Could TRD L-Tune the IS300 to = 2001 M3?

1265 Views 41 Replies 18 Participants Last post by Fig, Oct 24, 2000

donerb

Discussion Starter · Oct 20, 2000

OK, have to admit, I read the Nov. 2000
review in Automobile Magazine on the 2001
BMW M3. Sweet performance specs:
333HP, 0-62 in under 5 (4.7?). But, for
$50K, a little up there.

My question is, with the '02 IS300 showing
up in manual form, could TRD L-Tune this
to come up with similar performance? For
those of you with good knowledge of TRD,
what parts would they use to accomplish
this, or perhaps what parts would you like
to see? Any cosmetics such as larger
tires, lowered springs?

------------------
IS300 - Black/Black
LS/LD/HH/SR, Spoiler
--------------------
Looking for the best
price on a Lexus?
Contact Laurel @ JM
Lexus [e-business division]
[email protected]
Tell her Donnie sent you.

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1 - 20 of 42 Posts

chromaplast

· #2 · Oct 20, 2000

M3 with 333hp? hahah that's cool!
E55 should have 555 hp

mrclam

· #3 · Oct 20, 2000

if you put a turbo on the IS(thats' the only way i can see it happening) with a good amount of boost i can see it happening. i don't know if you can match it in handling but in speed as long as you have enough boost =)

TEG

· #4 · Oct 20, 2000

SUPERCHARGER!!!

Stock/Emissions legal would probably only get to around 300hp.

Even with 300hp the IS300 is not going to touch the M3 as long as the IS300 has the auto trans.

It would take alot of work to get an IS300 up to the performance level of the new E46 M3.

Yes, new springs, and shocks, and something to boost the power over the 300hp mark.

At least the brakes seem to be worldclass already...

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chromaplast

· #5 · Oct 20, 2000

is the M3 basicly a souped up 330 with engine mod?

or do they reengineered the whole engine specifically for M3?

cis300

· #6 · Oct 20, 2000

Teg, one more thing "shread 300 pounds" then it'll in M-ers territory.

cis300

· #7 · Oct 20, 2000

chmo, it's a souped up 330, just like AMG C43 souped up fr a c430.

MAmornIS

· #8 · Oct 20, 2000

TRD could match the performance easily, but they have to take into account everyday reliability and the smoothness that makes it a Lexus. They don't want it to drive like a race car. No low end and all top end. So all in all i doubt Lexus will match the M series...They could but they won't...

mrclam

· #9 · Oct 20, 2000

cis300, i'm goin to have to disagree with you here.

when they changed the body style to the e46 they tuend the 328 and the 325(3) for more power. the 330 and the 325 are tuned versions of the first model year e46 engines. the e46 M3 engine is a motorsport engine, almost the same one that they have in europe. in previous years the e36 m3 had a bored 325 engine that was tuned for performance while the europeans got the REAL M engine. this time around, we do get the real m engine that is slightly detuned for emissions. also, i believe the new m3's engine has 6 individual throttle bodies and a whole gank of engine work on it. plus the new m3's handling is supposed to be exceptional, and i think it will be. i mean, thinking about it, bmw's fans in germany will be pissed off if the new m3's handling is worse than the old one's.

so yeah...i think there's quite a bit of difference between the two.

------------------
1997 5-speed Alpine White M3 Coupe

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cis300

· #10 · Oct 20, 2000

I stand corrected, thanks clam

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shadoh6

· #11 · Oct 20, 2000

BMW has thrown down the gauntlet with the new M3. And nobody has decided to pick it up. For a while now, Japanese car companies haven't done or said much, but with the 2002 model year, and the arrival of the R35 Skyline and new NSX, the M3 is seriously outclassed.

Nissan intends to lead the way in breaking the unspoken 276HP cap that has limited Japanese cars (even though cars such as the Skyline, Supra, and Lancer Evolution are known to make more than 276 in stock form) with the newest rendition of the Skyline, which will most likey be a 450HP powerplant borrowed from the R390 GT1.

Now if only those damn Nissan idiots would bring it here to America where it can show Corvettes, Vipers, and Porches what a Japanese sports car is capable of...

