Lexus IS 430

  • Thread starter boombexus
  • 50 comments
  • 4,933 views
Yeah, I saw it on Rides on TLC. Despite the fact that Jason Priestly hosts it, and they often show tasteless cars, it's a pretty decent show. I really like this car.

The IS300 is horribly underpowered and this fixes that. I like it a lot. The paint scheme, designed by Chip Foose, is also nice and clean.

0-60 in 4.9 seconds as opposed to the 6.8 seconds it takes the 300.
 
Originally posted by vat_man

I must say the prospect of the 5.7 litre Gen III AWD ute is quite interesting.
Click to expand...

only if they make a manual AWD GEN III, the current outback wagon is only Auto AWD GEN III (i think)
 
Originally posted by VIPERGTSR01
only if they make a manual AWD GEN III, the current outback wagon is only Auto AWD GEN III (i think)
Click to expand...

I don't think they can make the manual fit the AWD set-up on the current Commodore platform - same issue with the Magna AWD.

I think there was talk that the next generation Commodore platform will accomodate a manual transmission AWD. Fairly niche vehicle, though, don't you think?
 
i can just imagine it now

AWD GENIII Manual Monaros with 300+RWKW (Rear wheel kilowatt) super charger kit. that would be crazy.:D

even a standard AWD manual GEN III would be very nice.
 
Yeah, I saw "Rides" as well. I was also amazed to hear that the V8 is actually 2 lbs. lighter then the I6.
I'm hoping that the IS430 makes it into production, it's already being featured at www.lexus.com

(I take that back, it WAS being featured at lexus.com)
 
It's two pounds heavier! At least that is what it sounded like they said.

"They were amazed to find that they only added two pounds to the weight." Or something like that.
 
Originally posted by Klostrophobic
It's two pounds heavier! At least that is what it sounded like they said.

"They were amazed to find that they only added two pounds to the weight." Or something like that.
Click to expand...

Meh, either way, it's pretty amazing that the V8 has only a 2# difference over the I6.

Also, the Lexus IS430 will make another TV appearance. It will be the "Cover Story" of an episode of AutoWeek TV (thus, the first 10 minutes or so of this half-hour long Speed Channel show.) The IS430 episode will air:

Sunday, February 29 at 11:30 PM
Tuesday, March 2 at 7:30 AM
Wednesday, March 3 at 2:30 PM
Sunday, March 7 at 10:30 AM
 
That thing got you to thinking?
Get out the grinder! :lol: Maybe Millen will sell you a trans-adapter.
Millen said that the car wasn't only more powerful, but the added power wasn't at the expense of civility. Which, you would expect a fair amount of in a Lexus.

"Rides" is a decent show. It's one of the shows I record, along with "American HotRod"/"Gold Star Racing".
 
Sorry to dig up the dead, but DO NOT count on an IS430 making production! It's simple, really. There's a GS430 that can be had for about $50-55K, and there's no way that Lexus would allow that to take away sales from the GS430.

However, there's a funny side note to this. Upon reading an old Car & Driver issue from early '99, there was mention that the "Toyota Altezza" will make it to the US with the 3.0-liter I-6 engine that powers the GS300. At the time, also Lexus offered the GS400 (a V8), which doesn't even take up much more space than the I-6. C&D noted "Note: an engine swap is thus quite possible...", which definately fueled the fire for a possible IS400/IS430 before the product hit the showrooms.

On the other hand, we have ahad a few customers inquire about an professionally-installed "IS430". The cost? About $15,000-17,000 when it's all said and done. Expect your warranty to be fully null and void at the end of it all.

Lexus has no production plans for the IS430 in the near future, thay don't sell that many GS430's compared to GS300's, and the IS300 is a decent, if not chart-topping selller. If any changes occur, they may come in the form of a IS330 (using the V6 3300 VVt-i found in the ES330 and RX330), but more likely to come form the upcoming '06 GS sedan and a new engine that will probably come with that car.

Over and out.
 
Another thing to note: The tires on the IS300 only get about 15-20K miles on them, so can't imagine what customers would say to only 10-12K miles on their 430s!

I'd probably have to fire back, Night of the Living Dead-style.
 
Originally posted by pupik
Sorry to dig up the dead, but DO NOT count on an IS430 making production! It's simple, really. There's a GS430 that can be had for about $50-55K, and there's no way that Lexus would allow that to take away sales from the GS430.
Click to expand...


Not that any human being has ever purchased a GS430. Looking at the figures, it's been the slowest-selling Lexus since it came out. In 2003 it doesn't look like they managed to unload 1000. In fact, Mercedes somehow sells more CL's than Lexus sells GS430s. Lexus should be doing whatever it can to get some sporty buyers into their showrooms - this included.
 
Originally posted by M5Power
Not that any human being has ever purchased a GS430.[/B]
Click to expand...
Yeah, they do look like humaniform robots than anything else. (I, Service Consultant?) Funny, we sell and service many more GS300s, but since the GS400 became the GS430, it hasn't sold very well at all.

I still would rather save up for the GS430 than an "IS430". The build-quality of the IS's just isn't as nice as the GS's. Interior and exterior parts seem to wear out and don't age as well in the IS. And the transmission hesitates a tad more in the IS (and deadfully Buick-like in the ES) than the direct feeling found in the GS.
 
Originally posted by pupik
but since the GS400 became the GS430, it hasn't sold very well at all.
Click to expand...


Agreed - in fact, I was actually thinking about that yesterday. It most certainly has to do with the price hike; currently a base GS430 goes for $47800 - hard to justify when it's only got 40bhp more than the Infiniti G35, which isn't even in its class but sells for $20000 less. Plus, any driver with $50k to spend on a sedan is looking BMW and Mercedes because they've put so much effort into their offerings at that price.
 
Originally posted by M5Power
Plus, any driver with $50k to spend on a sedan is looking BMW and Mercedes because they've put so much effort into their offerings at that price. [/B]
Click to expand...
Many of the reasons that Lexus stays on top of the game isn't because they sell a superior product in terms of performance, but in terms of the intangibles: customers rave to me about our service; many are/were Mercedes or BMW owners who aren't/weren't thrilled with their service department's attitudes towards repairs nor prices.

There's also one other theory of mine: (again, just a theory...someone's probably going to get mad at me for saying this) there's quite a number of middle-aged and elderly Jewish customers that would never buy a German car, but have no qualms about buying a Lexus, because it's not German. I shouldn't have to explain that one....
 
I dont care if it makes it into production, as long as it is brought into GT4, they it will be in the history books for sure. :D
 
Originally posted by pupik

There's also one other theory of mine: (again, just a theory...someone's probably going to get mad at me for saying this) there's quite a number of middle-aged and elderly Jewish customers that would never buy a German car, but have no qualms about buying a Lexus, because it's not German. I shouldn't have to explain that one....
Click to expand...

In fact, I'd bet my life on that the Lexus ES300/ES330 is the most popular car among Jews in America. This is true for Acura too, though their message ('sportiness') lands in a slightly different place.
 
Originally posted by pupik
If any changes occur, they may come in the form of a IS330 (using the V6 3300 VVt-i found in the ES330 and RX330), but more likely to come form the upcoming '06 GS sedan and a new engine that will probably come with that car.
Click to expand...

Isn't that motor mounted transversely? There'd be a fair bit of work to install it north-south, I'd have thought, particularly for a fairly low volume seller. Do Toyota even have a rear-drive V6?
 

Latest Posts

Back