Thought I was the man with a V8...

[MAGNIFICENT]

Man, I got the 2005 LS V8 last weekand thought I had the fastest car around, just to hear everyone clowning me today and telling me that my 3.9L V8 couldnt beat a Chevy Caprice, or most of the average 6-Cylinders around. I was PISSED! I guess I thought V8 meant automatically better than 4 or 6 cylinder. Alot of guys on here take pride in their LS V8's for the power and speed. I wanna know what I can do to make my car faster and more efficient without taking away from the luxury and the smooth ride. I am not a racer, but I damn sure wanna be able to hang with the big dogs, and be able to back up my words when I say I got the baddest car on the block!!

 

[The Reaper]

You'll never hang with the big dogs. The LS is a luxury sedan, not a corvette. Enjoy your car for what it is. If you wanna have the baddest car on the block, get a muscle car.

 

[nickandersonLS01]

LOL, you bought a luxury sedan trying to hang with the "big boys"?

 

[97stscaddy]

Uhhh... its a Lincoln what do you expect?

A 250 hp 3.9L v8 aint gonna do jack against a real muscle car. You wanna make the car faster? Sell it and buy a Porsche. And grow some brains while you're at it.
Whoever told you a V8 is always better than a 6 or even 4 cyl was an idiot, and you're an idiot for believing it too.
There are WAY faster 4 cyl cars on the market, there are plenty of much faster 6 cyl cars on the market as well. Do some research next time before you buy a car.

 

[MAGNIFICENT]

Wow, you guys are so smart. Thanks for helping me out. I learned a little more about cars, and alot more about losers. Just because I dont know much about engines, doesnt make me stupid. It makes you stupid thinking we all do. So nuts to the above two posters. Anyway, like I said, I am not a racer, and when I said the "big dogs" I was talking about other cars in the same class as the LS. Either way, my car is the "ish" and I love it the way it is. It's also very fast anyway. I just wanted to make sure that I couldnt tweak it a little. Well I guess this discussion is over so no need to repost you corny opinions. :L

 

[Kelleyo]

No opinions from me but if you searched this forum you would fine that our cars performance can be enhanced with Cold Air Intakes, Exhaust systems from Borla or Magnaflow or custom, Big brake kits, SCT flasher to reprogram the PCM. You can also change the gear ratio in your diff to 3.58 unless you already have it.

It really is all about power to weight ratio. So take the junk out of the trunk too.

FYI you V8 is the newer model with 286 HP, not 252 HP. The SCT will make a huge difference in shift feel and throttle tip in.

I am selling my SCT if you are interested

 

[02V8Sport]

He already has the 2005 V8 with 286HP and the 3.58's.

Add a XCAL2, K&N Typhoon CAI and that will give you a start.

 

[Jim Henderson]

4, 6, 8 10 etc. All can make a lot of power and just because it is a ### doesn't mean it does make power.

Many of the current generation Japanese V6's will make more power and outrun the LS, at least a little, Altimas, Maximas and Avalons come to mind. The Subaru WRX 4 banger will clean your clock.

The LS is a reasonable performance car and it will just out run a mid 90s Caprice/Impala and maybe even the early 2000's Impala with supercharger. But it is a luxury car. This means it is a heavy car and weight costs speed.

I moved from a 96 Impala SS. I believe the SS would get the LS off the line but the LS would probably take over above freeway speeds. But the gut feel is better with the Impala which has more torque I think.

Just enjoy your LS as a reasonably fast, luxury car. But it can be whipped by a lot of lesser cars at the light, much to my disappointment.

But the LS is very good in twisties so I have read. It will supposedly outrun a mustang in the curves, but I don't know from experience.

Yeah get a Vette, or Mustang if you just have to win the stoplight drags. Or if you want to spend a lot of money some of the high end ricers or German stuff. I would prefer to spend it on some American iron, too bad there isn't a lot of choice at this time.

Just my opinion,

Jim Henderson

 

[fuzzyb]

I didn't know it was kick the crap out of the new guy to day
Idiot, Idiot, Idiot...

MAGNIFICENT, I don't think the people at you work know what they are talking about. You don't have a muscle car but it should beat the V6's they have that are two years old. If they raced and beat an LS, chances are it was an 02- that makes 35 less HP.
If they keep putting your car down (after they beat you in a race) ask then where there seat coolers are? And why there engines are soo rough. Make sure they know you paid less then they did too.
It's luxury man!!

 

[FastNsmoothLS]

Wow, you guys are so smart. Thanks for helping me out. I learned a little more about cars, and alot more about losers. Just because I dont know much about engines, doesnt make me stupid. It makes you stupid thinking we all do. So nuts to the above two posters. Anyway, like I said, I am not a racer, and when I said the "big dogs" I was talking about other cars in the same class as the LS. Either way, my car is the "ish" and I love it the way it is. It's also very fast anyway. I just wanted to make sure that I couldnt tweak it a little. Well I guess this discussion is over so no need to repost you corny opinions. :L

I owned an LS for 4 years thinking I was the Sh!t thanks to all the stories I heard about the LS and the V8 and how fast it was plus all the luxury thing...
If you're looking for power and modifiable car, you got the wrong kind! Aside from CAI, a supposed SCT tune, cat back exhaust or custom pipes and maybe N2o if you want to go that route, there's not much to work with on that engine. That's why I went with a Mustang back in January. It's still stock on the body, but I've dropped some pounds on that engine and I'm putting 429 HP and 489 torque to the wheels, prob close to 500 at the crank, which the LS I think puts down 220-230 to the wheels? Not sure, but anyhow...
If you're looking for a decent ride and a great looking car, then you got 1st. prize. Enjoy it for what it is, a great looking, nice riding American sedan, nothing more. And stay away from the new Altima, yes, the mid-size import family sedan will hand the LS it's ass. Don't try to do burnouts and such in the LS, after I've seen some people do it, it doesn't look good in those cars. Leave the power/racing thing to the big boys. That way you'll hold the value better on the car and keep it on the road in one piece.

