cruxader

I just got back from the lexus dealer here in new orleans and the sales manager says that he's been told by Lexus (when he went to Seattle for the yearly update and preview of new models) that the 2005 IS redesign has been pushed back to 2006. He says its likely to be a 3.5L 6 cylinder, unknown if its an I6 or a V6, with a HYBRID version coming out two years or so after that.

Other items of interest:
Hybrid RX300 in 11 months, with 7.0 seconds 0-60 and a 30+mpg fuel economy
GS redesign for 2005 models with hybrid version to follow

As always, take this with a grain of salt as I don't know how trustworthy this is. I just thought it was interesting though.

flipside909

I hope Lexus/Toyota doesn't go the route of Nissan with the modular V6 idea.

gs400998

7 seconds 0-60 for the next new IS!!! The 3.3L Camry A/T already does 0-60 in 6.9 seconds and 1/4M in 15.4. I hope the next IS accelerates better than Solara.

LexPro

Cruxrader is right. The 0-60 is for the RX400h not IS. The 0-60 for the rx400h is 7.0 secs and 36mpg. They said 0-60 better than x5 3.0 and better fuel econ. than a honda civic.

CrazyG02

Hes talking about the RX330 not the IS

Turbo'd_Wxman

Let me say that I am all for Lexus going with a V6 in our car. Why? Because it will make our I6's worth more money to the tuner crowd. I think it will pay off for us big in the long run.

Goldark

I don't want to sell my baby...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i am VERY sure that the new IS will have the v6. japanese manufacuters are all getting away from i6 now, that's a fact, not a rumor anymore

amy011079

i totally agree with you. and as for the redesign in 06 rather than 05 i am all for that for those of us that already have IS's, ours won't be obsolete(sp?) for a while! woo hoo!

<<--YK-->>

I might just be ignorant, but Why?

cruxader

well one big reason is platform standardization. V6s have shown some advantages over I6s in terms of fuel efficiency and vibration, and so most manufacturers have gone with that motor on their normal passenger vehicles. It doesn't make sense for Lexus to be designing a special engine just for the IS and GS lines, so it is likely that they will just take a tuned version of their existing V6 technology (which is far more updated than the I6 thats in the IS/GS today) and upsize it to 3.5 liters.

My guess is that any 3.5L that Lexus will put out for the IS will be AT LEAST as powerful as the Infiniti VQ35 engine found in the G35 while being lighter and more fuel efficient.

I can't wait to see the hybrid version of the IS come out, but unfortunetly thats still several years down the road.

Mr Johnson

Vibration? You sure. The I6 is "naturally balanced" just like a V12 so they are known for being smooth. I think it has more to do with packaging efficiency as the V6 is much shorter than an I6 but hey...that's just me!

cruxader

well you're right in that the V6 is smaller...but i seem to remember reading in multiple places that the V6 with its V configuration has pistons going in opposite directions which helps cancel vibration? i don't know...just giving my 2 cents worth.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

actually in terms of balance and smoothness, a well designed i6 is way better than v6. the ge and gte engine from the supra and supra tt are superior engines, they are definitely well balance, not to mention the amount of power they hold. so why would toyota go all the way to design another engine, and even a v6?

emission. japan has tighten down the emission law in japan even more this yr i believe. the end result is that no i6 engine would be able to comply with the new emission law unless they sacrifice more than what they wanted (power? engine size? i have no idea). so they were ultimately all forced to go back and use the v6 technology on engine design.

toyota has already announced early this yr that the new coming GS will be using a 3.3L (that's beginning of the yr) v6 engine. just like the current aristo, one will be NA and one would be tt, with the tt version having 340hp. with that in mind, it does not make any sense for toyota to build a different engine for the new is3, right? so the same 3.3L v6 engine (or 3.5L if they want more tq) will go into the is3 as well.

but keep in mind though, the new v6 that's going into the aristo and the altezza, they are NOT the same v6 you find in the es300 and rx330. those are different v6 engine i believe.

and as a side note on the emission law, just look at other japanese manufacturers as well. everyone knows the nissan skyline right? one of the legandary cars built by nissan. they won so many trophies with that car, but why the new skyline (the g35 coupe here in the US in case you don't know) takes a 3.5L v6 and it seems like nissan is building everything from ground zero (no turbo, no awd, just start with a simple na engine rwd) again when they have so much experience with teh powerful i6? i guess they were forced to drop the i6 technology