New Lexus LS will have a twin turbo 3.5 litre V6

I wonder if they can pull technology like KERS from Formula 1 and use it, but that requires braking, with braking used in the traction control and crawl control, I wonder if that energy can then be used for power

 

TT supras had a small and larger turbo, solving the low end-high end boost issue. But they had a straight 6.

TT 300ZXs had two of everything, including matching turbos. The auto trans cars had slightly smaller units than the manual cars.

Both could be easily modded to over 400 HP. They did have a different 'feel' in driving them.

Maybe they'll retro a Supra type package in the Tacoma. Six in a row really go!

BTW. That Lexus pictured has the 2nd or 3rd ugliest front end I've ever seen. And Toyota also owns one of the other two.

 

I have said it before and I'll say it again, to appease the EPA the Tacoma's next engine will probably be the turbo 2.0 from the Lexus IS200. In that spec it makes 241 horsepower and 258 lb-ft torque from 1650-4400 RPM. It could easily be tuned for more power and torque...Lexus just didn't want the power levels too close to the IS350

 

Let's put it this way. If I take a turbo designed for the airflow from an I3 engine and stick it on an I4, what happens to the optimal band for power? Think about it. That I4 will make the gases necessary to spin the turbine at much lower RPMs. What it costs the engine though is power up top since some gases will have to be blown off to avoid over boosting.

In the past gas turbos were chasing high end HP number because they were on sexy sports cars. Now the trend is to use them to get better EPA numbers which is done by using smaller turbos on bigger engines to hit peak power on normal in town RPMs.

 

I've been saying this for a while to but Toyota is super slow to change. I'm guessing they wait for the 4th gen. After the Ranger retakes the top selling banner away from Toyota.

 

Hybrid only helps recover energy normally lost to braking. If you're cruising on the freeway and you almost never tap the brakes your battery supply will be depleted, so the gasoline engine still has to do all of the work.

Unless we're talking about plug-in hybrids, in which case you can top the batteries up every night and cruise most everywhere on battery power alone. This is awesome, and electric motors deliver exactly the kind of low-end torque that everyone wants. This would be awesome. Or rather, will be awesome because it's inevitable.

As for batteries: Keep in mind that lithium batteries are going to be recycled as old electric cars age out. We still have a long way to go, but there's plenty of R&D in that area.

 

I dread the days of Hybrid Trucks and sports cars (which are upon us), as it is signalling the end of the Manual Gear Box... I have not owned an automatic vehicle since I was 17.

 

Yeah I get it but Lithium is one of the rare metals on earth. That's why they are digging it now out of the middle of nowhere in South America from a spot that's terrible for shipping. It's wedged in right between the Amazon and the Andes.

If you can find out how much Lithium is needed for every LiPo battery and how much is likely on earth and easily mine-able you'll find that the numbers don't line up. It's a great technology without a future for every car.

As far as the electric advantages you don't have to preach to the choir. I know they are cool and my father in law just put his deposit down on a Bolt.

 

Time to

 

As long as gearboxes have actual gears and not CVT's I'm happy. The feeling on a CVT is garbage as is the top end acceleration at speed.

 

I dread that too, I have never owned an automatic vehicle and have no desire.

 

10 years from now, not many will even know the feeling.... technology is finally catching up in the automotive world.

 

Correct

 

Drive in DC traffic and you will change your mind.

Actually, nevermind, you will just hate it and move.

 

This was the feeling in the heavy truck market 10 years ago. Now most of the fleets of local farms are automatic by choice for a lot of reasons. Even the patch prefers them.

 

Full electric vehicles may not need transmissions at all. Take a look at the Tesla. Instant torque on demand at any speed, including 0RPM. Mountains of low-end torque and zero shifting would make a lot of people here very happy. Pair it with a backup gas motor to charge the batteries on long trips and we'd be in great shape.

 

Incorrect. Either a supercharger, or a turbo, could fit this bill. The turbos are the better choice for efficiency.

 

lol lol lol.... sorry.... They will still find something to complain about.

 

Correct

 

If you guys want to see a crazy engine design look up some of the shit guys in R&D are doing with turbine jet engines. Lots of talk around hooking up small Diesel turbines, which spin at over 10000 rpms at the low end, to a Hybrid setup where all of the power to the road comes from electricity. The power comes either from the Turbine or the Battery but it's all from wires, no mechanical gear transfers. Since Turbines are super efficient at constant speeds some tests have yielded over 80 mpgs in small cars but no one has gone full scale yet.