2021+ 3rd Generation Lexus IS (300, 350, 500) Megathread

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Faisal Sheikh

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Biggest factor I mentioned above, the 2UR is a very expensive engine to produce and does not have the kind of volume manufacturing that would be needed for a car like IS500 that needs to compete with the 340i, C43 AMG, Stinger GT, Q50s Red Sport etc. The V35A is the only plausible engine at this point unless Lexus brings a brand new engine for the IS500.
 
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LexusSteve said:
Can anyone confirm that Lexus has a Single Turbo V6 on the way? (I haven't read up on upcoming engines) Some guy says that Lexus may be re-designating their models using the following:

IS 300 = 2.0L Turbo I4
IS 350 = 2.4L Turbo I4
IS 500 = 3.2L Turbo V6 or Mazda I6

and when naming nomenclature changes, the LS500 TTV6 will be known as the LS600.

Source: Twitter, but tweet has since been deleted. But has anyone heard of this or can confirm?
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well we already know about NX300 and NX350, so yes, 2.0l and 2.4l turbo's.... but for 500, they will certainly keep their brand twin turbo new engine.

The 350hp turbo should be something like 400.
 
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LexusSteve said:
Can anyone confirm that Lexus has a Single Turbo V6 on the way? (I haven't read up on upcoming engines) Some guy says that Lexus may be re-designating their models using the following:

IS 300 = 2.0L Turbo I4
IS 350 = 2.4L Turbo I4
IS 500 = 3.2L Turbo V6 or Mazda I6

and when naming nomenclature changes, the LS500 TTV6 will be known as the LS600.

Source: Twitter, but tweet has since been deleted. But has anyone heard of this or can confirm?
Click to expand...

I don't believe there is any smaller displacement turbo V6 coming from Toyota, especially when cross referencing with the TNGA powertrain chart from 2018. See here.
  • 2.5L N/A I4 (A25A-FKS): 204 - 206hp
  • 2.5L hybrid I4 (A25A-FXS): 219 - 245hp
  • 2.0L turbo I4 (8AR-FTS): 245hp (not a TNGA engine)
  • 2.4 or 2.5L Turbo I4 (TBD): ~300hp
  • 3.5L N/A V6 (2GR-FKS): 295 - 311hp (not a TNGA engine)
  • 3.5L N/A V6 hybrid (8GR-FXS): 354hp
  • 3.5L TT V6 (V35A-FTS): 416hp
  • 5.0L N/A V8: 2UR-GSE: 471hp (not a TNGA engine)
I think for hybrids, longer term we see:
  • 2.4L turbo I4 + hybrid motors = "400h" or "450h" for ~340hp
  • 3.5L V35A turbo V6 + hybrid motors = "600h" for ~455hp
The only "hole" here is that the V35A-FTS is really a better fit as a top option for GX/RX/ES/IS/RC than the only available gas engine for the LS, (and likely the LX as well). Lexus seems to intentionally neuter lower end products to claim V35A-FTS status as a flagship motor, but that mentality is hurting the rest of the lineup -- and the LS, too. Hopefully that will change when the new V8(s) arrive.
 
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ssun30 said:
Well with Inline-6 they could use a single integrated exhaust manifold and twin-scroll turbocharger to solve those problems. On a V6 it's impossible to do with a single-turbo setup because one side always has to wrap around the block with very long piping, increasing heat loss and lag. The only feasible setup for a turbocharged 60 degree V6 in modern days is twin.

All things considered all car makers should be making Inline-6s but it's surprising how just one criteria (length) is a such deal breaker that most of them just ignore it. IMO a company as obsessed with cost as Toyota should have considered the clear superiority of I6. It's not like they will ever use this engine in cars where engine length could be a problem: that's unless they seriously considered putting this thing in a transverse platform like the RX or ES (that was the justification by Ford when they made the EcoBoost 3.5).
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I too was surprised when the V35A came, asI expected cost cutting measures, so I6 as BMW, and Mercedes.


super51fan said:
Why can’t they? Of course they are limited by space between the heads but is still 100% possible. To say they cannot do it is flat out wrong.
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I am not aware of this possibility. FCA V6 os also hot 90 deg angle. Not 60 deg as Busso.
 
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Levi said:
I too was surprised when the V35A came, asI expected cost cutting measures, so I6 as BMW, and Mercedes.




I am not aware of this possibility. FCA V6 os also hot 90 deg angle. Not 60 deg as Busso.
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Why wouldn’t it be? It’s just a manifold joining exhaust ports to a turbo, angle doesn’t matter. Conceptually it is no different than mounting roots type supercharger on a v6 which combines one air source to 6 intake ports.
 
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super51fan said:
Why can’t they? Of course they are limited by space between the heads but is still 100% possible. To say they cannot do it is flat out wrong.
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Do you have any idea how narrow the space between the cylinder banks is? A 90 degree V already places restrictions on size of the turbo.
Sure it's technically possible if they just let the turbo protrude out of the bonnet but that's clearly practically impossible. Same with going with an axial flow turbo. Small axial flow turbochargers are prohibitively hard and expensive to make compared to proven radial designs.
 
