40 nickel-metal hydride battery modules that store electric juice. The trunk space is slightly less voluminous than on the gasoline-powered GS models, but still holds two golf bags.
The overall driving experience of the GS 450h is the best yet in a hybrid. The powertrain performance is impressive, and the extremely quiet, comfortable Lexus sedan is a great place in which to experience it. While some Lexus cars have been criticized for being a numbing experience, this GS has character. Step on the throttle and you hear noise—not a sports car or muscle car thrum—but a report loud enough to elicit a smile: This is a car you want to push into the next corner.
The GS 450h is an electronic marvel, with virtually all propulsion systems monitored by the Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Control. This electronic brain checks the electronic braking control, including the regenerative braking, ABS, electronic brake force distribution, brake assist, traction control, vehicle stability control and the car’s electric steering. Subtle badging and a different gauge cluster are the only signs revealing the powertrain of the Lexus GS 450h. Everything else is the same as on the GS 300/430.
The car is equipped with electric power steering with a variable gear ratio from 12.4:1 to 17.2 :1, depending upon speed. While you can get mixed feelings with similar systems on other cars because of a lack of road feel, this one works okay. Turn-in is crisp with progressive steering. Hermance describes it as the first step toward a drive-by-wire system. This might be Toyota hyperbole, but we’ll wait and see.
The GS 450h comes well equipped with just a few major options available, like a navigation system and an active stabilizer suspension package. While prices haven’t been confirmed, expect the hybrid to sticker near $55,000, about $2,000 more than the GS 430. Fully loaded, the hybrid should cost around $61,000.
When talking about fuel mileage—a big selling point for hybrids—Hermance is quick to say “your mileage may vary.” He said that repeatedly. In other words, the EPA cycle for getting the fuel mileage numbers—27 city/28 highway, a combined 28 mpg—does not necessarily reflect what you can get in the real world. Toyota has taken some lumps from Prius owners who didn’t achieve EPA numbers from their cars, so the company is trying to be out front about it. For comparison, the gasoline-only GS 430 is rated at 18 city/25 highway, the GS 300 at 22 city/30 highway.
Looking at similar-sized cars from Audi, BMW, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz, which have a combined EPA rating of 20.4 mpg, the hybrid Lexus does better at the gas pump. Driving a GS 450h would save 200 gallons of fuel annually, or roughly $500, compared to the above-mentioned, similar-sized gasoline-only powered cars. Few Lexus customers will choose the hybrid for that reason alone. Toyota says the GS 450h emits 67 percent fewer exhaust emissions, so being environmentally friendly is a plus.
There will be a good number of buyers who will choose the GS 450h for its performance—it delivers the goods. And over the course of a year you will have to stop for fuel less often than in any of the other above-mentioned cars. The GS 450h can save you time a couple of different ways.
I find it funny how GS went from having too little character, to have loads of it :-). And last paragraph tells it all.
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GS450h Is Effort to Re-Educate the Public About Capabilities of 'Performance Hybrids'
March 20, 2006; Page D2 Wall Street Journal
BMW owns the M. Mercedes uses three letters: AMG. Audi claimed S. Now, Lexus has a new letter it wants luxury-car buyers to associate with high-tech, high-performance driving: "h."
That's "h" as in hybrid. Since last fall, Lexus has offered a hybrid version of its RX crossover wagon. In May, it will roll out a hybrid edition of its GS sedan -- a large-ish car that slots between the midsized ES and the top-of-the-line LS. The new hybrid GS450h represents the other face of hybrid technology -- the face that gets a big grin when the foot goes down on the accelerator.
The new GS combines a 3.5-liter V-6 gasoline engine with a sophisticated battery-driven electric-drive system -- the first ever brought to market on a rear-wheel-drive car. The result: a $54,900 car rated at 339 horsepower -- more than European luxury V-8s such as the Mercedes E500 and the Audi A-6 V-8 -- and with acceleration so quick that Lexus claims this 4,134-pound car can dash from a standstill to 60 miles per hour in just 5.2 seconds.
Lexus's GS450h
The government and Toyota expect the GS450h will average 25 miles per gallon in the city and 28 on the highway. But your mileage may vary -- in a big way. During a test-drive program on desert highways in Lake Mead National Park east of Las Vegas, the fuel-economy computer on a GS450h I drove registered an average 20.8 miles per gallon. But another GS450h I drove had racked up mileage just below 16 miles per gallon for the day -- presumably because some lead-footed auto writers didn't heed the warnings about vigilant park police.
