Honestly one of the big factors in me getting a Model 3 Performance vs some of the other performance cars was the cost of maintenance. The cars like M3, RS3, or even the 340 were astronomically higher than a Model 3 over a 5 year period. Model 3 is basically free compared to those cars if you decide to own vs lease. I drive 15-20k miles a year so a lease wasn't feasible. I would rather have gotten a GSF over all of those simply because of that V8 and lower cost of ownership. Used ones were still more expensive than the Tesla I got.

 

Doesn't the IS300 use the exact same engine as the IS350, the 2GR-FSE / FKS?

 

Yes, the same engine and transmission. The IS300 has just been defined from the factory to produce less hp. The stated rating are 306 hp for the 350 and 255 for the 300. The forum debate is whether or not the power ratings for the 300 have been under-stated.

 

I think we already have data suggesting the 300 is underrated for torque, at the very least. See RR Racing's dyno chart: https://www.rr-racing.com/RR-Racing-...ig3xxtne02.htm

According to their chart, assuming 15% drivetrain loss, the IS 300 makes 249 lb-ft of torque at 4200 RPM and 252 horsepower at 6400 RPM. So, underrated for torque, and overrated for horsepower. But, this is just one test, and we don't know the actual drivetrain loss.

For 0-60 the torque matters. And, from the way the IS 300 is detuned, it clearly loses most of its power to the 350 at the top of the rev range. So, first-gear acceleration is probably similar between the two cars.

 

For those wondering why cars feel different with identical 0-60 times...
This is because time is not the same as acceleration. You have to integrate acceleration data TWICE to get time in seconds, meaning two different charts with acceleration over time, might give you the same 0-60 time after second integration.
Basically, 0-60 time is just one parameter/measurement. Since humans can't feel speed or time, but do feel acceleration directly, acceleration and the way it changes over time is what you feel when you accelerate in a car.
That is why two different cars having the same 0-60 time might feel quicker or slower - because their acceleration over time charts might not be the same, even those integrals for both might give the same time.

 

cool video.
this will be very useful as there's millions of questions asking about this comparison every day.