TTV8 won't make a difference if tuned exactly like the V6 Do you agree?

Also all turbos have a lag no matter how small. But I wont be surprised if its the transmission that was tune like that to prevent a jerky feel.
And lastly this cars tested are pre-production version so they can get some feedback and try to fix the complaints.(Hopefully 4 months is enough to do that.)

 

i think physics totally agrees with me, more cylinders firing in the same amount of time = more force

this new car will of course be much faster and keep the seat pressed into your back with more force for a greater amount of time... nobody is denying that, but EVERY car i've driven that uses a smaller engine with turbos to replicate if not usually amplify what a n/a engine produces gives you a boring, almost soulless power delivery. the original LS was definitely designed as a bingo night express, but they also wanted it to be a good drivers car as well, and i don't know about you but the feeling of the engine revving up while power builds in a wonderfully smooth and linear manner accompanied by the sound of a quad-cam V8 is just a wonderful sensation.

in many cases, i almost prefer how the LS accelerates compared to my E55, you just have more time to enjoy and appreciate the fine engineering. like i said, i want more than anything to love everything about this car, but i just don't think i'll like it in the same way

 

How can an engine with 2 more cylinders and more displacement be tuned exactly the same?

 

Those things could be subjectively considered but there are no real proper instrumented track tests of the LS500. Obviously you are a young guy who owns two V8 powered sedans, one of them supercharged. But if you look at who is actually buying this car, the demographics favor smooth on demand power delivery. These folks are grey and silver haired people who don't want a lot of drama in their car.

The LS500 in its introductory offering is no AMG or M. It's not supposed to be like those cars. Just fast enough and just low key and luxurious enough. That's all Lexus wants out of it. In fact, the mid-range on-boost driving scenerio is exactly where turbo cars do quite well and don't forget about that 10 speed transmission and how it affects real world driving with its short lower gear ratios and its taller cruising speed ratios.

 

you're totally right, the real buyers of this car most likely wouldn't give a crap or even notice the engine has fewer cylinders and doesn't sound as good, i'm just expressing my opinion that toyota's bank account obviously doesn't care about. but... if i happen to come into a bunch of money real soon and am in a position to actually get an LS 500, i hope my speculative complaints are wrong

 

This statement makes no sense. There is absolutely not more force, there is less force. Power output it measured, its a quantifiable force, and the V8 in the LS400 has dramatically less power, and a much higher torque curve. Any feeling of "more thrust" in the LS400 is in your head. The NA V8 feels lethargic compared with TT motors, even V6s unless you are going WOT all the time, which almost nobody who drives this sort of car does.

I can't remember the last time my LS460 was over 3500 RPM...I really can't....and I'm 36!

The other factor was the very laggy, lurch electronic throttle the LS400 had, an issue thats been sorted at this point.

They must have made a lot of incredible changes to the LS in 99 from my 98 lol. Nothing about my 98 LS400 was a drivers car. It was a softly sprung, soft, wafting luxury barge. It didn't totally fall apart when handling like say a Crown Victoria or a Town Car (or an LS430 to some degree), but I would never ever classify it as a "drivers car". Nothing dynamic about it IMHO.

I also like the NA V8, but the TTV6 cars I've driven really are also very good. If I bought anything else I wouldn't upgrade to the V8, I'd buy a 6 cyl S Class, 7 Series, Range Rover, G90, etc.

 

i'm not saying it's a drivers car, just that they wanted it to be (to some degree) without compromising comfort, and boy did they not compromise comfort lol

and i'm only specifically talking about the very first few moments when you're stopped and you step on the gas pedal and the turbos haven't fully spooled up. a 4 liter V8 can burn more fuel in the same amount of time than a smaller engine with fewer cylinders. and yes, the engine does almost feel sluggish compared to modern turbo cars but i think that's more to do with the long spread out ratios of the 5 speed. and even in power mode the car loves to hang in the high gears, almost like it really wants to show you how it doesn't need to downshift

but again, haven't driven the car, i'm sure it'll be awesome

 

That's the only part of the equation that a lot of CL members have not experienced but are probably eagerly awaiting, no doubt. But what's to say that the car's computer won't learn your style over time. Would you say that you're into light to light drag race style jack rabbit driving though? That's the big question. Lexus knows its LS owners don't do those sorts of things.

 

no i'm normally incredibly gentle on the LS, that's why i bought the Vic to beat on lol... but if i feel like it, the LS can practically do a wheelie off the line

 

I know what you mean, my LS430 does leap quite strongly off the line. And I did notice the new one does seem soft for the first split second when the guy did repeated WOT from being stationary. He even commented on it. And I guess if you're waiting on the turbos to spool in said split second from a stop, it's just a regular 3.5L V6.

For me, though, it's more the sound (and I presume feel) that this engine makes. It sounds like.....a Toyota V6. Not a terrible thing but a verrrry far cry from the Lexus V8 "ripping silk" sound. It's hard to explain but just the way the V8 sounds and feels humming along, there's a refinement there that I'd be surprised any V6 could match.

If I bought one of these I'm sure I'd be fine lol but I still think it was a mistake to get rid of the V8.

 

What’s funny is from the videos I thought the sound was remarkably similar to the old V8s lol

 

im not one for turbo engines but i think its fine for this car, its not a track car and not suppose to be visceral.

 

I read the car and driver review of the F Sport AWS.....it didn't seem to be stellar, I guess it isn't meant to be a sporty car.....seems like the various reviews like the executive package....

 

Your mainstream magazines are never going to print a stellar review of any Lexus, unless one just really surprises them, and even then a year later the car they loved is now somehow mediocre (4GS is a great example).

Homestly, I put a lot more weight into what people like Alex Dykes or Motoman or the guys at TFL Car have to say about a car like this.

 

Very good to read realistic opinions, as opposed to "fanatical" opinions.

On the topic of engines, the base/entry level must go small capacity turbo, to meet modern day fuel and emission demands.
However, the main problem with the small capacity 3.5 TT will be smoothness, and small throttle opening response and torque.

3.5 V6 won't come close to V8 for smoothness and quietness.
Furthermore, the small capacity turbo at small throttle openings around town, the turbos are not on spool, the engine will feel much less responsive, lethargic and artificial; the problem is not at full throttle.

The bad news is that a future 4.0 V8 TT would be certainly smoother, but the throttle response and torque at small throttle openings around town would be the same due to "traditional" forced induction.
Only a traditional V8 atmospheric performs well at small throttle openings.
Alternatively, the Supercharged engine like Audi's 3.0, or the forthcoming Mercedes in-line six with electric turbos/electric compressors which can accelerate to 70,000 rpm in just a split second will have traditional atmospheric performance at small throttle openings.

Presently, engineering has lots of compromizes, and there simply is no perfect engine.
Even an electric car like the Tesla Model S which has fantastic acceleration, still suffers with range and speed of recharging issues, and even if these two obstacles are overcome, we are still left with an aluminium chassis that weighs over 5,000 lbs - which obtunds the agility of the vehicle.
Agility is the speed of change of direction.
The heavier the mass - the slower the agility...
.