That said, the GS450h is a very quick and very quiet car. Acceleration in a passing maneuver or running uphill happens immediately -- there's no waiting for the transmission to drop down a gear. In fact, there aren't any "gears" in the conventional sense. In the hotel parking lot, the GS maneuvers around in virtual silence, because it's running on battery power. If we'd encountered a traffic jam in the desert -- and Las Vegas traffic can be brutal -- we could have crept along in stealth mode for at least a little while with the air conditioning on. (The climate control runs on electricity, not the gasoline engine.)
The GS450h will have a base price of $54,900. How much gasoline will you save buying it instead of, say, a $57,400 BMW 550i (rated mileage of 16 city, 23 highway) or a $33,625 Chrysler 300C Hemi (340 horsepower with rated mileage of 16/25)? Good question. A conventional V-8 GS430, rated at 300 horsepower, has an EPA mileage rating of 18 miles per gallon city, 25 highway. The GS450h is $1,090 more expensive than a well-loaded GS430, Lexus says. But if you are shopping in this price range, the $500 or so you might save on gas if you drove a rival V-8 luxury sedan isn't really a big deal.
As with other hybrids, the real mileage advantage comes in the city at low speeds. On the highway, the hybrid's efficiency is offset by the weight of the battery pack and the extra hardware in the drivetrain. At highway speeds, much of the power is coming from the gasoline motor.
But ultimate fuel economy is not Lexus' goal with this car. This is about enhancing the brand's image.
Since 1990, Lexus has marched from oxymoron -- "Is there really such a thing as a Japanese luxury car?" -- to the No. 1 luxury brand in the U.S. primarily because the cars delivered near-flawless quality, bulletproof reliability, and first-class quiet and comfort. Those who wanted growling engines and taut steering stuck with BMWs.
In recent years, Lexus management has observed that the BMW thing -- the mystique of spirited driving at super-legal speeds -- was won over a lot of well-situated Americans, particularly younger consumers who don't want to be seen as sedate, quiet or comfortable just yet.
Bob Carter, group vice president and general manager of Lexus, says the luxury-car market has bifurcated – one side is about comfort, the other is about sportiness. Lexus has responded to this by developing two distinct lines of cars. In April, Lexus plans to launch the latest addition to its lineup of "comfort luxury" cars, the redesigned ES 350 sedan, which replaces the old ES 330 with a car that is, according to Lexus, quieter and roomier than the original LS400 sedan launched in 1990.
While the ES350 anchors the $30,000-to-$40,000 price segment for comfort luxury buyers, the recently launched IS sedans are going after performance-oriented buyers in the same price range who might otherwise buy an Infiniti G35 or a BMW 325i.
The next piece in the puzzle is better exploiting performance hybrid technology. With all the money Toyota has in the bank, Lexus could probably develop a conventional gasoline engine as awesomely complex and potent as the 500-horsepower, 10-cylinder motor in the BMW M5 sedan. BMW has spent years cultivating its "M" high-performance brand as the ultimate in ultimate driving machines, and is making broader use of the designation, launching a 330-horsepower M version of its Z4 roadster this spring.
But how distinctive would it be for Lexus to follow BMW step for step? Not very. Lexus has enough trouble with luxury-car connoisseurs and rivals who snipe that it's just knocking off the big German brands, in a higher-quality, less-soulful way. Instead, Lexus will offer a different kind of high tech under the "h" banner. The GS450h is a car with the gas mileage of a large V-6, that delivers the performance of a large V-8 with 80% less in the way of smog-forming exhaust emissions.
Green-conscious consumers who admire the high-mileage Toyota Prius don't like such uses of hybrid technology so well. But with the GS450h, Lexus plans to start in earnest the re-education of the buying public.
"If we had a sport sedan and put in a 5.6 liter V-8, that would be understood," Mr. Carter says. "Or if we had turbocharged it, that would have been understood." To explain why it makes better sense to juice performance by using a battery-electric system that uses two electric motors mated to a continuously variable transmission, Lexus plans to revive the kinds of text-heavy automobile print advertising that's been rare in the business of late. The basic message: Hybrid performance is "chocolate with no calories," Mr. Carter says.
