Quote:
Originally Posted by Viffermike
You bet it's part bragidocio because of the market for this car, which is not hardcore speed enthusiasts. It's the middle-aged upper-middle-class guy who wants the latest and greatest cruisemobile on his block full of middle-aged upper-middle-class guys.
Duck isn't trying to get its fleet to conform to government fuel efficiency standards. Lexus is -- and mostly with engines that are at least several years old in design. Fuel efficiency is the number-one reason these high-number auto boxes exist.
Finally: how do you figure the car shifts every 7 MPH? So the car's top speed is somewhere between 70 and 90 mph? It depends on how the car's being driven at the time ... and besides: I guarantee you the LC has at least one sport-oriented drive mode that eliminates 1-3 of the top gears from the mode. (The ZF8 in our BMWs eliminates the top gear in anything above Sport mode, for instance).
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not under full acceleration, but if you're going 0-70 yes. If top speed is 180, guestimate, that's 3 shifts well before 60 mph, and in the quarter, probably 7. Shifts slow you down. Better mpg granted. Let'ssee how long those fleet standards last after 8 days from now, and after federal lands are reopened for oil exploration, ANWR is approved, and gas is under $1 a gallon again.