Interesting mention over at USAToday. In the is350 review they say:

Quote:

• How soon? On sale since Oct. 14. A gas-electric hybrid version, IS 450h, is due in late spring.

Story Here

If true....

Edit: I can't type this early in the AM!

 

I dunno. I tihnk Lexus themselves might have said that there wont be a hybrid IS350(450h...whatever) in the near future. I personally think they dont need one at that level just yet. You have the GS, RX, Highlander, Camry, and Prius so far. No need for another model thats right in the middle of all of this.

 

Don't get your hopes up. It's the GS450h not the IS.

 

yeah the gs450h is coming in spring, i don't thing is450h, if there is one, will happen any time soon

 

I couldn't see that happening any time soon, BUT then again, the GS450h does use the IS350's V6 <plus the electric motor of course>, the IS also has an awd version suitable for a nice setup, and it is based on a modified platform of the GS so.... not to mention that toyota did promise to have the most <if not all > hybrid models by 2010 or so

 

Nah, I think he just confused it with the GS450h to be launched next May.
I would rather see a gasoline IS500 . . .

 

nah, 5.0 V8 would weight a lot more than V6. However, with hybrid rwd engine, you will get an nice balance. If they throw in 170hp electric engine like in RX400h, together with IS350, it will be blast, much faster than IS500 would ever be.

Just imagine how fast would RX400h be with 50% more hp and torque in gas engine, better aero and 600lbs less.

 

p.s. Lexus/Toyota will probably offer hybrids in an as many combos as they can to offset the costs - why else do both highlander and rx400h, low sales cars with 2yrs of life...

 

I think they call that an airplane

 

I want to see a hybrid IS bad...with Prius-level mileage!

 

umm..... not really.

is the v6 on the is350 aluminum block now? is it a lot lighter than the old i6 engine? from lexus site, the gs300 is about 200lb less than the gs430. so i don't see why a 5.0 v8 will weight a lot more than the v6.

if they put the 3.5 engine with the hybrid, yeah it could be fast. but we should see the gs450h coming out in spring first. personally i don't think it will be much faster than the gs460 coming out next fall, the gs460 won't sell if that's the case.

and the hybrid engine on the rx400h, it has 170hp?

 

I agree, I would much rather see a gasoline IS500. I just think doing hot laps at a track, that a gas 5.0 would be faster than a hybrid. What happens in the straightaways when the electric motor runs out of juice... it seems like it'd make for non-linear acceleration.

 

Yeah, I think the RX400h is much heavier than the RX 330 too . . .

 

well you literally add another engine in the car, it better weigh something