Decrease Of Top Speed?

[GSsoldier]

i was reading the generations of LS on www.lexls.com ( if u guys havent checked it out check it its freaking awesome!!!) and it seems as the gens went on the top speed decreased down from 149 - 130.... now being a speed loving teen... if i ever jump generations with LS... say a gen 3 sometime between now and my late speed loving days i want an explantion for a 19 mph decrease from top speed... does anyone know why and how they did it? and is it possible to change... i've hit 135 mph... safely i assure u... LOC doesnt condone crazy driving... it no traffic on a empty highway straight... and any speed under 120 isnt exciting... anyone help settle discomfort... why for decrease in top speed...

wow what the heck did i just write ahhaha

-joe nguyen

[Lexus.]

They didn't put in the speed governor until 2001 gen 4. The gen 3 goes 157 MPH.

[vcv10guy]

I think the reason why they changed it to 130mph versus 150mph is because the LS430 uses H rated tires as factory equipment and for a smoother ride. H rated tires are capable of a maximum of 130mph before they start to come apart, thus the reason why it needs to be limited to 130mph. H rated tires are supposed to in general ride better than V or Z rated tires and also last longer. In light of those reasons, that's probably why the LS430 dropped off in top speed for the sake of a smoother ride.

Oh ya you could probably change the top speed by changing/tricking the ECU if I'm not mistaken. I remember this topic was talked about in the RX forums a few days ago. Try doing a search in that forum.

Ya I added some more information after I posted.

[VBdenny]

The government requires tires to be able to handle the top speed of the car. VCV hit the nail on the head. I guess Lexus owners would rather have tires last 50K instead of 20K and only be able to go 130 instead of 150. Frankly, I rarely go over 130 anyway.

[GSsoldier]

oh the chances i get to go over 130 are plentiful hah... i seem to always be driving at night

[ECUPirate]

I guess you don't have deer in Sacramento. The best reason I can think of not to go 130 at night is that you are outrunning your headlights, so to speak. By the time you see that deer, it's far too late. I saw a guy hit a deer at night on I-66 just outside of DC. (this is a busy ~8-10 lane highway with plenty of streetlights.) He was only going 65. I was right behind him, and I only saw the deer just before he hit it. The deer hit his windshield and shot straight up in the air like a friggin mortar. The thing damn near landed on me. The guy was lucky to have lived. At 130mph, the deer would have gone through the windshield and killed him.

[mobilyte]

message deleted

[GSsoldier]

yea yea we dont have much deer around here and yea im still young... and yes i will get into an acident soon... oh well i just wish that we put the good LS430 engine to good use...