mrblister

I have often wondered how the GX470 became the GX460 in name only . I seem to recall that the next years models of the same car just take on higher numbers. Numbers going down seem to indicate older models . Just wondering if any one knows why??

sc400 to sc430
gs400 to gs 430
rx300 to rx350

yardie876

Older models had smaller displacement engines, which were designated by the model name. As time progressed, engines became larger and so did the names/numbers generally. In regards to the GX, I believe the displacement was decreased .1 liters but tweaked for slightly more power. Don't quote me though.

RCsGX

Maybe yardie876's is on to something. If not who really knows.

Gx460 = 4.6
GX470 = 4.7

lesz

I don't think that there is any question. Lexus model names/numbers have historically been tied to engine displacement. When, for example, the GS was available with a 6 cylinder or an 8 cylinder engine, the 3 liter, 6 cylinder model was the GS300 and the 4 liter, 8 cylinder model was the GS400. At around the same time, the 4 liter, 8 cylinder LS was the LS400. Now, the 4.6 liter, 8 cylinder LS is the LS460. The 2.5 liter, 4 cylinder IS is the IS 250, and the 3.5 liter, 6 cylinder IS is the IS350. When the ES had a 3 liter V6, it was the ES300. When the displacement went up to 3.3 liters, it became the ES330, and, now, with a 3.5 liter V6, it is the ES350.

Further, when Lexus started making hybrids, the number used in the name became tied to the displacement that would have produced roughly the same horsepower if the vehicle were powered by only an internal combustion engine. So, for example, the RX450h puts out about the same amount of combined total horsepower that would be produced by a 4.5 liter internal combustion engine, and the ES300h puts out about the same amount of combined total horsepower that would be produced by a 3 liter internal combustion engine.

GXallday

How do people not know this...

ROSCOGX470

Haha, yup I figured that out awhile ago. Mercedes does the same thing S500, C240, C300, E350 etc.

yardie876

Sadly though MB and BMW have been veering away from the model/displacement correlation. (C250: 1.8L, C63: 6.2L, 550i: 4.4L, etc.)

lesz

Infiniti is another manufacturer that had, historically, named vehicles using the engine displacement in the name, but they, also seem to have gotten away from doing so in recent years.

GXallday

Are you telling me the Q70 doesn't have a 7.0L engine?

mrblister

I was not aware that the gx460 had a smaller engine then the gx470. That is why the confusion

YoshiMan

The 1UR-FE engine, found in the GX460, is a tad smaller than the outgoing 2UZ-FE, but has a significant increase in power.

I know it it roughly based off the engine in the LS460, hense the reason why it is the same displacement as that one

Toyota did the same thing with the Landcruiser in 1987/1988... where it went from the 4.2 liter 2F engine, to the 4.0 liter 3FE engine. The more advanced lower displacement 3FE allowed the engine redline to be raised a little bit which gave better driving characteristics on the road and a higher horsepower rating.