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Yeah, Yeah, Yeah, I'm still here with all limps attached. I doubt the tires would have failed that day. The car was sailing at 110-115 mph without any vibration. I almost rear-ended a van that was going around 65mph, the SOB changed lanes without signaling. On a sad note my typical speed around NY is 19 mph, so the T rated Pirelli’s are perfect for my everyday needs.

MendoPaul, I completely understand your pain, gas prices in Cali are the highest in the nation. The manual says that temporary use of lower octane shouldn't have major consequences on the engine. I used to mix it up between 89 and 93 octane for a while and I haven't noticed any problems in my 99 LS. Give it a shot, the car is covered by warranty, in case something horrific happens, dealers will take care of it. By the way, congratulations on the purchase, do you mind posting some pictures?

Yep, the new GS430 is there next to the new concept LFC. Very nice styling, doesn't have anything in common with Nissan Maxima, like so many enthusiasts mentioned before.

I grabbed my digital camera with me to the show, with the intent to take a lot of pictures. Unfortunately, the battery was low and couldn't take any pictures. I've managed to take one picture of a new Mercedes CLS500. I have to go again on Friday with my girl this time, she was upset i didn't take her with me and my friends on sunday. I'll take a few if i go. In either case the link below has some nice pictures of the car. http://www.babez.de/lexus/lfc.php

Went to the NY auto show yesterday and the only car that struck me by far was the 2004 LS. It's a great car, everything you would need, detailed to perfection. The new GS430 looked great, very nice transition from the current model. Lexus also unveiled a new concept convertible with the same V8 that's in the LS430 and GS430, called LFC. The car reminded me of Nissan Z350 from the back. Anyone knows if its a possible future replacement for the current SC430?

Measureman, It seems many Lexus models are plagued by this mysterious noise. I drive a 99 LS400 and I have the same noise. One member in the IS300 forum discovered that there is a trim that's connected to the dash and firewall and when it heats up in cold weather is starts to make this noise. Do a search in the IS forum on the topic.

Toxic too bad about the accident, i assume you don't want to get your insurance company involved. I know a body shop in Queens that worked on my previous cars, the owner is good guy, knows import cars very well. Let me know if you want a number.

Thanks guys. That's what I though as well, so next weekend I'll be back on the NY throughway and kamikaze driving. ;) My only concern is that I was driving in the range of 100 mph for roughly 1 1/2 hours and when I finally arrived I looked at my tires and water vapor was steaming of them. Freaked me out a little.

Can someone tell me what can happen if I drive above my speed rating? I have a 99 ls400 and to accommodate my city driving, I've wrapped my wheels with T rated Pirelli tires for ultimate comfort. Originally I've never though I'd be able to drive over 100mph in the city. However the other day I drove upstate and decided to test what my car was capable of. So I floored the gas paddle until the speedometer hit 115mph, a second later I realized I was riding on T rated tires which according to specifications is 118mph tires. Now, can the tire actually shred if I would have hit 120mph that day, or is there a safety margin?

Craig, I'm glad you were satisfied. :D I typically slam on the breaks and come to a complete stop, in such situations.

I really can't see why anyone would break and accelerate at the same time in a car with automatic transmission. In a car with a manual it would make no difference since the clutch separates the braking system from the transmission and you can rav up the engine while braking, but with automatic, you'll fry the tranny. I've never tried breaking and hitting the gas at the same time and have no desire to do so.

I've recently purchased another LS400 and currently trying to find out what the car has been through in the past four years. I've received a print out from a local Lexus dealership, but every maintenance records is coded. All i see is that the car has been serviced by Wilkie Lexus in Pennylvania every three months. I've heard many times in this forum that all Lexus dealerships share the same database. Can anyone look up my vin number in one of these databases and tell me if there has been some significant repair that i should be aware? Also, if someone has a list of all code descriptions, can you please post them some where in the forum? My VIN # JT8BH28FXX0150860 Thanks a ton.

