Official GS 450h Reviews/Scans Thread
03-25-06, 11:35 AM
#16
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i found another article. It's becoming VERY obvious that my patience is running low on this waiting game for my H.
http://www.hispanianews.com/archive/2006/03/24/07.htm
It's not a special article, but it's never been posted so I figure I'd be the one since all I do is search for news on my future car.
http://www.hispanianews.com/archive/2006/03/24/07.htm
It's not a special article, but it's never been posted so I figure I'd be the one since all I do is search for news on my future car.
03-29-06, 10:46 PM
#17
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I found another article. This one is pretty good. Check out the color of this 450h.
http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/LexusGS450h/
http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/LexusGS450h/
The Red is such a sexy color especially on the GS. Absolutely amazing.
04-10-06, 07:10 PM
#19
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http://www.familycar.com/RoadTests/LexusGS450h/
A Family Car Road Test
Click here for more information about our roadtests
Click to see Readers Comments
Click for the GS430 V8 Road Test
Click here for more pictures of the
GS450h
2007 Lexus GS450h Road Test
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.
Your Comments
Do you have any feedback on the Lexus GS450h? Any opinions or experiences of your own? We would love to hear from you. Click here to send us your comments
Click to see Readers Comments
Click here for more pictures of the GS-450h
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 ****
* 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
A Family Car Road Test
Click here for more information about our roadtests
Click to see Readers Comments
Click for the GS430 V8 Road Test
Click here for more pictures of the
GS450h
2007 Lexus GS450h Road Test
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.
Your Comments
Do you have any feedback on the Lexus GS450h? Any opinions or experiences of your own? We would love to hear from you. Click here to send us your comments
Click to see Readers Comments
Click here for more pictures of the GS-450h
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 ****
* 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
04-10-06, 07:41 PM
#20
Lexus Test Driver
We were able to drive the GS450h in Matador...
Red and Black Onyx today in NJ. We drove on quiet roads around the headquarters and near the Parsippany Water Tower. The GS450h accelerates without perceptible shifts and does better just leaving it in drive. You can simulate a downshift if you are approaching a turn and want to "engine brake" by utilizing a set of clutches in the ECVT to drop to "low range". When you come to a halt the silence takes over as the gas engine takes a rest. Under hard acceleration the increase is rather linear and does not wait to gather itself like a turbo or conventional V8. This will spoil you quickly and the only thing you miss from the GS430 is the sound of the V8.
We drove up to Parsippany in my friend Seth's fully loaded IS350 and it has a very pleasurable sound when you let it go which reminds me more of a fast motorcycle sound oddly enough. It really scoots. He has the PCS option which is impressive. We set it to 85 MPH and kept the distance setting at the closest setting which is approximately 1.5 seconds behind. It will brake whenever it sees something too close and start to chime if it thinks there is a chance of collision. We let it drive on cruise all the way from DC to NJ and it was flawless. One of the GS450h's had the PCS option and after this trip I will envy those that are able to find one or special order this option. The same goes for the Active Stabilizer system which adds about 60 lbs. yet manages the forces unleashed by the electric motor generators and the dual injected V6.
We had a chance to really examine the GS450h from underneath up on a lift. The workmanship and attention to detail are quickly evident. At the front air dam you have air tunnels that focus air current onto the front brakes. Much of the bottom is flat and has a lot of sound barriers, sand catchers, air drains, spat spoilers and heat shields with dimples to reduce drag. The end result is a .27 drag coefficient. This car is quiet inside and out too. The technology is so advanced in this car that it is almost alien....
Rock
We drove up to Parsippany in my friend Seth's fully loaded IS350 and it has a very pleasurable sound when you let it go which reminds me more of a fast motorcycle sound oddly enough. It really scoots. He has the PCS option which is impressive. We set it to 85 MPH and kept the distance setting at the closest setting which is approximately 1.5 seconds behind. It will brake whenever it sees something too close and start to chime if it thinks there is a chance of collision. We let it drive on cruise all the way from DC to NJ and it was flawless. One of the GS450h's had the PCS option and after this trip I will envy those that are able to find one or special order this option. The same goes for the Active Stabilizer system which adds about 60 lbs. yet manages the forces unleashed by the electric motor generators and the dual injected V6.
We had a chance to really examine the GS450h from underneath up on a lift. The workmanship and attention to detail are quickly evident. At the front air dam you have air tunnels that focus air current onto the front brakes. Much of the bottom is flat and has a lot of sound barriers, sand catchers, air drains, spat spoilers and heat shields with dimples to reduce drag. The end result is a .27 drag coefficient. This car is quiet inside and out too. The technology is so advanced in this car that it is almost alien....