Over time, Mr. Carter said, Lexus could offer a hybrid powertrain option on every one of its high-volume, mainline models.
The outlines of Lexus's formula are becoming plain to see. The GS450h turns a V-6 into a V-8, as far as performance is concerned. Next month, look for Lexus to use the New York Auto Show to unveil its next step: a Lexus LS460 V-8 that uses hybrid technology to approach the performance of German V-12-powered super sedans such as the BMW 760il, without a gas-guzzler tax.
So far, performance hybrids haven't proved as popular as the Toyota Prius, which remains in a class by itself in terms of how quickly they sell. Whether Lexus can succeed in defining hybrid technology as a 21st-century approach to luxury power --- and do so before the German brands launch their efforts to define 21st-century high performance as a high-tech, bio-fueled diesel – will be seen over the next two to three years.
Lexus isn't betting the ranch just yet. It plans to offer only about 2,000 GS450h hybrids a year.
Here's something I found that may be of interest. The link has a video of some guys in Japan that take the GS 450h for a spin. It's a right hand drive verson. For a home style video, it sure sounds quiet. I can't wait for mine to come in.
By Nick Yost
Photos by Charles Ofria
Category: $55,000 to $60,000 Premium Hybrid Sport Sedan
Who should buy this car: A person who refuses to compromise between a luxury sedan and an all-out performance sedan, but wants to be kind to the environment
People looking at this model might also want to consider: Audi A6, BMW 5 Series, Cadillac STS, Infiniti M45, Jaguar S-Type, Mercedes E-Class
Lexus will start selling its second hybrid vehicle in May, and this time it’s not all about fuel efficiency and clean air. This time the focus is on power.
The car is the GS450h, a two-ton, rear-wheel-drive, mid-size sport/luxury sedan which will blister the macadam from a dead stop to 60 mph in 5.2 seconds - enough to put this Lexus in a dead heat with a Porsche 911 equipped with an automatic transmission.
The GS450h will also keep pace with or outgun its V-8 powered rivals up to its governor-limited 131 mile-an-hour top speed, carve a cleaner path through the atmosphere and return up to 25 miles per gallon of premium fuel in the city and 28 on the highway.
That was the message from Bob Carter, Lexus Group vice president and general manager, as the GS450h and its more conventional relative, the entry-level ES350, were introduced to a group of automotive journalists during a press conference at the Ritz Carlton Hotel on Lake Las Vegas – a resort community some 20 miles southeast of Nevada’s gaming capital.
Labeling the newest hybrid “the most technologically advanced production vehicle in the world,” Carter ticked off these benchmarks: “first truly high-performance hybrid” . . . “first rear-drive hybrid sedan” . . . “among the quickest Lexus vehicles ever built.”
And, on the subject of “mosts”, the GS450h, with a base price of $54,900, replaces the V8-powered, $52,070 GS430 as the most expensive of the recently redesigned Lexus mid-sizers.
The principles that governed the engineering of the GS450h are not much different from those which underpin the entry-level Toyota Prius, but the execution required ground-breaking technology.
For this car, the engineers have combined a 3.5-liter V-6 engine, massaged to 292-horsepower, with a couple of powerful electric motors and a battery pack. One electric motor, rated at 197 horsepower, drives the rear wheels by itself or in tandem with the gasoline engine. It also helps to recharge the vehicle’s battery pack. The second, rated at 180 horsepower, functions as a starter for the gasoline engine and generates electricity for the batteries. Together, engine and motors deliver power equal to that of a 339- horsepower V-8.
That was the easy part. The real trick was to devise a transmission that could effectively deliver hybrid power to the rear wheels and build it to approximately the same size as a conventional six-speed automatic transmission.
It was accomplished in a way that will be understood best by those who know the meaning of “Ravingeux gearset” and “planetary arrays.” To the rest of us, it functions as a continuously variable transmission, which is to say that it can adjust gear ratios to all power requirements without the constraints of six predetermined speeds found in a conventional automatic shifter.
The car is awash in other technological innovations. They include an electric power steering system and air-conditioning compressor, eliminating the need for belts; an advanced stability control system that goes to work when it anticipates driver loss of control instead of after detecting it; electronically controlled brakes; and an optional suspension system which adjusts the front and rear sway bars to eliminate excessive body roll in turns.
