RE: PH FLEET: LEXUS LS400/TVR CHIMAERA 400

[J4CKO]

I do have a hankering for a Lexus, funny how they can look smart like yours or really down at heel.

[slevin911]

Does this mean your lexus will be next weeks SOTW?

[Benjaminbopper]

These factor in your car history, V8 preferences and sheer brute force!

Rare: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3896150.htm

Rapid: http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/3777718.htm

[Garlick]

esvcg said:

If your not using the lexus to your full enjoyment purely because of the petrol price, then you've clearly come to point where it's got to go.

Not all all, I still love it and to be honest smooth and silent wafting it what it's made for. I guess it's more the fact that after 20,000 miles at late-teens MPG you have to try to make a compromise on something, a bit more MPG from time to time makes self-justification a whole lot easier.

[Garlick]

Oh, and sorry for the crappy pictures from my 'retro' iPhone 3.

[Monsterlime]

I'd keep both. Like others have said, you have 2 cars that complement each other perfectly. Or, you could sell the LS to me.

After driving one, I do have a hankering for one, just no space.

[binnerboy]

LPG the lexus ?

reduce fuel costs ,until HMG taxes it to match petrol anyhow

keep TVR or replace with another TVR

not having a TVR would be too much to bear, I don't have one but I drove a griffith 500 for a couple of hours on the road and it has left an aching TVR shaped hole which shall one day be filled.

or this

http://www.pistonheads.com/sales/4044969.htm

Edited by binnerboy on Friday 17th August 13:37

[kwak]

binnerboy said:

LPG the lexus ?

reduce fuel costs ,until HMG taxes it to match petrol anyhow

Exactly what I was about to suggest.

[Great Pretender]

Garlick said:

or do I consider leasing something more modern and more expensive like a 911?

Paul, this is PH; no-one leases their cars! Pull yourself together man.

[Garlick]

Great Pretender said:

Paul, this is PH; no-one leases their cars! Pull yourself together man.

I'm bucking the trend

[Martin 480 Turbo]

Perhaps I should present my case a bit more graphic in order
to get heard?

http://classifieds.pistonheads.com/classifieds/use...

Martin 480 Turbo

[excel monkey]

Garlick said:

esvcg said:

If your not using the lexus to your full enjoyment purely because of the petrol price, then you've clearly come to point where it's got to go.

Not all all, I still love it and to be honest smooth and silent wafting it what it's made for. I guess it's more the fact that after 20,000 miles at late-teens MPG you have to try to make a compromise on something, a bit more MPG from time to time makes self-justification a whole lot easier.

See, this is where I get confused.

You love the Lexus, but the fuel consumption annoys you enough to force you to drop your speed to 60-odd on the motorway. Would you rather not sacrifice a small percentage of the barge-ness and get something where you can put your foot down a bit, and still get a mpg figure that is acceptable to you?

I guess barge ownership is a mindset that you either have or you don't have, and that's why I'm stuck in a four cylinder diesel, not a V8.

[scholesy]

I would agree with a point made earlier, change the lexus for a big diesel bmw barge, which will probably increase your mpg to 30 or up to 40 on a run! Leaves more money for TVR juice!

[Garlick]

excel monkey said:

See, this is where I get confused.

You love the Lexus, but the fuel consumption annoys you enough to force you to drop your speed to 60-odd on the motorway. Would you rather not sacrifice a small percentage of the barge-ness and get something where you can put your foot down a bit, and still get a mpg figure that is acceptable to you?

I guess barge ownership is a mindset that you either have or you don't have, and that's why I'm stuck in a four cylinder diesel, not a V8.

Definitely can't see myself in a lesser barge, but I should stress the MPG is only a problem occasionally. When I need some economy it's good to know I can wring a bit more out of it (business trips as an example), but there are weeks when I hoof it around regardless. Getting the balance right is important and that makes the ownership proposition easier to balance.

I have considered chopping it in for something like a 530D, but the difference in what the LS is worth to what a 530D costs would buy me an awful lot of unleaded!

Besides, I own one of the few luxury cars built to be the best in the world (at the time), and thats a level of comfort I am loathe to give up.

[anonymous-user]

What I love most about this thread is the slightest hint of weakness is all it takes for the PH barge hunters to start circling their prey.

Vultures have nothing on us.

Seriously though, LPGing the LS400 won't pay for itself for years and years at Garlick's mileage so probably not the way to go.

Honestly it does seem like you've got a brilliant combo there, two cars which are both great at what they do but completely different so after driving one the other always feels better than it would if you drove it all the time. I'm not sure one car could replace them.

[Garlick]

Martin 480 Turbo said:

Perhaps I should present my case a bit more graphic in order
to get heard?

Martin 480 Turbo

Glorious.

[J4CKO]

With the LPG, is there anyway avoiding the cheap black fuel cap of doom somewhere on the bumper that comes with LPGification ? as it ruins the illusion, the car loses gravitas, and, to me anyway the image is more Peugeot 405 estate emitting the smell of cooked breakfast cos its running on cooking oil than tidy old barge. MPG should never seem to be a consideration with cars like that.

[Martin 480 Turbo]

"Glorious."

Indeed, they make a compelling case for themselves,
if experienced irl.

Just imagine touching that rich italian leather, the
gentle curves of the wood, before waking up the raspy
real V8 (not a Diesel). Just imagine...

Martin 480 Turbo

[Premature]

Garlick said:

Not all all, I still love it and to be honest smooth and silent wafting it what it's made for. I guess it's more the fact that after 20,000 miles at late-teens MPG you have to try to make a compromise on something, a bit more MPG from time to time makes self-justification a whole lot easier.

Have you tried running your LS with the gearbox in sport mode? Not entirely sure why, but when I had my LS400, this seemed to improve the economy by 2-3mpg. Not a huge difference, I grant you, but every little helps.

[brett84]

Sell the TVR?? Don't do it! I know people who have always regretted doing it because they couldn't justify buying one again in the future.
I've only just got mine back on the road and can't get enough of it! It makes me smile like a kid at Christmas everytime I'm out. MPG isn't that bad, apart from you end up taking the long way on every journey because it's so much fun.
There are so many quality daily drives available now which are quite cheap to run and innsure, it's an easy choice