Rock
04-10-06, 07:59 PM
#22
Lexus Test Driver
The stabilizers consist of large sway bars...
with pretty large electric motors in the middle. The rear unit under the very small trunk has a finned aluminum heat sink on top and a medium sized conventional lead cell next to it for quick independent power supply. I would not expect to see this on anything else except the LS600hL if they wanted to apply the technology again in the future. The GS460 is still under development and has engine fit issues to overcome. The GS350 will offer a sweet spot car to enjoy for years to come. After spending some time on the highway in the IS350 coming home tonight I knew that the GS350 will put a smile on your face too. Add the electric motor/generators and you have a V8 killer that can be driven economically or with powerlust, you decide....
Rock
Rock
04-10-06, 08:21 PM
#24
Lexus Test Driver
I was told about two months ago that..
it would not. There won't be many produced with either of the exotic PCS or active stabilizer options nationally. It will only be by special order here in the Eastern region. We will only see the Tungsten Silver and the Black Onyx so the Neiman Marcus will be pretty unique to have anyway. The only way to spot the GS450h otherwise is the wheels and the tiny hybrid emblem in front of the rear wheelwell. It would take some long odds for one Neiman Marcus edition owner to spot another one.....
Rock
Rock
04-24-06, 08:42 AM
#26
Speaks French in Russian
Lexus GS 450h not just about numbers
Buyers seem ready to pay for hybrid power
Even if advantage doesn't pay off for years
Apr. 22, 2006. 01:00 AM
http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/Con...d=970599119419
Buyers seem ready to pay for hybrid power
Even if advantage doesn't pay off for years
Apr. 22, 2006. 01:00 AM
In physics, the Greek letter "delta'' indicates a change in value, a term that allows you to utter massively cool NASA-speak such as, "What is the delta in vector?'' Or velocity. Or even viscosity.
Auto showrooms have deltas too — the difference in price between one model and its upgraded version. For instance, the Porsche 911 retails for $104,300 (Canadian). The 911S — the sportier model with slightly richer amenities — costs $119,000, for a delta of $14,700.
What do you get for your hard-earned delta? A bump in horsepower, from 325 to 355; a paltry decrease in 0-to-96 km/h, from 4.8 seconds to 4.6; a slight — and almost entirely theoretical — higher top speed of 295 km/h versus 285 km/h. How deep under the jail would you like them to bury you?
And yet, in the face of this less-than-compelling arithmetic, more North American buyers last year preferred a 911S over a straight 911 (2,443 versus 2,108 units).
The point is, buyers spend thousands of dollars upgrading vehicles with negligible or even nonexistent performance advantages, but when it comes to hybrids, well, out come the long knives, or rather, the long slide rules. Doubters demand to know if they buy a Honda Civic hybrid, an Accord hybrid or a Ford Escape hybrid, will they save in gas what they spent on the hybrid delta?
I've run the math several times and demonstrated that, yes, hybrids can pay for themselves; it's only a question of when.
But whether you do or don't recoup the hybrid delta, the money you spend is purely an expression of your personal values and delight at such machinery, exactly as it is when you step up from the thoroughly fast base-model Corvette to that crazy venti latte of adrenaline, the Z06 Corvette.
Now comes the Lexus GS 450h, the first hybrid in the stratocruiser sedan segment, the fastest Lexus ever, and the first hybrid to drive the rear wheels with a front-mounted engine. The base price comes in at $76,900 (Canadian) — $2,200 more than the V8-powered GS 430. For that, you get a car half a second quicker to 96 km/h (5.2 seconds) and better furnished as well. (Lexus's suite of traction, stability and smart braking technologies, the VDIM system, is standard in the hybrid.)
Such description impoverishes the actual experience of the car. How to put this: The GS 450h is the neon-skinned, freeway-ventilating electric eel of midrange torque. Put the wellie to this car at 130 km/h and, before you can say, ``Galvani, Volta, Faraday and Tesla,'' the Electro-Lex is humming along at 160 km/h, shoved into crass illegality by its 197-horsepower monster-magnet motor.
I didn't have access to a track and, not wishing to microwave my licence, I didn't verify my hunch, but I'm guessing the GS 450h is about a second quicker in the quarter-mile than the standard GS 430. Considering the wads of cash that luxury and performance buyers blow for much smaller increases in performance, the GS's hybrid delta is charmingly nominal.
