xcel
05-01-2007, 05:09 AM
This Lexus is a "green" muscle car costing more than $100,000. (http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/29/Opinion/Wonder_why_this__wond.shtml)
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Lexus_LS600h_L.jpgDavid Adams - St. Petersburg Times - April 30, 2007
2008 Lexus LS 600h L Hybrid Sedan: The Ultimate Lexus driven by a 438-horsepower V8 w/ hybrid synergy drive powering all 4 wheels. Capable of 0 - 60 in 6.0 seconds and costing a hefty $104,715. Predicted 08 EPA estimates: 20 City/22 highway.
MIAMI - If, like me, you are on the look out for a new, fuel efficient car, it was hard not to notice last week's launch of the latest hybrid from Lexus.
In terms of clean energy engineering, the LS 600h L is perhaps the most interesting auto on the market today. It has been called the first "super ultra low" emissions muscle car. Weighing in at nearly 5, 000 pounds it combines a purring V-8 engine and smooth electric motors with emissions scrubbing technology. But its gas mileage is anemic. More on that in a bit.
With a Himalayan price tag of $104, 000, and its unique "self-parking" feature, you might think the 600h L is one of those outlandish so-called "concept" cars that never actually appear in dealerships. Not so. Lexus actually thinks they will sell, though only 2, 000 are being manufactured so far.
The fact that Lexus would build such a green juggernaut speaks volumes about the confused state of environmentalism in the car industry. It also highlights a dilemma across society today as we try and find a balance between ecological and economic well being.
Some might consider it rather self-defeating to design a clever emissions reduction system, but to then fit it to a high-performance engine in a car weighing more than 2.5 tons. But that's not how it looks to Lexus' parent Toyota Motor Corp., which last week announced itself as the world's top car seller.
To understand the conundrum, I need to explain a little more about the car. From an engineering view, the 600h L is really impressive. The first all-wheel drive hybrid sedan on the market, the combination of its 5.0 liter V-8 engine with the electric drive system makes it far more fuel efficient than a comparable non-hybrid. But that's relative, of course: The EPA gives it a rating of 22 miles-per-gallon on the highway, and 20 in the city.
It also has a "fume-scrubbing" technology that absorbs emissions, meaning it's about 70 percent cleaner than its rivals, the company says … http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/29/Opinion/Wonder_why_this__wond.shtml
http://www.cleanmpg.com/photos/data/501/2008_Lexus_LS600h_L.jpgDavid Adams - St. Petersburg Times - April 30, 2007
2008 Lexus LS 600h L Hybrid Sedan: The Ultimate Lexus driven by a 438-horsepower V8 w/ hybrid synergy drive powering all 4 wheels. Capable of 0 - 60 in 6.0 seconds and costing a hefty $104,715. Predicted 08 EPA estimates: 20 City/22 highway.
MIAMI - If, like me, you are on the look out for a new, fuel efficient car, it was hard not to notice last week's launch of the latest hybrid from Lexus.
In terms of clean energy engineering, the LS 600h L is perhaps the most interesting auto on the market today. It has been called the first "super ultra low" emissions muscle car. Weighing in at nearly 5, 000 pounds it combines a purring V-8 engine and smooth electric motors with emissions scrubbing technology. But its gas mileage is anemic. More on that in a bit.
With a Himalayan price tag of $104, 000, and its unique "self-parking" feature, you might think the 600h L is one of those outlandish so-called "concept" cars that never actually appear in dealerships. Not so. Lexus actually thinks they will sell, though only 2, 000 are being manufactured so far.
The fact that Lexus would build such a green juggernaut speaks volumes about the confused state of environmentalism in the car industry. It also highlights a dilemma across society today as we try and find a balance between ecological and economic well being.
Some might consider it rather self-defeating to design a clever emissions reduction system, but to then fit it to a high-performance engine in a car weighing more than 2.5 tons. But that's not how it looks to Lexus' parent Toyota Motor Corp., which last week announced itself as the world's top car seller.
To understand the conundrum, I need to explain a little more about the car. From an engineering view, the 600h L is really impressive. The first all-wheel drive hybrid sedan on the market, the combination of its 5.0 liter V-8 engine with the electric drive system makes it far more fuel efficient than a comparable non-hybrid. But that's relative, of course: The EPA gives it a rating of 22 miles-per-gallon on the highway, and 20 in the city.
It also has a "fume-scrubbing" technology that absorbs emissions, meaning it's about 70 percent cleaner than its rivals, the company says … http://www.sptimes.com/2007/04/29/Opinion/Wonder_why_this__wond.shtml