Lexus IS350 tagged posts

Today Lexus USA released some details about the 2015 model year of the brand’s compact sports sedan – the IS.

Generally speaking there is no major mechanical changes. New options are listed below:

– LED fog light;
– AWD models equipped with heated steering wheel;
– Siri eyes free system;
– Lexus Enform remote system (control some car functionalities from smartphone app)
– Upgraded backup camera (added dynamic grid lines);
– Enhanced heated/ventilated front seats available for the FSport model;
– Updated interior trim, with piano black on several areas such as the window switches;
– Stratus Gray interior color replaces the current Light Gray color.

Although the 2015 model ...

Eight years earlier, cars sold under the $35k mark seldom get a 300hp+ engine (with exceptions like the 2005
Mustang GT), not to mention whether it was possible to get a 300hp+ luxury car at that time. Even though the
Mustang GT gets a 300hp V8 engine which is considered “high output” at that time, it sacrifices refinement
and interior material qualities and lots of other features.

But in the end of 2005, after Lexus released the 2GR-FSE engine, which was used in the 2006 IS350, the
situation is permanently changed. Equipped with the dual-injection-system 2GR-FSE engine, The IS350 has
306hp and carries a MSRP of $35,440 and its invoice price is $31,186 (for many peopl...

Last week I have discussed the GM 8AT and the ZF 9AT, today let’s take a look at the Aisin AA80E, which is used in the Lexus IS350, GS350, LS460, IS-F and the upcoming RC-F.

Unlike other longitude mounted 8AT such as the ZF 8HP and GM 8L90, the Aisin transmission uses compound planetary gear sets. A compound planetary gear set is a planetary gear set that has multiple sun gears or multiple ring gears. There are different types of them, the one we are interested in is called the Ravingeaux gear set, which has two sun gears, two planet carriers and they share one common ring gear.

One Ravingeaux gear set can provide 4 forward gear ratios and also the neutral and reverse.

T...