While all of that is impressive, the ultimate concern to anyone thinking of purchasing a GS450h is how it rides and drives.
Despite limited time behind the wheel, driving partner Charles Ofria, major domo of this website, and I were able to get a pretty good sense of the car as we put it through its paces on some snaky stretches of two-lane macadam in the Lake Mead National Recreational Area.
Leadfoot Charlie, apparently determined to see if the car really had a 131-mph cutoff, beat a path to the Red Rocks area in what may have been the day’s record time. We experienced – and re-experienced - the car’s tremendous rush of acceleration, but the restrictions of two lanes and occasional lumbering recreational vehicles kept him a few miles per hour short of reaching the Lexus’ upper limits.
I – the older, more mature, more sensible motorist - took a different approach on the return trip. I kept my top speed to a modest 105 mph and maintained a much more leisurely pace, say in the neighborhood of 80 to 90 mph.
From this exuberant test of Lexus’ hybrid hot rod we were able to make a few important determinations.
* It really can keep pace with the hottest of the competition.
* Even at seriously high speeds, it is incredibly smooth, quiet and stable. Our test drive probably sounds more exciting than it felt. When you have a car with sophisticated suspension, the visibility of desert terrain and a road surface with no pock marks, a constant 80 mph feels more like 50.
* Electric steering, sometimes numb and slow to react in other vehicles, was crisp and precise in the Lexus.
* The EPA estimate of fuel mileage is a real joke – if you drive like Charlie. He averaged not quite 12 mpg during his stint behind the wheel. With somewhat less abuse of the accelerator, I brought the average mpg up to 22. The message here is that a driver might be able to approach the EPA estimates, but only if the exhilarating power is ignored in favor of posted speed limits.
* Those who need the aural stimulation of a traditional muscle car may have trouble getting used to the sound coming from the GS450h. Since there are no distinctive gears, it is more reminiscent of a motor boat under power or a turbo-prop plane accelerating for take-off.
* The tachometer was sacrificed for a power meter that measures electrical usage. A tach is really not necessary, since the automatic transmission regulates maximum allowable engine speed, but a car built for serious performance seems odd without one.
When we returned from our excursion, we determined one more thing a prospective buyer needs to know. The battery pack gobbles up trunk space, leaving a mere eight cubic feet for the owner’s stuff. There is enough room for two golf bags, but the space will never work for a vacationing family of four.
To be fair, Lexus has not positioned the GS450h as a mainstream car. Its real mission is to educate consumers that hybrid power can be more than just an exercise in fuel savings and reduced emissions. The premium brand of Japanese manufacturer Toyota has set its U.S. sales goal for the GS450h at a very modest 2,000 a year.
Still, Lexus estimates that, driven similarly to the V-8 sedan, the hybrid will save 200 gallons of fuel a year and, probably most important to many, over a 150,000-mile life expectancy it will release 17 tons less carbon dioxide into the air than its V-8 competition.
The guess here is that Lexus will find enough well-heeled buyers who want to indulge their slightly guilty pleasures with a relatively clear conscience.
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Specifications
Engine Type 3.5-liter V6, DOHC 24 valve with continuously variable valve timing with intelligence (VVT-i).
Horsepower 292 @ 6,400 RPM
Torque 267 lb.-ft @ 4,800 rpm
Fuel Recommended Premium Unleaded.
Hybrid Power System Series/parallel system with gas engine and 2 electric motors
Transmission Electronically-controlled Continuously Variable Transmission (ECVT) with 2-stage torque multiplication, power and snow modes
Motor Generator 1 (MG1) Primary generator, engine starter, controls engine speed 180 hp
Motor Generator 2 (MG2) Drives rear wheels; regenerative braking 197 hp
Drive Type Rear-wheel drive
Tires (std)
Tires (opt) 245/40R18 Z-rated summer tires
245/40R18 all-season run-flat tires
Overall Length 190"
Wheelbase 112.2"
Width 71.7"
Turning Diameter 36.7 ft Curb to Curb
Curb Weight 4,134 lbs.
Fuel Tank 17.2 Gals.
Miles Per Gallon EPA city 25, hwy 28.
