Three Tons of Sport — Lexus LX 570

Zero to 60 mph in 7.4 seconds. Top speed of 137 mph, electronically limited. Sounds like the latest sports car from Lexus, right? Wrong. We’re talking about the latest three ton SUV from Lexus. Exactly how much power does it take to accelerate 6,000 pounds from a standing start to 60 mph in that short a span of time? Try 383 hp and 403 foot-pounds of torque.

Those are mighty big numbers coming from a relatively diminutive 5.7-liter V8. Of course it helps if the V8 has been mightily massaged by Lexus engineers according to the following classic hot rod prescription: double overhead cams (DOHC), 32 valves, variable intake and exhaust timing, moveable length intake manifold, tubular stainless steel headers. If Toyota could use that motor in NASCAR, where such trick DOHC engines are outlawed, the company might just post a few wins.

If you thought the previous LX 470 was lively, you’ll be stunned to learn that this new 3UR-FE motor, built in Tahara, Japan, produces 116 more horsepower than before, while torque improves by 22 percent.

A new sequential shift, six-speed automatic transmission takes care of power allocation by feeding engine output into a new chain driven transfer case. The full-time four-wheel drive system features a creeper low range gear of 2.61:1 along with a Torsen limited slip center differential for the handful of people who take their Lexus off the pavement.

Lexus added a completely new body that hints at the upgraded drivetrain with a pronounced power bulge in the hood and fenders flared wide to accommodate new standard 20-inch wheels that replace the former LX 470’s 18-inch alloys.

From a size standpoint, the LX 570’s front track is 1.2-inches wider than before, the rear track is up by an inch, and length increases by 3.94 inches. Although ground clearance stands at 8.9 inches, improved running boards make access easier than before. Also, the "Easy Access" provision built into the electro-hydraulic suspension allows you to dip this Lexus two inches for even greater ease of entry when stopped.

The LX 570 uses coil springs up front and a solid rear axle in back, connected by four links and the adaptive suspension helps to keep the Lexus level on the open road. There is less squat under acceleration than before and less dive under braking. In fact, this SUV refuses to succumb to the St.Vitus dance that is so typical of large, truck-based SUVs.

Off-road, the "posture control" suspension is talented at reading terrain undulations in order to maintain equanimity. A long slog up a 2,000-foot boulder-strewn climb from the desert floor near Las Vegas provided a convincing demonstration of the 570’s carefully snubbed underpinnings. A new Crawl Control feature in low range allows you to plod along at a walking pace without touching throttle or brake. On steep descents, this feature is invaluable.

Just how many owners will be willing to take this brash but expensive beast off-road is subject to question. But the beauty of the LX 570 is that, when called upon, it can take eight of you and an 8,500 pound tow load just about anywhere on the face of the earth in the kind of extravagant comfort you’d find only in your own home. — David Coleman

Specifications

Type: Front engine, four-wheel drive

Engine: 5.7-liter, DOHC V8

Horsepower: 383 @ 5,600 rpm

Torque: 403 foot-pounds @ 3,600 rpm

Base Price: $73,500

Fuel Economy: 12 city, 18 hwy


Freedom

Local Jet Maker Soars
Carlsbad-based jet maker, Spectrum Aeronautical, recently received a significant fleet order from Jetpool of North Carolina for their Independence and Freedom model jets. The company will begin assembling the aircraft with deadline dates of 2009 and 2010, respectively. Both crafts feature Spectrum Aeronautical’s signature Fibex composite material technology, resulting in weights 40 percent lighter than other similar models. Jetpool’s CEO Ryan Stone said his company chose Spectrum Aerospace after an extensive search for the right developer. (www.spectrum.aero) — Ryan Thomas


Golf Demo Days
Save the date for Friday, April 25, and Saturday, April 26, for Carlsbad Golf Center’s (CGC) 6th Annual Spring Demo Day and Custom Fitting Experience. Golfers from all over Southern California will have the opportunity to test all the latest equipment on the over-300-yard driving range. More than 30 top golf manufacturers’ representatives and vendors are expected to attend, including_Callaway, Cobra, TaylorMade, Nike, Mizuno, Titleist, Odyssey, Ecco, and MacGregor, to name but a few._Attendees can also enjoy free launch monitor testing and fittings with CGC’s professional custom clubfitting staff, personal video lessons from PGA & LPGA instructors, opportunity drawings and vendor giveways, and pro shop discounts on most featured equipment. And to top it off, admission is free. (760/720-GOLF, www.carlsbadgolfcenter.com) — Mia Stefanko

As technology continues to increase its capabilities and reduce the size of its hardware, more and more fashion designers are incorporating zeros and ones into their creations (for a more in-dpeth look at this trend, read "Clothed Circuits" in the Business & Wealth. The following are a few that are generating a buzz among techies.


Chinavasion MP4 Watch

Time For TV
Chinavasion just released this MP4 Watch with eight gigs of internal flash memory as well as a full color 1.8-inch screen. That much memory is good for storing a handful of movies, television episodes, and whatever video you feel like downloading off of YouTube. It will support numerous video files beyond MP4s as well, such as AVIs, WMVs, and MOVs. It’s made of steel and has a built-in voice recorder, high quality speaker (with optional earphone jack), the ability to view JPEG pictures and listen to music at the same time, and so much more. Though the frame rate is a bit less than desirable at only 20 per second (as opposed to films 24 FPS and TV’s 30 FPS), it’s a nice alternative to carrying around an iPod Video all day. Not to mention it’s more than reasonably priced at only $86. (www.chinavasion.com)


Egokast Video Belt

Buckle Up
Should you not feel like watching videos on your watch, there’s always the Egokast video belt buckle. Essentially just a media player that fits into a casing, the full-color LCD buckle will play whatever you can fit on its 512 MB memory card. But since most fashionistas are not going to want to walk around with an episode of Lost on, the company makes its own artistic video loops (much like PC screensavers) that users can download._$289. (www.egokast.com)


Isaac Daniel GPS shoes

A Shoe In
Inventor Isaac Daniel may help put an end to those horror stories about people getting lost in the woods. His new line of shoes comes with a built in GPS locator as well as a wireless phone function. So not only will you be able to tell where you are should you hike down a stray path, but you can also call for help. On top of that, the shoes also record a person’s heart rate, body temperature, and stress levels — an attractive feature for athletes. Daniel must have also read stories about people wandering out of retirement communities because the shoes can also store up to 100,000 digital medical records. But it’s the GPS Alarm Locator function (which is accessed by pressing the Locate Me button on the side of the shoe) and phone function that have caught the eye of the military. Pressing the button sends the wearer’s coordinates to a satellite that transmits their location through the company’s software; Daniel’s shoes may be a huge help for locating hostages and helping soldiers find their way out of foreign terrain. And of course, they’re perfect for any Maxwell Smarts in training. $350. (www.isaacdaniel.com) — Ryan Thomas
 
 


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