Will Infiniti ever do this?

[Peterofdevon]

I just browsed the new Winding Road and read the full review of the upcoming Lexus IS-F.

Do we think Infiniti will answer? I think they have too. A V8 in a 3800 lb car? Just say yesssss.

http://www.windingroad.com/

Peter

[Q45tech]

The 2003 M45 had a 3851 pound curb weight.102 pounds lighter than the 90Q.

[maxnix]

Kind of like the C63 also, but maybe Lexus has the more practical approach.

[ScottJackson]

I agree. It's time Infiniti steps up to the plate with something that had the potential of the original VH45 but in a sportier package. Either a turboed V8 similar to the VH in a car slightly larger than the G35, or a 7+liter V8 in the same... with a 6 speed manual like BMW offers. Oh yes, at a price not much above the current G.

[gammer_ghn]

ide go with a TT 4.1 L VH41DE V8 that has about 440hp and 460tq with a 6 speed close ratio transmission... Qs already got the Traction control and the LSD so were good to go. i chose the 4.1 L VH41DE V8 to have the car be a bit efficient and that i might be able to jack it and put it in my Y33 dam we dream quite alot here

[konatown]

The 2003 M45 had a 3851 pound curb weight.102 pounds lighter than the 90Q.

The salesmen at the Lexus dealer that I work at won't even mention the M45. Its forsaken... the GS430/350 just isn't on the same level.

Yeah, this IS-F is causing quite a stir but to be honest I will be completely shocked if it has the sportiness that everyone expects it to have.

[MattB]

Kind of like the C63 also, but maybe Lexus has the more practical approach.

I'll take the C63 any day over the IS-F.

[AlabamaDan]

At the risk of sounding like a Lexus Lover, how about that 8 speed transmission in the new LS?

[ScottJackson]

I dunno. 8 speeds in an auto just seems like more to go wrong. The only advantage would be more smoothness at really light throttle putting around. An engine should have enough torque to go just as fast with a 4 or 5 speed auto as an 8 speed. It takes time to shift and if you have to shift a bunch more times while accelerating, that often is more of a handicap than the advantage of staying within a few hundred rpm of peak hp the whole time.

[Jesda]

More gears isn't anything to brag about. That said, Toyota's RWD 5-speed transmission was a piece of crap (I owned an LS400 for a month). The eight gears is a way of compensating for past garbage.

[ericthered]

To me the IS-F sounds like it was created in the marketing department at Lexus.... "Hey, we're getting our butts kicked in the performance image department. We need something! Lexus owners need to feel like they are sports, too! Go put a big motor in a sporty Lexus, and here is a check book for the mods. "

So maybe that is why it looks more like a mod'd Lexus than a Lexus designed for sport.

[konatown]

I dunno. 8 speeds in an auto just seems like more to go wrong. The only advantage would be more smoothness at really light throttle putting around. An engine should have enough torque to go just as fast with a 4 or 5 speed auto as an 8 speed. It takes time to shift and if you have to shift a bunch more times while accelerating, that often is more of a handicap than the advantage of staying within a few hundred rpm of peak hp the whole time.

While it is minimally noticeable, the constant gear changes of the 8 speed is very, very annoying. Just driving around town, it just feels like the car doesn't know what gear to be in. I've driven one to deliver at a customers house over an hour away.

[AlabamaDan]

I was thinking it would be like my buddy's vette. When it's on the interstate it goes into 6th, RPMs drop, and MPG goes up significantly.

[konatown]

Interstate and highway driving is great with the 8-speed. But in the city there are so many gear changes it can be very awkward unless you're expecting each one.

[maxnix]

Hmmmm.....that's not good. Seems like they should be unoticeable.

[Jesda]

Interstate and highway driving is great with the 8-speed. But in the city there are so many gear changes it can be very awkward unless you're expecting each one.

Thats the exact same problem my Lexus's 5-speed had. Around town, taking off from a light or getting on the highway, you'd hammer it and feel two delayed, obnoxious lurches. The 4-speed in the Q45 and especially my old Cadillac Seville are SO much better, despite being a gear short.

There are some 5-6 speed automatics out there that work well. The one in the M45/Q45 is one, the ZF unit in my Range Rover is another. The one in the 05+ Cadillac STS had issues with chuggling up a hill (software fix took care of it).

Aisin gearboxes suck.

[Q45tech]

Chugging up hills or inclines is always a problem because of so many variables:AC or notWeight in car, passengers, trunk 150 pound driver vs fully load of fatties and luggage.Gasoline load empty vs 140 pounds full.

Easy to have a 1,000 pound weight variation that must be guessed!

The only way the ecu knows how much weight is on board is by the TC slip [turbine sensor] and the engine rpm drop vs TPS rate of change.

What if it isn't weight or a incline and just bad gasoline.

Fuzzy logic is used to select gears to avoid a thousand calculations.

It would be so easily if you were required to weight passengers and luggage and set the number into computer.

You would think that a Lexus would use fuel level gauge to fine tune but they just fix fuel level at 70 pounds and accept the potential error, same with an inclinometer to measure hills and downhills, seat weight sensors like those used to disable air bags and something to measure trunk weight.

A perfect shift can be accomplished by adding a few thousand to vehicle cost and honest weight reports.