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A colleague did not show, but was clearly tired. The car in front was a little sharper in brake, flashing with the right turn signal. Delayed with braking, we drive straight into it … I squeezed into the seat, but the beeping sounded in the cabin, and my comments about driving brought the driver to life - we parted safely. The Pre-Crash Safety system worked perfectly. In front of the Lexus-GS is a microwave radar sensor that scans a space in a 20-degree sector. Thanks to this sensor, there is a danger signal. Immediately, the electronics activate the belt tensioners and, if necessary, emergency brakes.
There are other things: a night vision system, a driver’s surveillance camera. GS is like a precision weapon. Alas, for Russia, some options are not provided. But in our version there is no shortage of driver assistance systems. For example, a camera located in the interior mirror recognizes the light sources in front of the car and turns on or off the main beam headlights.
On the unlimited section of the autobahn, we start forward the Porsche flying at 200 km / h and attach ourselves behind it. Our "two hundred and fiftieth" as if stuck on the road: no yaw or swing. Just as predictably, the car behaves on winding serpentines. I have more and more trust in Lexus. By the way, back in Moscow I went to the racetrack on the all-wheel drive GS (ЗР, 2012, No. 6) - it was extremely difficult to send the car into a skid.
The machine works flawlessly both in the "drive" and when shifting gears with shift paddles. Interestingly, even in sports modes, the hybrid car manages to recharge its battery. By the way, now the battery located behind the back of the rear sofa is more compact. This allowed to increase the amount of luggage by 60% (up to 465 liters) compared with the previous model. But on electric, we were able to drive only about 2 km. Few! I think that engineers will direct further efforts on the electric range and battery efficiency. Perhaps, this palace on wheels only lacks further electrification …
FASHIONABLE ECONOMY
Hybrid Lexus-GS 450h is a typical representative of cars with a parallel circuit. That is, the internal combustion engine and the electric motor can function both on their own and in pairs. 292 hp petrol 3.5-liter V6 operates on the Atkinson cycle, which increases efficiency compared to traditional four-stroke engines.
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The hybrid drive includes a traction battery, a generator, a system that transmits the energy of a gasoline engine, generator and electric motor through a planetary gear. And, of course, the control unit.
In the mode, for example, Sport S, it increases the voltage supplied to the electric motor to a maximum of 650 V, and in Eco it limits it to 500 V, increasing the environmental friendliness of the car.
HYBRIDS IN THE WAREHOUSE
Toyota Nickel-Metal Hydride Batteries for Hybrids are manufactured by Panasonic EV Energy Co., a joint venture with Matsushita Electric (owner of the Panasonic brand). The Japanese automobile concern invested about 192 million dollars in production. The joint venture products are installed on Toyota Prius and Camry, as well as on Lexus-LS 600h and GS 450h. Such a partnership is one way to reduce costs and speed up the production process.
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Another pair of Japanese companies, Nissan Motors and NEC, took a similar path: its joint venture (formally owned by Otomotiv Energy Saplay, Automotive Energy Supply, whose shares are owned by Nissan and NEC in equal shares) allows the annual production of hybrid systems for 60 thousand cars.
EXCELLENCE TOOLS
Hybrid GS 450h with the F Sport package (and only with it) is equipped with a dynamic rear-wheel drive system. They rotate up to 2 degrees. Electronics determines the necessary angle taking into account speed, lateral overloads, steering angle and steering wheel intensity. At speeds of up to 80 km / h, the wheels of the front and rear axles rotate in different directions, over 80 km / h - in one.
The F Sport package was created by a team of engineers working on the LFA supercar. Options can be ordered for all GS versions and other Lexus models. Externally, such cars are distinguished by bumpers, a spoiler on the trunk lid and F Sport nameplates. But this is only the tip of the iceberg. The characteristics of the front and rear shock absorbers are different, because they use lower viscosity oil. Silent blocks are more rigid and larger. The size of the brake discs is increased, and to reduce their mass, the part that does not come in contact with the shoe is made of aluminum.