Daniel

· #12 · Oct 20, 2000

BREAKING NEWS, there is a left hand drive Skyline in Irvine, California. I don't know the exact location of the car, but I know it is a project that an UCI ME professor is working on. I have just received a call tonight asking me if I want to join the project, and I am kind of debating and thinking about it. What I have learn so far is that the Skyline has already been converted to left hand drive, and the student and the professor is trying to reverse engineered the entire car, mainly the control system in the AWD system (since it is one of the best in the world).
I am going to talk to this professor sometime within the next week or so, and once I have found out more, I'll let you guys know.

vvtipwr

· #13 · Oct 20, 2000

no doubt about, if Nissan DOES put the skyline out here and with the predicted lower price of the New NSX, it's going to be sweet having all three (M3, NSX, Skyline) at our disposal.......the hardest choice would probably be deciding between the three.....so, start saving all'y'all's money now.

back to the original topic, I agree with the others on how an IS (5spd) might be able to hold its own against an M3 but only on speed.
Handling is a totally different thing, handling in the M3 is world-class, and I don't know if toyota/TRD has spent as much time in R&D as did BMW in handling. The most practical thing we can do w/o spending too much money is getting some tein coilvers/sway bars/etc.

TEG

· #14 · Oct 20, 2000

... The new M3 engine has MANY differences from the "run of the mill" 330i engine. They got that high HP (330hp) in the e46 M3 in part by building an engine that can rev higher (higher redline) than other similar (~3liter inline6) engines.

The new e46 M3 is reported to weight 3345lbs... So it will likely weight more than the IS300... Sure if the IS300 could lose 300lbs it would have an easier time trying to compete with an M3, but as it stands now, the M3's advantages will primarily be in engine power and suspension components.

ralittle2

· #15 · Oct 20, 2000

The new M3 is different from the 325/330 cars in more than just power and stiffer springs. Some of the changes are subtle while others are more dramatic, but when you add them all up it would be hard to simply boost the power on the IS300 and come up with a competitor.

There is more to a car than just power (ie Corvette's vs. Porsche's).

This takes nothing away from the IS300, it is a wonderful car. The L-tuned Lexus's will be better, but they mainly consist of upgraded springs/shocks and wheels. These packages are more akin to the sports packages of BMW's than a total transformation from 330 to M3.

acuracing

· #16 · Oct 20, 2000

daniel. is that the R32 skyline floatin around here? that guy used to have a totally souped up integra. guess he sold it. from what i hear its not all that greeat, jsut that it has some 9.5" wide tires in the back. crazy....

mike

rarjoon

· #17 · Oct 20, 2000

2

TRD can tune the IS... The question is WILL THEY? Probably not

Second. can you imagine the price of an L-tuned IS300? I am a IS300 diehard but for that stratospheric price I might as well cross over and buy the M3 or CLK430? I personally think that Lexus is leaning to more luxury, not performance. Whether we like it or not

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Daniel

· #18 · Oct 20, 2000

I don't have any detail on the Skyline, so I cannot say if it is a R32, R33 or R34. All I know right now is UCI has a project on reverse engineering the skyline. Why? I have no clue, but I am happy that the ME department finally decide to go into the automotive field.
Anyone know if the new M3 will have ground effect devices? Such as undertray and vortex generator, and etc.

mrclam

· #19 · Oct 20, 2000

i seriously doubt the skyline coming to the US...i'm nto sure if they announced it or whatever but it was just my personal opinion that it would not be coming here

dont' forget, i think the 4000gt is also being considered for arond 2004? anyhow, as for competition for the new m3, take a look at the c32 amg. those two will compete directly, as will the new s4 when it comes out. the nsx cannot really be compared to the m3 because the m3 can fit 4 comfortably so i'ma ssuming it'd be in a different class.

and as far as L-tuned tuning the IS, i dont' thinki they will, not in terms of m3 competition speed anyways. to compete they'd have to add a turbo and turbos always cause reliability issues. if you'rel ooking for more power, a 3rd party company will probalby be what you'rel ooking for.

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Daniel

· #20 · Oct 20, 2000

There have already been rumors about Skyline coming to US, but the latest one is that Nissan wants to bring another luxury SUV over instead of the Skyline (stupid decision if you ask me). However, giving the fact that UCI is doing a reverse engineering project on the skyline and converting it to left hand drive, I imagine that Nissan may be somehow contracting UCI into seeing how much they need to spend to bring Skyline here and make it left hand drive. Who knows, UCI has always work for automotive companies indirectly, so this maybe one of them.
BTW, as good as Skyline is, I don't think it can defeat the M3 on a handling course.

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