Oh, and by the way, the car gets 20 per cent better fuel economy than its conventional cousin: 9.4 L/100 km city, 8.4 L/100 km highway, compared with 13/9.4 L/100 km. According to Lexus, that's good for a savings of about 750 litres per year. In other words, even without tax credits and accounting for increases at the pumps, the hybrid delta is covered in about three years.
Except when it's silent, the GS 450h soundtrack is what might be called a charged polyphonic hum, and at full throttle, an indignant Norelco shaver. Some hybrids, such as the Lexus RX 400h, answer urgent calls to the engine room with a spiraling whine from the continuously variable transmission and not much change in velocity.
The GS 450h has a direct linkage between the go pedal and the rear wheels. Nail the throttle and the car surges forward on electron-greased rails while the needle on the cool-metallic "kilowatt'' gauge swings to over 250kW (max output of gas and electric power is 339 horsepower).
At low speeds, the gas engine cuts off — it's quite hard to detect the on-off cycling of the V6 — and the car moves like a very large and ethereally comfortable golf cart.
How's it work? Under the hood is a direct-injection, 292-horsepower version of Lexus's 3.5-litre V6 mounted in a north-south (longitudinal) position. Behind that is a greatly beefed-up and re-engineered version of the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive motor/generator/transmission found in its Prius.
As usual, the first motor/generator manages energy flow between the engine, the driveline and the batteries. The second motor is the electric Clydesdale, putting out an overlay of 19 hp and 203 lbs.-ft. of torque for the V6.
The car has one last trick, a two-stage variable gearset that basically — although nothing is basic in this car — acts like a two-speed transfer case between the big electric motor and the driveline, multiplying torque at low speeds (equivalent to a 3.9:1 rear-gear ratio) and reducing engine r.p.m. at high speeds (1.9:1). This is a wonderful bit of hardware.
Along the way, there have been some compromises. Although the GS 450h's hybrid system is tightly packaged, the battery pack, controllers and various ancillary gear still consume a fair amount of space. The trunk is down to around 227 litres.
The steering, electronically dialed in, is heavy but accurate, and the big Lexus helms better than it actually feels.
The ride is nevertheless gorgeous. The optional Mark Levinson sound system is transporting. The high-def navigation and rear-camera display is brighter than Veuve Clicquot at 4C. All things considered, a wonderful car.
How will hybrid haters attempt to dismantle the GS 450h? By accusing its owners of green grandstanding? Perhaps, but the car's hybrid badging is quite discreet — just a lovely sword of chrome along the lower panels. By accusing them of insincerity? Fuel-efficient powertrains must be made available across the vehicle market; to insist otherwise is to insist that everyone drive the same kind of car, essentially repealing capitalism — which isn't going to happen. Yes, rich people can be more responsible too.
Auto showrooms have deltas too — the difference in price between one model and its upgraded version. For instance, the Porsche 911 retails for $104,300 (Canadian). The 911S — the sportier model with slightly richer amenities — costs $119,000, for a delta of $14,700.
What do you get for your hard-earned delta? A bump in horsepower, from 325 to 355; a paltry decrease in 0-to-96 km/h, from 4.8 seconds to 4.6; a slight — and almost entirely theoretical — higher top speed of 295 km/h versus 285 km/h. How deep under the jail would you like them to bury you?
And yet, in the face of this less-than-compelling arithmetic, more North American buyers last year preferred a 911S over a straight 911 (2,443 versus 2,108 units).
The point is, buyers spend thousands of dollars upgrading vehicles with negligible or even nonexistent performance advantages, but when it comes to hybrids, well, out come the long knives, or rather, the long slide rules. Doubters demand to know if they buy a Honda Civic hybrid, an Accord hybrid or a Ford Escape hybrid, will they save in gas what they spent on the hybrid delta?
I've run the math several times and demonstrated that, yes, hybrids can pay for themselves; it's only a question of when.
But whether you do or don't recoup the hybrid delta, the money you spend is purely an expression of your personal values and delight at such machinery, exactly as it is when you step up from the thoroughly fast base-model Corvette to that crazy venti latte of adrenaline, the Z06 Corvette.
Now comes the Lexus GS 450h, the first hybrid in the stratocruiser sedan segment, the fastest Lexus ever, and the first hybrid to drive the rear wheels with a front-mounted engine. The base price comes in at $76,900 (Canadian) — $2,200 more than the V8-powered GS 430. For that, you get a car half a second quicker to 96 km/h (5.2 seconds) and better furnished as well. (Lexus's suite of traction, stability and smart braking technologies, the VDIM system, is standard in the hybrid.)
