Richard Hammond's review of the LS 600h
09-27-07, 10:50 PM
#1
Lexus Champion
Thread Starter
Richard Hammond's review of the LS 600h
Electric LEXUS
New hybrid's a high performer
28/09/2007
Surely if you're concerned about the environment you don't buy a luxury saloon weighing 2,330kg with 389bhp and a top speed of 155mph.
No, you'd splash out on a tiny little car that runs on tomato juice and has flower stickers on the side.
But I have to be careful about having a pop at people who might buy the new Lexus LS600h hybrid.
I drive a 1968 Ford Mustang with a 6.5-litre engine that needs a visit from a supertanker before I can drive it to the corner shop.
No one has ever built a hybrid car with an engine this big. You'd expect from the name that the LS600h has got a 6.0- litre engine but there's 5.0- litre V8 under the bonnet.
Lexus says with the extra poke from the electric motor the LS600h performs like a 6.0-litre engined car.
And so it does. Not only will it do 155mph but it also goes from 0-62mph in 6.3sec. This makes it almost as quick as the BMW 760i (6.0- litre V12 engine) which hits the mark in 5.5sec.
What the BMW hasn't a hope of matching is the Lexus's combined fuel consumption of 30.4mpg.
The LS600h can be driven using its petrol engine and for short bursts, at low speeds, on electric only.
I didn't manage to get it to do the latter, even driving in my lightest pair of shoes.
The big Lexus is crammed with high technology. It's got four-wheel drive, a constant variable transmission system and usual hybrid tricks like regenerative braking that recharges the battery when you're stopped.
There's an awful lot of black boxes and whirring bits to go wrong but Toyota make the Lexus and Toyotas tend not to go wrong. Ever.
If Jaguar or an Italian company built a car this complex you'd be nervous. Like the petrol-only Lexus LS460 saloon you can hardly hear the 600h's engine when it's running.
Believe it or not the car we've been driving is the short version.
For the first time the Lexus LS is also available in long wheelbase format which Lexus calls, rather logically, the LS 600h L (for Long).
It's 120mm longer than the standard car and has extra room in the back. There's even something called the rear seat relaxation pack which involves the rear left seat tilting back, a footrest appearing and the seat giving you a massage.
Not surprisingly, Lexus gives us loads of info on how it will save you money with the taxman. Its emissions output of 219g/km puts it in the 27 per cent car tax bracket for company car drivers, saving them £250 a month over rivals such as the Mercedes S500.
Not that anyone who has got £81,400 to spend will worry too much. What they're after is that feeling of worthiness they'll get with the magic H badge. What's £250 a month for a clear conscience?
THE RIVALS
Bmw 760i
Whopping 327g/km emissions and very thirsty. Lovely car but will suffer terrible depreciation £82,440
Jaguar XJR
Top-of-the-line Jag that's fast and stylish. Heavy on fuel. Cheaper 2.7 diesel is the green option £60,252
Maserati Quattroporte
Not in the least bit green but it's lovely to look at and has bags of class. Very quick too £83,302
THE FACTS
Lexus LS600h
Four-door saloon
Price: £81,400
Engine: 5.0-litre V8, 389bhp/permanent magnet electric motor
0-62mph: 6.3sec
Fuel consumption: 30.4mpg
New hybrid's a high performer
28/09/2007
Surely if you're concerned about the environment you don't buy a luxury saloon weighing 2,330kg with 389bhp and a top speed of 155mph.
No, you'd splash out on a tiny little car that runs on tomato juice and has flower stickers on the side.
But I have to be careful about having a pop at people who might buy the new Lexus LS600h hybrid.
I drive a 1968 Ford Mustang with a 6.5-litre engine that needs a visit from a supertanker before I can drive it to the corner shop.
No one has ever built a hybrid car with an engine this big. You'd expect from the name that the LS600h has got a 6.0- litre engine but there's 5.0- litre V8 under the bonnet.
Lexus says with the extra poke from the electric motor the LS600h performs like a 6.0-litre engined car.
And so it does. Not only will it do 155mph but it also goes from 0-62mph in 6.3sec. This makes it almost as quick as the BMW 760i (6.0- litre V12 engine) which hits the mark in 5.5sec.
What the BMW hasn't a hope of matching is the Lexus's combined fuel consumption of 30.4mpg.
The LS600h can be driven using its petrol engine and for short bursts, at low speeds, on electric only.
I didn't manage to get it to do the latter, even driving in my lightest pair of shoes.
The big Lexus is crammed with high technology. It's got four-wheel drive, a constant variable transmission system and usual hybrid tricks like regenerative braking that recharges the battery when you're stopped.
There's an awful lot of black boxes and whirring bits to go wrong but Toyota make the Lexus and Toyotas tend not to go wrong. Ever.
