112 Desert Driving

[TJPark01]

112 Degrees in Central California desert this weekend. Got the genesis up to 120 mph. On a scale of 1-10, it took the Tau engine an effort of about 3 to get there. This car can be scary fast in the desert. Slowed down and cruised control 90mph all the way from LA to SanFran.
I think this car was built for this type of cruising. I was getting 28mpg on 87 octane in triple digit temps with the a/c blasting and crusing @ 90. This car continues to impress me.

 

[crupp]

I would agree. It is very impressive how fast the Genesis can climb over 100mph. How did it feel to you, when you were at triple digits?

 

[TJPark01]

I would agree. It is very impressive how fast the Genesis can climb over 100mph. How did it feel to you, when you were at triple digits?

at 120 it was quiet smooth and effortless. I didn't bother pushing it, probably because i'm getting old and soft. I could see that the car wanted and could go faster, and in the desert it was a perfect place to do it. I digress, dare I say it's too much engine? For 95% of buyers the 6 is enough.

 

[dataguy]

I think this car was built for this type of cruising. I was getting 28mpg on 87 octane in triple digit temps with the a/c blasting and crusing @ 90. This car continues to impress me.

Nice! I'm hopeful that one day I can get those mileages myself. I'll need to do a road trip to Vegas to test

The car seems to be only marginally affected by the A/C. My best tank was when I didn't run the A/C at all, but it's less than a 10% difference between that an running the A/C at low at full blast all of the time.

 

[TJPark01]

Nice! I'm hopeful that one day I can get those mileages myself. I'll need to do a road trip to Vegas to test

The car seems to be only marginally affected by the A/C. My best tank was when I didn't run the A/C at all, but it's less than a 10% difference between that an running the A/C at low at full blast all of the time.

I went 400 miles on 2/3 of a tank. At that rate I could have squeezed 600 miles on 1 tank, going 90mph and blasting the A/C. I have Mobil 1 5W-30 in there, but I doubt that really made a difference.

 

[wallymn]

I digress, dare I say it's too much engine? For 95% of buyers the 6 is enough.

I see words but I fail to understand as ordered.....

Too much engine? Surely you jest. I assume at some point cars will have enough power to cause a blackout during acceleration... until then, there is no such thing as too much engine.

Unless you mean engine weight, In which case I agree. I wish more manufactures listed hp/lb of engine rather than displacement.
After all a 3 liter iron block and 3 liter aluminum block might produce the same power but at much different costs for weight...

 

[TJPark01]

I see words but I fail to understand as ordered.....

HA! Yes, too much engine for everyday use. I know it's blasphemy, but this car was begging to be driven triple digits. In the desert it was safe and doable.
This car is like a girl you meet who is kind cute, but not smoking hot. Then you find out she loves beer, steak and your favorite sports teams and then she transforms into amazing.

 

[scottdk]

I found a very desserted windy road not too far from my house the the Genesis just begs to hit the bends in the road. It did very well and on the straightaway it's funny how fast I could go from 110mph to 135mph

More please?

 

[JPW]

blasting the A/C.

How did the A/C work? I've seen some posts saying that it can't cool the car down very well and you mention having to "blast" it here. I know 112 degrees may be a bit of a stress test but I am curious. Thanks.

 

[TJPark01]

Look at the A/C fan reading (little bars). It's on setting 2 (I think it goes to 8). The complaining is, I guess , that some people found the car takes some time to cool for some reason. I found the A/C to be arctic and had to set it to my feet only at times. Not sure why people are having problems but I do know that my 1995 LS400, cools down the cabin faster. But it's not an issue for me at all.

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[JPW]

Yea, I've heard a number of people reference the Lexus LS as having one of the best A/C units out there.

I did see the 2 little bars but I didn't want to assume anything. I'm glad to hear good things about the A/C. I live in Houston and the heat is brutal. I would really be kicking myself if I bought a car that couldn't adequately cool itself down.

Also, thanks for the post about your trip. Its nice to hear about the car's stability at those speeds. I don't think I've gotten the V8 past 80 mph but it put a smile on my face. It sort of feels like you always have more than you need and that is an awfully nice feeling

 

[TJPark01]

Yea, I've heard a number of people reference the Lexus LS as having one of the best A/C units out there.

I did see the 2 little bars but I didn't want to assume anything. I'm glad to hear good things about the A/C. I live in Houston and the heat is brutal. I would really be kicking myself if I bought a car that couldn't adequately cool itself down.

Also, thanks for the post about your trip. Its nice to hear about the car's stability at those speeds. I don't think I've gotten the V8 past 80 mph but it put a smile on my face. It sort of feels like you always have more than you need and that is an awfully nice feeling

80 and 120 feel the exact same. The only difference is there is some more wind noise

 

[beefman]

It does well up to about 140. After that it's getting a bit winded. I shut down at an indicated 143. It definitely gets floaty after about 120. In comparison, the CLS550 is limited to 136 but I'd be comfortable driving it well above that. It feels absolutely buttoned down at that speed. Just bought an '03 SL55 and *that* feels quite nicely buttoned down at 155. Gotta love wide open empty Texas highways. Will tell y'all this, if I had to get rid of every car I owned and have just one? It'd be the Genesis. For all the suspension foibles and that, it's my home 60 miles round trip every workday and I actually enjoy my drive because of the car.

 

[ConceptVBS]

^ If you add a front lip spoiler and a lip trunk spoiler in the back of your genesis, it should feel less "floaty" at high speeds. It means the air zooming past underneath the car is pushing up the front end up, contributing to the "floaty" feeling. Another way is to use a lowering suspension to plant the car even lower on the ground.


Also, the Tau V8 is biased towards high horsepower, rather than high torque. The highway is where the engine really shines. Torque is needed for the get up and go city driving, but horsepower takes over once the car is up to speed. Since the V8 engine has the highest output 4.6 naturally aspirated engine per liter on the planet, accelerating at such high speeds is a piece of cake. So owners beware of speeding tickets.

 

[Saudi Genesis]

^ If you add a front lip spoiler and a lip trunk spoiler in the back of your genesis, it should feel less "floaty" at high speeds. It means the air zooming past underneath the car is pushing up the front end up, contributing to the "floaty" feeling. Another way is to use a lowering suspension to plant the car even lower on the ground.


Also, the Tau V8 is biased towards high horsepower, rather than high torque. The highway is where the engine really shines. Torque is needed for the get up and go city driving, but horsepower takes over once the car is up to speed. Since the V8 engine has the highest output 4.6 naturally aspirated engine per liter on the planet, accelerating at such high speeds is a piece of cake. So owners beware of speeding tickets.

Err, no it doesn't. Not even close. 81 bhp per litre? Honda S2000 is 2 litre with 240bhp. So 120hp/litre.

 

[Aquineas]

Err, no it doesn't. Not even close. 81 bhp per litre? Honda S2000 is 2 litre with 240bhp. So 120hp/litre.

I think he was referring specifically to other 4.6 engines..