Matt05GS3

Fastest with someone else driving: 161 mph, black 2004 Porsche 996 RUF Turbo: 405N in West L.A., late morning on a weekday (no kidding) --a brief demonstration of this phenominal car's power-- there seemed to be endless torque... accelleration was effortless. A mind-numbing (frightenong) experience. Car belongs to a total @sshole I no longer speak to. Fastest driving myself: 140-145 mph (est) in a 1993 Nissan 300XZTT: bone stock except for Stillen intake & full CB exhaust, electronic boost controller, turbo timer, JWT ECU, 18" BBS rims/Pirelli P-zeros (both turbos were original and were replaced about a year later). Speedo was OEM, and I am not sure how accurate it was. 101N fropm the base of the grade through Camarillo late at night. Likely not the fastest post here, but definitely as fast as I ever care to go. That ride in the Porsche scared the crap out of me. *L* --Matt

Holy Plumbing Batman! That's some nice looking metalwork, alright. What year is the car? That's about the longest straight-line intercooler pipe I've ever seen. *L* Can't wait to see what it runs the 1/2 in on street tires... Estimated hp @ the wheels?

So you actually save 1-2miles per gallon on your car. My car is fully stock, except for Tom's signal side mirrors and grounding kit and 2 spoilers. I have seen a tiny little improvement on the pick-up from before grounding kit and after, but I was just wondering would I be making the right choice spending $500. on an intake just to save some gas. I was also told the ground kit would save gas, But I really don't see an difference from before and after. Thanks for your replies ← --- You were expecting it to take how long, exactly, to pay for itself? $500 is an awful lot of gas--even @ today's priices. You want to save a couple of bucks on gas? Try coasting more often... and don't drive unless you have to (no kidding--these gas prices are no joke). You will not believe the diference if you remember to coast more often; 1-3 mpg improvement easily. Regards, Matt

Definitely keep the stock/current ride height--those are big rims and with the LoPro's, you've already sacrificed some of the infamous Lexus ride quality--why give up more? It won't go any faster... :-) The Gucci thing is neat-- if you like it, keep it. If not, well--it's your ride. In the words of Digital Underground, dowhatchalike. However, I do have a stronger opinion about debadging the car (or any car, for that matter). Did you ever notice that the cars with their badges removed are *always* the smaller engine models? For example, people take the badging off of MBZ S430's and S500's all the time--but you bet your !Removed! that if someone can afford the S55 or S600, they will retain the badges for SURE, know what I mean? People who take the badging off are not fooling anyone--people know they are driving the "slower" model (get over it--if I wanted to drag race at stop lights I would have bought a 'Vette, not a Lexus). I drive a GS300, and I'm frankly pretty happy at the moment with the fact that my $45 at the gas pump goes a lot further than it does for a GS430. You did the smart thing--the GS300 is still the same CAR as the GS430--you'll just get fewer speeding tickets, spend less on gas AND insurance than you would with the V8. I got nothin' to hide--if I really cared that much, I would not have bought the GS300 in the first place. My $0.02: Keep 'em on. Regards, Matt 2005 White/Tan GS300

--- There is a reason the higher octane rating is called for: higher compression. If your fuel's octane level/rating is lower, you *will* experience what is called "detonation", which is definitely bad--and terrible if it's an older engine like yours. Before you skimp on the octane to save a few bucks, first read the fourth paragraph of THIS: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Detonation And if you want more detailed information, read all of this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Engine_knocking Bottom line: it's worth it to buy the good stuff. You upgraded from a Honda to a Lexus; you need to upgrade what you feed it as well (congrats, btw). Regards, Matt

--- They are two very different cars: the GS is a sport sedan similar to a BMW 5-series car in purpose, and the LS is much more plush--capable yes, but plush and far less exciting to drive. Simple: if you like to drive, get the GS; if you would rather be doing something else, the LS isolates you from the driving experience completely (hint: retirees tend to like the LS--it routinely steals customers from Cadillac's Deville...). Whichever car you choose, make very sure it has been properly maintained, preferably by a Lexus dealer. A neglected Lexus is an expensive Lexus. Regards, Matt