If Jaguar or an Italian company built a car this complex you'd be nervous. Like the petrol-only Lexus LS460 saloon you can hardly hear the 600h's engine when it's running.
Believe it or not the car we've been driving is the short version.
For the first time the Lexus LS is also available in long wheelbase format which Lexus calls, rather logically, the LS 600h L (for Long).
It's 120mm longer than the standard car and has extra room in the back. There's even something called the rear seat relaxation pack which involves the rear left seat tilting back, a footrest appearing and the seat giving you a massage.
Not surprisingly, Lexus gives us loads of info on how it will save you money with the taxman. Its emissions output of 219g/km puts it in the 27 per cent car tax bracket for company car drivers, saving them £250 a month over rivals such as the Mercedes S500.
Not that anyone who has got £81,400 to spend will worry too much. What they're after is that feeling of worthiness they'll get with the magic H badge. What's £250 a month for a clear conscience?
THE RIVALS
Bmw 760i
Whopping 327g/km emissions and very thirsty. Lovely car but will suffer terrible depreciation £82,440
Jaguar XJR
Top-of-the-line Jag that's fast and stylish. Heavy on fuel. Cheaper 2.7 diesel is the green option £60,252
Maserati Quattroporte
Not in the least bit green but it's lovely to look at and has bags of class. Very quick too £83,302
THE FACTS
Lexus LS600h
Four-door saloon
Price: £81,400
Engine: 5.0-litre V8, 389bhp/permanent magnet electric motor
0-62mph: 6.3sec
Fuel consumption: 30.4mpg
http://www.mirror.co.uk/news/motorin...9520-19860992/
There's a followup article too:
Emissions IMPOSSIBLE
How to save the world.. in luxury
28/09/2007
The Lexus LS600h is a fantastic achievement. It's no exaggeration to say it's the most technically complex new car on sale today.
But is it the answer to all our eco luxury motoring needs?
I'm not sure. It takes quite a lot of energy to build a new car and if you're going to be honest about your carbon footprint this has to be taken in account.
Even manufacturers aren't exactly sure how much carbon dioxide and other nasties are released during the building of their cars.
But it's generally thought that the figure is 10 to 15 per cent of the car's emissions over a 100,000-mile life. That's roughly 6.6 tonnes for LS600h's rivals, which kick out about 330g/km.
The £80,000 Lexus boasts 219g/km but while that gives it a far lower lifetime total emissions, its electric motor, batteries and other hi-tech systems will all be energy-hungry to make.
The figure of 6.6 tonnes is not that enormous - it's close to one passenger's emissions for two return flights to New York by airliner. But it's still quite a lot of CO2.
One way to reduce extra emissions is by not buying a new car at all. If the motor already exists then the energy to build it has already been spent. So here are some great affordable second-hand luxury cars.
They may not be terribly green, but think of it as a form of recycling and they're great to drive...
FACT
The Lexus LS600h has lower emissions than other luxury models
Lexus LS 400
Lexus might not be as sexy a badge as Jaguar or BMW but one thing that all car experts agree on (including some who work for rivals) is that a Lexus is about the best-built car in the world.
And that means a secondhand model can be a fantastic buy. The first Lexus was the LS400, launched in 1989. Expect lots of gadgets, smooth performance and an engine so smooth that you can hardly hear it run.
A 4.3-litre version followed in 2001 and today we have the LS460.
How much? Around £7,000 will get you a 10-year-old LS400 with under 100k on the clock. It should happily go on much further than that.
Peugeot 607
Big luxury French cars tend not to sell very well because most people want a BMW, Audi or Mercedes badge on their flash motor.
Silly really, because the French make some very good larger motors. The Peugeot 607 for example.
It doesn't do anything brilliantly but it's crammed full of kit, has acres of leather and is quiet and great on long journeys.
The 607 is available with small petrol engines and diesels, but since we're after luxury we'll go for the 3.0-litre V6.
How much? Without any effort we found a 2001 607 V6 with 100k miles for £4,500.
BMW 740I
The bmw 7-Series is a beautifully made luxury saloon that happens to lose its value rather quickly.
Which is good news for us. A great range of engines are available from 2.8-litre straight six cylinders right up to a fantastically a smooth V12.
If you want reasonable economy then go for one of the turbodiesel engines, but since these models are the most sought after they're the dearest.
As a compromise go for the silky smooth 4.0-litre V8. If you're careful it'll get into the 20s on fuel consumption.
How much? Around £4,000 will get you a nice nine/10 year-old with 100,000 miles on the clock. Pay a bit more for a good service history.
Jaguar XJR
The first Jaguar XJR saloon came with a supercharged straight-six engine, but the one I prefer is the later supercharged V8.