Such description impoverishes the actual experience of the car. How to put this: The GS 450h is the neon-skinned, freeway-ventilating electric eel of midrange torque. Put the wellie to this car at 130 km/h and, before you can say, ``Galvani, Volta, Faraday and Tesla,'' the Electro-Lex is humming along at 160 km/h, shoved into crass illegality by its 197-horsepower monster-magnet motor.
I didn't have access to a track and, not wishing to microwave my licence, I didn't verify my hunch, but I'm guessing the GS 450h is about a second quicker in the quarter-mile than the standard GS 430. Considering the wads of cash that luxury and performance buyers blow for much smaller increases in performance, the GS's hybrid delta is charmingly nominal.
Oh, and by the way, the car gets 20 per cent better fuel economy than its conventional cousin: 9.4 L/100 km city, 8.4 L/100 km highway, compared with 13/9.4 L/100 km. According to Lexus, that's good for a savings of about 750 litres per year. In other words, even without tax credits and accounting for increases at the pumps, the hybrid delta is covered in about three years.
Except when it's silent, the GS 450h soundtrack is what might be called a charged polyphonic hum, and at full throttle, an indignant Norelco shaver. Some hybrids, such as the Lexus RX 400h, answer urgent calls to the engine room with a spiraling whine from the continuously variable transmission and not much change in velocity.
The GS 450h has a direct linkage between the go pedal and the rear wheels. Nail the throttle and the car surges forward on electron-greased rails while the needle on the cool-metallic "kilowatt'' gauge swings to over 250kW (max output of gas and electric power is 339 horsepower).
At low speeds, the gas engine cuts off — it's quite hard to detect the on-off cycling of the V6 — and the car moves like a very large and ethereally comfortable golf cart.
How's it work? Under the hood is a direct-injection, 292-horsepower version of Lexus's 3.5-litre V6 mounted in a north-south (longitudinal) position. Behind that is a greatly beefed-up and re-engineered version of the Toyota Hybrid Synergy Drive motor/generator/transmission found in its Prius.
As usual, the first motor/generator manages energy flow between the engine, the driveline and the batteries. The second motor is the electric Clydesdale, putting out an overlay of 19 hp and 203 lbs.-ft. of torque for the V6.
The car has one last trick, a two-stage variable gearset that basically — although nothing is basic in this car — acts like a two-speed transfer case between the big electric motor and the driveline, multiplying torque at low speeds (equivalent to a 3.9:1 rear-gear ratio) and reducing engine r.p.m. at high speeds (1.9:1). This is a wonderful bit of hardware.
Along the way, there have been some compromises. Although the GS 450h's hybrid system is tightly packaged, the battery pack, controllers and various ancillary gear still consume a fair amount of space. The trunk is down to around 227 litres.
The steering, electronically dialed in, is heavy but accurate, and the big Lexus helms better than it actually feels.
The ride is nevertheless gorgeous. The optional Mark Levinson sound system is transporting. The high-def navigation and rear-camera display is brighter than Veuve Clicquot at 4C. All things considered, a wonderful car.
How will hybrid haters attempt to dismantle the GS 450h? By accusing its owners of green grandstanding? Perhaps, but the car's hybrid badging is quite discreet — just a lovely sword of chrome along the lower panels. By accusing them of insincerity? Fuel-efficient powertrains must be made available across the vehicle market; to insist otherwise is to insist that everyone drive the same kind of car, essentially repealing capitalism — which isn't going to happen. Yes, rich people can be more responsible too.
04-26-06, 02:03 AM
#27
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GS450H video, pretty cool
http://www.autospies.com/article/ind...&categoryId=22
I want to drive a hybrid, a GS450h, it's getting great reviews everywhere with it's blistering performance and great fuel efficiency
I want to drive a hybrid, a GS450h, it's getting great reviews everywhere with it's blistering performance and great fuel efficiency
04-27-06, 11:31 AM
#28
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Join Date: Jun 2005
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And from Ireland
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
© The Irish Times
--------------------------------------------
Now just six weeks more to wait.
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
© The Irish Times
--------------------------------------------
Now just six weeks more to wait.
04-27-06, 08:26 PM
#29
Guest
Posts: n/a
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.
We know you will enjoy it!
And don't forget to go test drive one!!!
http://mfile.akamai.com/8065/wmv/toy...ngForm_Win.wmv
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.
We know you will enjoy it!
And don't forget to go test drive one!!!
http://mfile.akamai.com/8065/wmv/toy...ngForm_Win.wmv
