Gecko
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Alright the question is simple then.. Why did they just put the 5.0 in there then? instead of the TTV6. The 4.6 was horrible. The 3.5TTV6 is better than that V8 would ever be and i have a friend who has IS F and his 5.0 only has 416 HP... I think we are really underestimating the power that this engine packs... Good debate but maybe they will drop a 8 in their. Now when the LS F comes out it will have the new TTV8 which will probably replace the 8 you are talking about.. Maybe they are updating it.. who knows but I do know a TTV8 is coming.
"Future-proofing." That was Lexus' answer for the TT V6 instead of a V8. The IS F motor is over a decade old now, so why would we be talking about that? 2UR-GSE is the updated version that has been around since the RC F and it is a fantastic engine.
This is lexus's first ever twin turbo though... and they did a very good job with this motor. I don't see another V6 even coming close and this can run with the 8's I'm just sorry to say the days of big v8s are just gone... you got to get used to it.
I work in the automotive industry and get a lot of time with other manufacturer's products. After having been in S560, 750i and also 740i, the LS 500 is simply no match for the S560 or 750i in terms of powertrain comparisons. Both of those cars are much faster and their powertrains are much smoother. 740i is a good competitor for LS 500... even though it is advertised as ~330hp, that motor is underrated and produces more like 360hp/370lb-ft of torque. Depending on trim, the 740i is also ~700-900lbs lighter than LS 500 which levels the playing field. Both LS 500 and 740i are 0-60 in the mid to low 5 second range whereas the S560 and 750i are 4.5 to 4.7. S450 would be another good competitor but I haven't driven that car yet to gauge its powertrain.
It is difficult to gauge just how good of an engine the 3.5L TT V6 really is because the LS is such a heavy car and so far, is the only recipient of this engine. LS is substantially heavier than it's 6 cylinder competitors and as heavy or heavier than the V8 models, so weight may be the one factor that is preventing this engine from really shining. It would be nice to see the V35A-FTS in something like a GS or IS F so that we could gauge it's capabilities in a lighter application, because for now, Lexus advertised it as competitive with Mercedes/BMW's V8s and the numbers just don't line up. Is the culprit weight or is it the engine itself - or both?