Auto news on Youtube Oct 25 2017

Lexus to swap V8s for turbo V6

The days of the V8-powered Lexus could be numbered, with engineers ditching bigger engines in favour of smaller, more efficient units.

You won't find the bleak future of Lexus' V8 engines written on the wall. Instead you'll find it nestled under the bonnet of the brand's LS sedan.

When Lexus unveiled the top-tier version of its all-new flagship at the Detroit Auto Show, one thing was clearly missing. Well, two things, with the traditional eight-cylinder engine dropping to a twin-turbo V6 for the first time.

The new engine has been designed to offer the performance of a V8, but return better fuel economy, with the new LS generating a very healthy 310kW/600Nm.

That's enough to propel the luxe limo to 100km/h in 4.5secs, and also enough to at least partly outshine the brand's 50-litre V8 engine, which will return 351kW/530Nm when it arrives in the LC 500 coupe later this year.

Obviously theres no reason to go back to V8.

And that spells bad news for Lexus' long history of V8-powered models, with one of the brand's chief engineers telling CarsGuide the new V6 could be rolled out to replace bigger displacement engines across the Toyota group, saying there's "no reason to go back to a V8.

"Our intention was to create a V6, turbocharged engine that would be equivalent to, or something that would succeed the V8 engine, " said Lexus LS chief engineer, Toshio Asahi.

"With that in mind, Toyota has many V8 engines within their line up so it could be a consideration as a replacement.

"But In regards to introducing a V6 turbo that is equivalent as far as the output goes to a V8 engine, but has a higher efficiency. If thats the case, obviously theres no reason to go back to V8.".

For more infomation >> Lexus to swap V8s for turbo V6 - Duration: 3:00.

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2018 Lexus LS previews driver-focused future - Duration: 3:17.

2018 Lexus LS previews driver-focused future

Lexus is shaking off its dowdy image and heading for a performance-focused future, with the new LS sedan to spearhead a charge towards driver engagement.

The Japanese brand is using its just-unveiled LS sedan as a blueprint for pouring more fun into the drive experience, so much so that we could soon see the luxe limo hammering out laps at the Nurburgring - something even the car's chief engineer concedes he would never have attempted in the outgoing model.

The top-tier version of the brand's all-new LS is the first to be built with performance, rather than cosseting luxury, as a priority, with Lexus keen to ensure the aggressive exterior was matched by its driving dynamics.

The car, unveiled this week at the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, will arrive in Australia packing a 3.5-litre twin-turbo V6 behind that complicated grille, feeding its 310kW and 600Nm through a 10-speed automatic transmission before sending all that drive to the rear wheels.

But more importantly, Lexus has sunk resources into improving the dynamics of its flagship sedan, which is underpinned by the brand's GA-L architecture, the same as the incoming LS Coupe.

The car's chief engineer, Toshio Asahi, told CarsGuide that his core focus was improving the driving experience, which he concedes was lacking in the outgoing model.

Mr Asahi said while the previous LS had only ever undergone technical checks at a racetrack, this new model was the first he would be willing to unleash on the infamous Nurburgring.

"This time we put a lot of emphasis and focus on improving the driving dynamics and performance of the vehicle," he said.

"I would like to take the car out to the track, but this time not to do just a test run, or a check run, but to really analyse the vehicle performance and dynamics at a performance level.

"The emotional part of the driving element is obviously a key theme we wanted to incorporate into this vehicle.

(And) with that in mind, we may consider taking the car, to perhaps, different places like Fuji Speedway, which is our own test track, as well as maybe the Nurburgring," he said.