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ssun30 said:
Do you have any idea how narrow the space between the cylinder banks is? A 90 degree V already places restrictions on size of the turbo.
Sure it's technically possible if they just let the turbo protrude out of the bonnet but that's clearly practically impossible. Same with going with an axial flow turbo. Small axial flow turbochargers are prohibitively hard and expensive to make compared to proven radial designs.
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Yeah I do, if you read my post I even mentioned the size limitations.

So it is possible? Okay glad we are on the same page.
 
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Gecko said:
I don't believe there is any smaller displacement turbo V6 coming from Toyota, especially when cross referencing with the TNGA powertrain chart from 2018. See here.
  • 2.5L N/A I4 (A25A-FKS): 204 - 206hp
  • 2.5L hybrid I4 (A25A-FXS): 219 - 245hp
  • 2.0L turbo I4 (8AR-FTS): 245hp (not a TNGA engine)
  • 2.4 or 2.5L Turbo I4 (TBD): ~300hp
  • 3.5L N/A V6 (2GR-FKS): 295 - 311hp (not a TNGA engine)
  • 3.5L N/A V6 hybrid (8GR-FXS): 354hp
  • 3.5L TT V6 (V35A-FTS): 416hp
  • 5.0L N/A V8: 2UR-GSE: 471hp (not a TNGA engine)
I think for hybrids, longer term we see:
  • 2.4L turbo I4 + hybrid motors = "400h" or "450h" for ~340hp
  • 3.5L V35A turbo V6 + hybrid motors = "600h" for ~455hp
The only "hole" here is that the V35A-FTS is really a better fit as a top option for GX/RX/ES/IS/RC than the only available gas engine for the LS, (and likely the LX as well). Lexus seems to intentionally neuter lower end products to claim V35A-FTS status as a flagship motor, but that mentality is hurting the rest of the lineup -- and the LS, too. Hopefully that will change when the new V8(s) arrive.
Click to expand...

Based on this the possible future engine lineup is:
IS300 ( 245hp 8AR-FTS I4)
IS350 (311hp 2GR-FKS V6 NA or 300hp 2.4L Turbo I4)
IS450h (354hp 8GR-FXS V6 hybrid)
IS500 (416hp V35A-FTS V6 TT)

The only problem is there is a huge gap between 2GR-FKS/2.4L T and V35A-FTS in terms of hp and torque in the lineup unless the IS450h becomes mainstream and a genuine step between the IS350 and the IS500.
 
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James

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Is LS goes 0-60 what 4.5 IS will be much lighter right so are we looking at a 4.0 0-60 time?
 
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What are the chances of an IS500 having both RWD and AWD configurations? An AWD IS500 would really be the perfect car for me. I understand the F cars are all RWD, but the LS500 has both RWD and AWD variants, and the AWD is even the Torsen center diff system (ie. not a clutch pack on-demand type).
 
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Faisal Sheikh said:
4500 lbs LS500 has a tested 0-60 mph in 5.0 - 5.3 seconds (MT, C&D). I would think the IS 500 at a few hundreds pounds less would be around 4,4 to 4.7 seconds 0-60 mph.
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Weird website says 4.6 damn was maybe hoping for a little quicker. Oh well let’s just hope they actually come out with IS500
 
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GNS said:
What are the chances of an IS500 having both RWD and AWD configurations? An AWD IS500 would really be the perfect car for me. I understand the F cars are all RWD, but the LS500 has both RWD and AWD variants, and the AWD is even the Torsen center diff system (ie. not a clutch pack on-demand type).
Click to expand...

Lexus AWD is not performance oriented, they are always slower than RWD. In Germans it is the opposite. But now they don't even make RWD, it is AWD with drift mode (whatever nonesense that is).



James said:
W

Weird website says 4.6 damn was maybe hoping for a little quicker. Oh well let’s just hope they actually come out with IS500
Click to expand...
It is maybe the NA V8? BMW M340i will smoke IS 500 TTV6.
 
Faisal Sheikh

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James said:
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Weird website says 4.6 damn was maybe hoping for a little quicker. Oh well let’s just hope they actually come out with IS500
Click to expand...

Yeah, I saw that too. I only found 5.0 - 5.3 seconds in real world testing by the magazines.
 
Faisal Sheikh

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Levi said:
It is maybe the NA V8? BMW M340i will smoke IS 500 TTV6.
Click to expand...

I would not worry about 0-60 mph. It is just for internet wars. Lexus needs a car with the right amount of HP to compete with the other cars in the 400 HP region. HP sells cars. The IS will establish itself with other dynamic qualities even if it does not have top-tier 0-60 mph. They just need a car to be right in the face of the 340i and its 382 HP. Also, personally the TL Type S fanboys are becoming annoying with their constant Lexus bashing that Acura is finally about to overtake Lexus because it will offer much better speed, in theory.
 
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