Acceleration 0 to 60 5.2 Seconds
Base Sticker Price $54,900 + $650 destination charge
Standard Equipment
(partial list)
* High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps
* Adaptive front headlamp system
* SmartAccess keyless entry and push-button engine start system
* Electric Power Steering (EPS): Vehicle speed-sensing progressive power rack and pinion
* Heated electrochromic auto-dimming outside rear-view mirrors with power-retract and reverse tilt-down functions and puddle lamps
* Regency leather-trimmed seats
* Wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel and shift knob
* 10-way power driver's and front passenger's seat
* Three-position Lexus memory system for driver and front passenger seats
* Heated and ventilated front seats
* Electro Chromatic Device (ECD) variable transparency glass on instrument cluster
* 7-inch multi-information touch screen
* Bluetooth® wireless telephone technology
* Dual-zone automatic climate control with smog sensor and micro dust/pollen removal filter
* Power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel
* AM/FM ETR sound system with auto-reverse cassette, 6-disc CD changer and 10 speakers
* Front and rear side-curtain airbags
* Seat mounted side-impact airbag
* Driver and front passenger knee airbag
* Vehicle stability control system
* Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system
* Four-channel, four-sensor anti-lock brakes (ABS) integrated with Brake Assist (BA), VSC and Electronic brake force distribution
* Rear backup camera
* Rain-sensing wipers
* One-touch open/close moonroof
* Intuitive park assist
* Tire pressure warning system
* Electronically controlled brake system
Major Available Options
* Mark Levinson audio system with 7.1 surround sound and 14 speakers
* DVD navigation system
* Pre-Collision System (PCS) with dynamic radar cruise control
* Active Stabilizer
* All-season run-flat tires (with spare tire)
* Rear spoiler
* Lexus Link (beginning August '06 production)
For more information on the GS450h, visit Lexus.com
__________________
Thank you AsianGirl007
Often imitated, never duplicated. Don't get mad, buy you some!
Lexus hybrid puts its power behind the luxury marque
Conor Twomey
FirstDrive: Lexus GS450h Prior to driving Lexus' new GS450h I couldn't quite figure out what the point of the luxury hybrid was. I mean, if you're on a mission to save the planet then you don't buy a two-ton, leather-lined, luxury leviathan, now do you?
And if you can afford to splash out over €90,000 on a new luxury car, then saving a few hundred Euro a year in petrol isn't going to be much of a selling point either.
And for those looking to show off their green side, the tiny hybrid badge on the flanks and the little 'h' on the back don't really make the kind of look-at-me-while-I-hug-a-tree statement of a Toyota Prius or Civic Hybrid. The luxury hybrid concept seemed a great oxymoron, like "deafening silence" or "low fat, great taste". It really didn't make any sense.
But then Lexus said the magic word: power. The GS450h is the most powerful GS you can buy, producing 339 bhp of combined petrol and electric power compared to the rather languid 283 bhp the 4.3-litre, V8-powered GS430 makes.
That also brings it in line with the likes of the 367 bhp BMW 550 and 306 bhp Mercedes CLS 500, despite the fact the GS450h uses a 3.5-litre V6 engine - that's one whole litre of capacity and two cylinders down on its competitors.
We also expect it will be just a few thousand more than the €97,000 V8 GS430, so really you could actually think of the 450h as the performance GS and simply forget the whole hybrid thing altogether. And yet despite the extra performance it's considerably more economical than the V8, offering 33 per cent better fuel economy in real world driving conditions. Perhaps saving a couple of hundred Euro a year doesn't mean much to the luxury car buyer, but 13 fewer visits to the petrol station a year does have its appeal.
Even though the GS450h weighs around 175 kg more than the V8 model, it still manages to be considerably faster than the GS 430 in every respect.
For example, we expect the GS450h to dispatch the 0-100 km/h sprint in about 5.5 seconds and it will pull like a mule all the way up to its 250 km/h limited top speed, noticeably faster than the V8 GS with its 6.1-second 0-100 km/h time.
Undoubtedly, the extra power plays a part in the 450h's impressive performance but a great deal of the credit should go to the CVT (Continuously Variable Transaxles) transmission as well.
Not only do you save more petrol because there's no energy-sapping torque converter to drive, the CVT also makes the car instantly responsive to throttle inputs.
Step on the accelerator and there's no delay while the transmission shifts down. There's just a smooth and instantaneous delivery of power with only the slightly coarse howl of the V6 to spoil the performance. 50 km/h to 80 km/h takes a very sprightly 2.7 seconds and all this in a luxury car capable of an estimated 9L/100 km.