Lots of power, lots of speed and a body style that still looks fantastic after all these years. Real class. The best news of all is that by the mid-1990s Jaguar had got a lot better at building its cars so reliability isn't a disaster.
Expect high teens fuel consumption and a warm feeling every time you see it on your drive.
How much? You'll find V8 XJRs from around £6,000. Be choosy though and be prepared to spend a bit more on a car with good history.
Range Rover
A range Rover will get you into sorts of arguments with full-on greenies, but the fact of the matter is that it's a brilliant bit of kit.
Trouble is, er, they are a bit harsh on fuel and kick out rather a lot of emissions. Especially the older and more affordable models. Can't have everything.
How much? Under five grand will get you a nice solid early 90s V8 Range Rover. Several bits will probably have stopped working but the vital bits will plod on.
Print this
How to save the world.. in luxury
28/09/2007
The Lexus LS600h is a fantastic achievement. It's no exaggeration to say it's the most technically complex new car on sale today.
But is it the answer to all our eco luxury motoring needs?
I'm not sure. It takes quite a lot of energy to build a new car and if you're going to be honest about your carbon footprint this has to be taken in account.
Even manufacturers aren't exactly sure how much carbon dioxide and other nasties are released during the building of their cars.
But it's generally thought that the figure is 10 to 15 per cent of the car's emissions over a 100,000-mile life. That's roughly 6.6 tonnes for LS600h's rivals, which kick out about 330g/km.
The £80,000 Lexus boasts 219g/km but while that gives it a far lower lifetime total emissions, its electric motor, batteries and other hi-tech systems will all be energy-hungry to make.
The figure of 6.6 tonnes is not that enormous - it's close to one passenger's emissions for two return flights to New York by airliner. But it's still quite a lot of CO2.
One way to reduce extra emissions is by not buying a new car at all. If the motor already exists then the energy to build it has already been spent. So here are some great affordable second-hand luxury cars.
They may not be terribly green, but think of it as a form of recycling and they're great to drive...
FACT
The Lexus LS600h has lower emissions than other luxury models
Lexus LS 400
Lexus might not be as sexy a badge as Jaguar or BMW but one thing that all car experts agree on (including some who work for rivals) is that a Lexus is about the best-built car in the world.
And that means a secondhand model can be a fantastic buy. The first Lexus was the LS400, launched in 1989. Expect lots of gadgets, smooth performance and an engine so smooth that you can hardly hear it run.
A 4.3-litre version followed in 2001 and today we have the LS460.
How much? Around £7,000 will get you a 10-year-old LS400 with under 100k on the clock. It should happily go on much further than that.
Peugeot 607
Big luxury French cars tend not to sell very well because most people want a BMW, Audi or Mercedes badge on their flash motor.
Silly really, because the French make some very good larger motors. The Peugeot 607 for example.
It doesn't do anything brilliantly but it's crammed full of kit, has acres of leather and is quiet and great on long journeys.
The 607 is available with small petrol engines and diesels, but since we're after luxury we'll go for the 3.0-litre V6.
How much? Without any effort we found a 2001 607 V6 with 100k miles for £4,500.
BMW 740I
The bmw 7-Series is a beautifully made luxury saloon that happens to lose its value rather quickly.
Which is good news for us. A great range of engines are available from 2.8-litre straight six cylinders right up to a fantastically a smooth V12.
If you want reasonable economy then go for one of the turbodiesel engines, but since these models are the most sought after they're the dearest.
As a compromise go for the silky smooth 4.0-litre V8. If you're careful it'll get into the 20s on fuel consumption.
How much? Around £4,000 will get you a nice nine/10 year-old with 100,000 miles on the clock. Pay a bit more for a good service history.
Jaguar XJR
The first Jaguar XJR saloon came with a supercharged straight-six engine, but the one I prefer is the later supercharged V8.
Lots of power, lots of speed and a body style that still looks fantastic after all these years. Real class. The best news of all is that by the mid-1990s Jaguar had got a lot better at building its cars so reliability isn't a disaster.
Expect high teens fuel consumption and a warm feeling every time you see it on your drive.
How much? You'll find V8 XJRs from around £6,000. Be choosy though and be prepared to spend a bit more on a car with good history.
Range Rover
A range Rover will get you into sorts of arguments with full-on greenies, but the fact of the matter is that it's a brilliant bit of kit.
Trouble is, er, they are a bit harsh on fuel and kick out rather a lot of emissions. Especially the older and more affordable models. Can't have everything.
How much? Under five grand will get you a nice solid early 90s V8 Range Rover. Several bits will probably have stopped working but the vital bits will plod on.
Print this
09-27-07, 11:06 PM
#2
Thanks for posting that. I like that guy's style of writing, informative as well as entertaining!
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