[ladybugnova]

Morning, all.

I tried to "build my own" on the Lexus site, and all weather performance is important to me; thus, I wanted the 16 inch all season tires and the limited slip differential option. No can do, according to lexus.com. Is this correct? Doesn't make a lot of sense if so--to only be able to get the LSD with the 17 inch summer performance tires--just might have to buy that S4 if it is true! Help.

Also, any comments on the veracity of reports that the 2002 IS300 will have electronic stability control? Is this just a rumor? Also, can anyone explain the difference between the LSD, ESP, and AWD? Having AWD in my 325xi (great car, but wish it could hustle to 60 a little faster than 8.8 seconds!) has frightened my off RWD a little.

I cross-posted this on Edmunds.

Thanks in advance,

 

[SilverLex]

I don't know the answer to the 16" LSD combo question, but if you're into the all weather performance and a zippy 0-60, why not just go with the S4?

 

[slodeanis]

LBnova

The reason the Lexus "build your own" is not allowing you to combine the 16" wheels with the LSD is because there are none available in the region you requested with the zip code you entered.

The build your own link is only for vehicles already built in a particular region. You can however combine the 16" wheels with an LSD if you look elswhere or special order.

 

[DtEW]

ladybugnova, the simple explanation why the applet isn't allowing you to combine LSD w/16" wheels is that in a RWD car w/modern traction control, LSD is purely a high-performance, edge-of-the-envelope, turn-off-all-electronic-assistance (such as TRAC and/or VSC/ESP) item. It does not come into play unless you're on the verge of breaking rear traction or have already broken rear traction, but need to keep putting more power to the ground. What kind of situations are these? It's when you're accelerating so hard out of a corner that you're trying to ride the fine line between staying in control and spinning out into oblivion at the blink of an eye. It's when you're trying deliberately to "half-spin" the rear of your car around the turn faster then front so that the car is better pointed better out of the corner exit. In other words, high-performance/stunt/dangerous driving, depending your level of exposure to racing/performance driving.

LSD will not protect you from spinning your car out in inclement conditions. (In fact, it will make it easier to spin out, if you don't know precisely how to exploit what the LSD's true function.) What will protect you is TRAC and/or VSC/ESP. Both of these are electronic assistance programs that help you keep from accidentally pushing beyond the edge of what the average driver can keep under control. This "safe" point is way before the point where LSD's effects even begin to manifest. Needless to say, they are restrictive to the techniques that high-performance driving calls for, and are user-deactivated to allow the non-restrictive functions of LSD to emerge.

The person who wrote that applet correctly surmised that anybody who is interested in the purely high-performance benefits of the LSD is not going to be interested in the lower-performance 16" wheels.

(In actuality, 16" wheels can be swapped to a LSD-equipped IS300 by the dealer. Unless you have some unusual plans for those wheels, it is pretty much a waste of the limited number of LSD-equipped IS300's that are produced.)

[ May 30, 2001: Message edited by: DtEW ]

 

[ladybugnova]

Thanks for the responses--

Silver Lex--yeah, I love the S4--the only issue is $$$.

Slodeanis (and what does your name mean exactly???)--your response makes sense, as far as looking for the car up north or ordering, espec b/c my local dealers (NOVA) don't deal much.

DTEW--thanks for a great explanation. I totally did not understand what LSD does, and as fast as I drive, no, I don't need an option that allows me to stunt drive or whatever--spinning wheels is an accident, and infrequent at that, for me. So I won't be getting the LSD.

What do you think about the ESP that the 2002 IS300 is supposed to be getting? I assume it is similar to what the GS300 has, and is superior to the current traction control. Any thoughts?

Thanks again.