Lexus has also been busy reducing the size and weight of all the components that comprise the hybrid system, making it more space efficient, energy efficient and lighter than the system found in the hybrid RX.
Because it's rear-wheel drive, Lexus had to move the batteries to behind the rear seat and integrate the two generator/motors inside the CVT transmission to save space and improve efficiency.
The task of one electric motor is to act as the V6 engine's starter motor as well as functioning as the primary battery regenerator when the car is coasting along or braking, while the other electric motor actually drives the car at low speeds or works with the V6 engine to provide up to 47 additional bhp, depending on the driving situation.
It also acts as a secondary generator, harnessing even more of the kinetic energy that would otherwise be dissipated by road friction and the atmosphere or squandered by the brakes.
From the driver's perspective, though, all this is irrelevant. The only time you're aware that this is a hybrid vehicle is when it goes all quiet as the petrol engine shuts off at traffic lights, or when you look for the tachometer only to find a dial telling you how many kilowatts you're producing. (Erm, thanks Lexus ... )
As the air conditioner and power steering systems are electrically powered, the GS 450h remains cool and drivable in hybrid mode and thanks to its variable ratio power steering, it's actually a very wieldy car in tight spots while feeling utterly normal during regular driving, unlike the irksome variable ratio steering system employed by BMW.
However, where the benefit of this hybrid system can really be felt is on the open road. Without a big heavy V8 hanging over the front wheels and near perfect weight distribution overall, the hefty GS450h actually feels much more agile than its V8 sibling on twisty roads. The steering offers more feedback and it's more responsive to inputs, while the throttle is incredibly sharp for such a big, comfort-oriented saloon.
So now I get it. Lexus has taken its best model and fitted it with the best hybrid system it has ever produced, which makes it as fast as competitive V8s yet more efficient than V6-powered rivals, without charging much more for the technology.
It looks great, handles well and is beautifully appointed inside which, in short, makes it the best all-round car that Lexus currently makes. Instead of being a hybrid first and a car second, the GS450h is simply a fast and rather delightful luxury saloon that just happens to be a hybrid as well.
ENGINE: 3.5-litre V6 w/hybrid electric motor
Petrol V6: 292 bhp @ 6,400 rpm and 362 Nm @ 4,800 rpm.
Total power: 339bhp
Top Speed 250 km/h, 0-100 km/h: 5.5 seconds (est.)
Transmission: CVT transmission with integrated electric motors
FUEL ECONOMY
Urban: 9.4 L/100 km (25 mpg) Extra urban: 8.4 L/100 km (28 mpg)
Combined: 9.0 L/100 km (26 mpg)
PRICE: unconfirmed but likely to be close to €100,000
AUTO SPIES WORLD EXCLUSIVE VIDEO: New Lexus tears up the desert!
4/25/2006
Last month we were in Las Vegas testing the new Lexus ES350 and GS450H. The were both outstanding cars in their own right but I did not expect to be as blown away as I was when I drove the GS450h.
We're lucky enough here at AutoSpies.com to get to test a lot of great cars, so we can sometimes be a little jaded on our opinions.
But every once in a while something really special comes our way.
And in this case, it was the Lexus GS450h.
When I took the keys to it I knew it would be good.
I just didn't know HOW good it was going to be.
Anyone out there considering or driving a BMW 5-series, Mercedes E500, Infiniti M45 or the like, NEEDS to go test drive one of these cars.
It's nothing short of awesome!
The power off the line will have you grinning from ear to ear.
When the Lexus folk told us that it was as fast as a 911 tiptronic from 0-60, we held in our laughter.
But they got the last laugh on us becuase this baby is an absolute rocket!
The best description of the power I can give you is that it feels like the last generation M5 off the line.
And that's nothing to sneeze at!
In my opinion, the last M5 was the best BMW ever made.
Plus, the new GS has the best looking body of the group and comes equipped with all the toys you'll ever need.
AND, absolutely driving it as hard as we could, the worst mileage reading we got was 23MPG!
Driving it conservatively, we got close to 30MPG.
That kind of power and mileage combo is UNHEARD of!
Take a look at the this World Exclusive video from Lexus that won't be available ANYWHERE else for a few weeks.
Official GS 450h Reviews/Scans Thread
Wall St Journal on 450h and others
Hybrid Mode
