General Car Conversation
Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,096
Likes: 1,740
From: Ohio
Not to my ears. Nobody likes a Chevy V8 sound? Is that seriously your position here?
This doesn't sound good?
Are you out of your mind?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBwEn6A1rOQ
Also, the now dead AMG 6.2 was praised for sounding American. They do, I heard PLENTY of them living in Los Angeles when they were current.
This doesn't sound good?
Are you out of your mind?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBwEn6A1rOQ
Also, the now dead AMG 6.2 was praised for sounding American. They do, I heard PLENTY of them living in Los Angeles when they were current.
Again, not a bad sound on chevy engines but just not really special.
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,213
Likes: 460
From: Long Island
this engine can trace its roots back to the ford modular V8 (although by like 2004 it was a totally different engine already lol), which also sounds incredible in the Ford GT
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,213
Likes: 460
From: Long Island
Oh and yeah just for the record I avoided heavy throttle from rest from the start, I've never even floored it from rest since acquisition bc I know it's hard on mounts among other things.
But yeah it's hard to avoid winding it out through the first couple of gears, it's like MB designed the car to be driven that way every time you take off.
But yeah it's hard to avoid winding it out through the first couple of gears, it's like MB designed the car to be driven that way every time you take off.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,019
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
Transmission upshifts early, and often. Very gracefully I might add. Taking off from a light just normally in a V8 LS is an extremely luxurious and satisfying experience. That's what the 2.0t crowd everywhere doesn't get.
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: Oct 2003
Posts: 94,328
Likes: 236
From: Virginia/D.C. suburbs
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,213
Likes: 460
From: Long Island
Yep, and it's not a demerit. LS is just 1000000% luxury car and I like it like that. Smooth linear power, just hover around 2k RPM.
Transmission upshifts early, and often. Very gracefully I might add. Taking off from a light just normally in a V8 LS is an extremely luxurious and satisfying experience. That's what the 2.0t crowd everywhere doesn't get.
Transmission upshifts early, and often. Very gracefully I might add. Taking off from a light just normally in a V8 LS is an extremely luxurious and satisfying experience. That's what the 2.0t crowd everywhere doesn't get.
idk if it's for fuel efficiency or better response but you can definitely tell when a shift is occurring in something like the mercedes 9G and even old 5G in the E55, it's by no means a rough shift but there's a discernible brief interruption in power as the shift happens... the LS just seems to shift without any cut in power and i'm sure letting the torque converter slip definitely helps enable that
also i don't think one generally aspires to join the 2.0t crowd lol... i'm sure most just passively 'became members' through lack of choice (with a few exceptions)
Lexus Test Driver
Joined: Apr 2012
Posts: 6,213
Likes: 460
From: Long Island
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Lexus Champion
Joined: Oct 2019
Posts: 18,096
Likes: 1,740
From: Ohio
one major difference i've noticed in terms of casual operation is the LS won't lock the torque converter until you get into 5th, whereas the german cars pretty much always keep them locked at any speed
idk if it's for fuel efficiency or better response but you can definitely tell when a shift is occurring in something like the mercedes 9G and even old 5G in the E55, it's by no means a rough shift but there's a discernible brief interruption in power as the shift happens... the LS just seems to shift without any cut in power and i'm sure letting the torque converter slip definitely helps enable that
also i don't think one generally aspires to join the 2.0t crowd lol... i'm sure most just passively 'became members' through lack of choice (with a few exceptions)
idk if it's for fuel efficiency or better response but you can definitely tell when a shift is occurring in something like the mercedes 9G and even old 5G in the E55, it's by no means a rough shift but there's a discernible brief interruption in power as the shift happens... the LS just seems to shift without any cut in power and i'm sure letting the torque converter slip definitely helps enable that
also i don't think one generally aspires to join the 2.0t crowd lol... i'm sure most just passively 'became members' through lack of choice (with a few exceptions)
Thread Starter
Lexus Fanatic
Joined: May 2012
Posts: 68,468
Likes: 3,991
From: Maryland
Bummer about your motor mounts AJT, at least they are easy to do on that engine...
You all were talking about rates, we just have to get used to higher rates. We have been spoiled for a long time. 4.99% is a good rate on a car loan, certainly some cars will have subsidized rates but that is the same as a rebate.
You all were talking about rates, we just have to get used to higher rates. We have been spoiled for a long time. 4.99% is a good rate on a car loan, certainly some cars will have subsidized rates but that is the same as a rebate.
Last edited by SW17LS; Apr 14, 2023 at 09:04 AM.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,019
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
Indy quote was $400 cheaper and they're just as good as the dealer, like you say they actually work on old ones all the time whereas the dealer is more warranty oriented. That said, the dealer knows alotttttt about the R129, they're just the most expensive to service there.
If you just drive non-aggressively everything is fine, not a huge deal. Probably will fix after I get the boat going in the water, etc. Project car!!!
Stuff like rubber parts deteriorating I'm not holding against it, nor I would with any 20 year old car.
MB dealer thoroughly checked the car out again and said other than that everything looks great. Including other parts that are rubber.
Lexus Champion
Joined: Jan 2012
Posts: 17,019
Likes: 496
From: Knoxville, TN
Lol oh yeah. I know I've said this 500 times but indy is literally 2-3 minutes from my house, and they're excellent. Owner drives a 95 R129, or he gave it to his son I heard.
You can just tell they are good because the price is cheaper but not like ridiculously cheaper. Spending big bucks is just part of old Mercedes ownership sometimes. Used car people just have to accept that.
That's where Lexus comes in and starts to pull you back..... lol.
Both brands have their plusses and minuses. Or had in this case.
$1200 isn't bad at all considering this is a car that would cost $150,000 in today's dollars.
You can just tell they are good because the price is cheaper but not like ridiculously cheaper. Spending big bucks is just part of old Mercedes ownership sometimes. Used car people just have to accept that.
That's where Lexus comes in and starts to pull you back..... lol.
Both brands have their plusses and minuses. Or had in this case.
$1200 isn't bad at all considering this is a car that would cost $150,000 in today's dollars.
Last edited by AJT123; Apr 14, 2023 at 01:46 PM.