Thanks 99lsguy, Very clean Black, one owner car from Pennsylvania, without a Nakamichi or Navigation. I was looking for an LS with Nakamichi but all of those that i saw were in pretty bad condition so i settled on this one with 84K for $17,200. I'll post some pictures this weekend after the snow storm. I actually have a question, what can possible cause cracks in the wood on the steering wheel? I have two cracks that go all away around <_< . I can see and feel them with my nail, is there any solution to cover them up?

I've heard of that report as well, it seems that for every 100 745i/il sold, 40 had mechanicals problems, while Lexus only experienced 4. Well in either case, after asking around it didn't make sense buying a BMW so I bought another 99 LS400.

Mac That's nothing, any local body shop will smooth that out and pain it for less than a couple of hundred bucks. Last year US 2 ton Mail truck did a number on my 99 LS. The SOB sliced through my front left fender the front bumper as he was attempting to park his truck. Lexus dealership quoted me at $2400 bucks to smooth out the fender and replace the bumper. Well that seemed a bit outrageous, so I took my car to an independent German specialty body shop. The manager, glanced at the car and began to smile. It only took two days to smooth everything out and paint the entire fender and the whole bumper for $350 bucks. The color match was perfect and to-date I haven't noticed any pealing. So my advise don't take your car to Lexus dealership, simply find a reliable body shop that either specializes in German or Japanese car and let they take care of it. Give them $200 buck no more.

Some people on the internet are claiming Lexus will come out with a V8 LS450 sometime in 2006 and V12 LS500 in 2007. However, I don't know how accurate this information is.

Well I've noticed increased noises during the winter in my former 99LS, but most of them were related to freezing cold, cause once the weather turned warmer all the noises disappeared. I've tightened most the bolts in the doors and that reduced some noise.

The rims on picture were for 2000 LS400 platinum edition, I don't think they are called anniversary edition.

Well that's disapointing, no navigation for me in that case. Thanks for your advises guys.

I had to sell my 99 LS400 because I was involved in an accident with a semi-trailer, the left quarter panel and the left back door were severely damaged and required extensive work. I was reimbursed by my insurance company for the damages and I sold the car as is to professional body shop for half of it blue book value. I actually wanted to sell the car before I was even involved in the accident, since I kind of wanted a car with navigation and better sound system. I've never been in a Lexus equipped with Nakamichi but I assume its a lot better than the premium pioneer system I've had. Can you tell me if there is an obvious difference in sound between Nakamichi and Pioneer?

It seems that every previous BMW owner and car dealer through out the country shares the same opinion about BMW and its poor reliability. I've visited BMW forums and every other post criticizes 740s transmissions, radiators and oil gaskets. One owner had to pay $7 thousand to completely replace transmision on a 2000 740i with only 70k miles on it. My previous Lexus had 105k miles on it and all I every did to maintain it in tip top shape was to occasionally changed the oil. I suppose I took the car for granted for being so problem free. I guess its back to another Lexus again!

I've been a Lexus owner for quite sometime now. I've owned two generations of LS400 and loved both of them. My recent Lexus was 99 LS400, great car. Now i'm looking to get myself a 2000 BMW 740i. Can someone who has previously owned a 740i tell me its major issues and what i should look out for or if this is even a good buy? If you guys think i might be making a mistake, I'll simply look for 2000 Platinum LS400. Any feedback will be greatly appreciated.

Every color looks typically nice, when it’s well maintained but white doesn't match well with luxury sedans like Lexus, BMW or Benz. The best would be Black or second best Silver / Gray. My only choice was black when i was buying my Lexus.

I would definitely go for the 99 with the Navigation; Silver on Gray is great color combination. I personally hate white with gold emblem Lexus, they look really cheap especially this 98 doesn't have the day time running lights, from the side the car probably looks like an old Toyota Avalon. From your post I assume the 98 doesn't have a wooden shift knob, that's another $300. Plus you have to take into consideration the depreciation of the 98 LS it’s a year older than the 99. Personally I drive the 99LS and can tell you it’s a great ride.

Well as you said on the second start/stop cycle it kind of blinked a few times and simply went away. I wish everything in this car was this easily fixable.