I think it would be crazy to think you could just bolt the top end of the 460 engine, to the bottom of the other engine and think the computer will just compensate for the added stroke and compression. I imagine the computerr would wonder why more air is going into the engine...add more fuel to compensate...probably not run right...throw a light...start to misfire...burn a valve...break a connecting rod, etc, etc, etc.

At least that's what I think would happen.

 

I think PeachyKeen is onto something. There is a 5.0 in the RC with the 8 speed. AMG and F are not industrial "ricers". PeachyKeen has some good ideas and they should be respected.

 

Agreed. I have been around forms along time and there is always people that dream up the most expensive option for the sake of running the fastest quarter mile. If you throw enough money at something nothing is impossible for any car. If you want fast just move on to a faster car it's easier and cheaper.

 

True, if you have enough money you can turn the car into a helicopter, but it would be easier - and cheaper - to just buy the helicopter.

 

More reliable as well. The only thing that would impress me is an all electric LS 460. Anything short of that is so 2007 engine swap fantasy.

 

Anything is doable with the right amount of money thrown at it. You are asking questions that the majority of LS owners have not even considered doing to their cars. Even with more powerful engine under the hood what are you trying to accomplish? The LS460 is not a light weight nimble tuner car. It's a luxury flagship model with no intentions to being a fast super sedan.

The amount of money, time & energy needed to take on a project is not worth the efforts. Put your money where it will give you a greater return. If you want a faster car buy a faster car. If you plan on going the supercharged route do it. Just remember that monkeing around with a N/A engine and slapping forced induction onto it requires a proper tune. It will have a decreased lifespan & most likely cost you way more money than you originally planned to spend. Budget a replacement engine cost when doing this. If you don't have the funds stop before you end up with an expensive paper weight.

 

Just take the proven route.

 

I was actually going to cut the body off of mine and weld it to a Suburban frame. That way I'll have great ground clearance and can tow my Winnebago.

I wonder if that will void my warranty?

 

Precisely. But keep in mind that, that VERY sexy HKS is gonna set you back the equivalent of a couple of brand new, domestic sub-compacts.

 

Still far cheaper and logical. It also calls out the bluff of the fantasy builders. All of the fame none of the fortune. Car sitting on jack stands only to be sold as a project to some other disillusioned soul.
I hate the nitrous oxide camp but oddly I cannot deny that they actually have a point.

 

The only alternative that even makes conceptual sense is the 2UR-GSE. The 3UR is not tuned for refinement or power, just for low-end torque, and would be a definite step down from the factory engine.

But I'm with some of the others in the thread -- I'm at a loss for why anyone would be thinking about an LS as a good candidate for an engine swap. It's a big, refined, soft luxury sedan. There are cars that would respond far better to cheaper go-fast modifications.

 

Wow, found this discussion and thinking about the same type of thing 10-13 years later 😅. I can definitely understand the why behind the swap. Thinking a reliable S Class AMG with an even sweeter V8 engine (especially with the LC 500 set up). Assuming by looking at all these forums, it may not be worth the cost as I can buy a GSF/ISF 4 door vehicle for less than I can engine swap a LS460 lol. It is fascinating though and would he interested if anyone did achieve this feat to make a Japanese S Class AMG competitor (Lexus LS 460 F).

 

The GSF engine is less powerful than the base non-AMG Mercedes engine in the S class from 10 years ago....

If you want fast luxury get a German car.

 

I definitely get that. It's more about the reliability/feel you get from the 2UR vs the German counterparts.

 

If you want feel get a German engine, they are superior. Lexus never offered a turbo 8 yet alone the ultimate configuration for response and feel. A 12 cyl.

That's why I have 3 W12 now and a 710 whp TTV8 German fleet. I considered adding a supercharger to my LS but the transmission is just too slow/lethargic and the engine itself is not strong enough for me to be comfortable increasing the power too much past 500 crank. This is also ignoring the very real issue of tuning said engine to work under boost and altering the PCV system to have draw under both manifold vac and to be check valved against boost and draw upstream of the super.

There also isn't an oil cooler for the engine and the trans is undersized so both of those would have to be addressed or you will overheat the trans like the LC500 does and it generates far less torque than a supercharged UR.

Oh and then factor in the fact you will need at minimum F sport brakes (smaller than the mid level brakes on an A8/7/S) and coilovers plus uprated sway bars (no one make those) to improve handling. The chassis itself is also a wet noodle (under 30k NM/degree vs the worst German (7) at 34k or god forbid an A8 at over 45k, that's the same as an LFA fyi) so you will need braces to get the same level of chassis control as the competition. The engine is also a ROYAL pain to work on if anything does go wrong vs the Germans, takes longer to fix a valley plate leak on the UR than to remove and uprate the turbos on an EA824. W12s are intakes off in 10 min if you for some reason need to do something as they never have issues.....



I went down this road and tried to make it work and it just doesn't, I wanted a fast, accurate/tight, smooth and extremely confident car. I tried Lexus because I was scared of reliability issues but once I had myself established "gambled" with a German car. I then found out it was easier to work on, cheaper and easier parts to acquire, and has given me less problems than my two LS430s and LS460 have.

Then I took an other "insane risk" and bought a German 12 cyl car sight unseen because I wanted to have the ultimate smooth and responsive daily. The TTV8s are sledgehammers but really have that feeling of wanting to run away/not elegant and don't do low rpm/inputs well when off boost. Sorta jerky etc, I saw a 2012 W12 as a way to have more power than anything Lexus has ever made while having extreme refinement and 1:1 control and totally ruined myself on accident.

V8s feel rough as hell and have no torque to me now, a W12 feels stronger at 1700 rpm what an LS460 does at 4600 and then some......the force is ever present and perfectly linear. It's also the most reliable car I've ever owned, it's history up to getting to me was all dealer (duh, no one dares touch them) and only had oil/brake fluid changes. It required the least by far to get it perfect again of anything I've owned, the 2004 W12 had no leaks at 155k miles, same with the 2009 at 130k.

Take a risk, try German. Many many many people here have and none of us have looked back, if you buy used you also get INSANE value and a much lower price. Any reliability issues are easily covered by the price difference.