 

[FastNsmoothLS]

That's if you can catch the Mustang, which in my case, I'd be 10 cars ahead and pulling.

 

[owlman]

Don't try to do burnouts and such in the LS, after I've seen some people do it, it doesn't look good in those cars.

Burnouts are good stupid fun in any car that can do it! Go for it!

 

[02LSE96LSC91SE84TC]

05 LS V-8 280HP 286TQ. Get it right guys. 00-02 had 252HP.

As mentioned above tha SCT Xcal2 and a CAI will get a 05 into low 14s when driven properly. Not blazing fast but not exactly slow either.

 

[nickandersonLS01]

I love my LS, and I would never disgrace my families name by purchasing a non-SVT mustang(and post on forums about how fast it is, LOL).

 

[Broke_ls]

you are going to get beat by a lot of cars, but you can always add a shot of nitrous to it, some exhauast, tune it and all that good stuff, or you can do what i did have the best looking car around and laugh at them when they make fun of you... oh yeah and buy a bike that will do 9's in the quarter for the speed stuff! good luck man!

 

[LS-N-IT]

Take all that bs with a grain of salt. Except for the turbo charged 4 bangers (I had an 03 Evo), there will not be any 4 cylinders beating your LS. The only V6s that are faster than the LS are the high end cars, like the 306hp Infiniti G. My wife has a newer Accord with the mid 200s horse V6, it has no torque and can not beat my LS.
And the Caprice.. give me a break. Whoever said that doesn't even know whats in one, because it has a small V8 with no power and is a mutt. Only a few Caprices and the Impala had the LT1 (I'm a big chevy guy and I owned a 96 Impala SS too, the LT1 has great torque but the car weighs tons. It has nothing on our LS's. I bet my LS would beat my SS off the line no problem. And the LS owns any of those cars on a road course where handling is what matters)

The LS is no race car true, but these other cars they are talking about are not either. And you have to remember, all those other cars are complete pieces of sh&t. Your rollin' p-i-m-p in an LS.

 

[Fla02LS]

When ever i see people talking up the LS i always wonder what other cars they have owned. In the case of this guy, maybe his only other car was a mercury sable or something in which case the LS would seem fast. If you have owned any form of sports/muscle car then you understand the LS has its limits. One thing the LS has on its side i feel is its top end, meaning highway speeds. I'm not real big into racing at lights but while on the highway i like to push it and have been surprised. I ran a new G35 sports coupe on I-4 and owned it all the way up to 135 where i backed off, also had some kid in a brand new eclipse gt or something which i was able to pull on at will, he was pissed. Very few cars are the ultimate solution. Some may be fast off the line but have no handling, some have good handling but little power, some have alittle of both but are crap cars to actually own. The LS isnt in the top in any of these catagories but a good overall car. But for this guy to actually think and say "I thought i had the fastest car around" is alittle out of line just because it had a V8. There have been plenty of V8 cars that have sucked....Base Crown Vic, the t-bird/cougar V8...those were all detuned 4.6L dogs, BUT and a big BUT, those cars had the aftermarket support of the 4.6. GM has had their fair share of hohum V8 cars. The new bonneville gxp has a 300 hp V8 but its numbers dont exceed those of the LS and i am positive the LS can do circles around a bonneville. The badge V8 doesnt always = better power.

 

[Kelleyo]

When ever i see people talking up the LS i always wonder what other cars they have owned. In the case of this guy, maybe his only other car was a mercury sable or something in which case the LS would seem fast. If you have owned any form of sports/muscle car then you understand the LS has its limits. One thing the LS has on its side i feel is its top end, meaning highway speeds. I'm not real big into racing at lights but while on the highway i like to push it and have been surprised. I owned a new G35 sports coupe all the way up to 135 where i backed off, had some kid in a brand new eclipse which i was able to pull on at will, he was pissed. Very few cars are the ultimate solution. Some may be fast off the line but have no handling, some have good handling but little power, some have alittle of both but are crap cars to actually own. The LS isnt in the top in any of these catagories but a good overall car. But for this guy to actually think and say "I thought i had the fastest car around" is alittle out of line just because it had a V8. There have been plenty of V8 cars that have sucked....Base Crown Vic, the t-bird/cougar V8...those were all detuned 4.6L dogs, BUT and a big BUT, those cars had the aftermarket support of the 4.6. GM has had their fair share of hohum V8 cars. The new bonneville gxp has a 300 hp V8 but its numbers dont exceed those of the LS and i am positive the LS can do circles around a bonneville. The badge V8 doesnt always = more power.

Yep. And what most people forget is that in the "stoplight" wars, reaction time is king.

I have a Wrangler with the 4 liter 5 speed and spank unsuspecting folks off the line all the time (I put 4.56 gears, K&N typhoon and Borla cat back in it ). BUT, it has no top end at all. Anything over 80 in my Jeep is scary :shifty:

With the LS put it in SST 1st gear and your hole shot will be better. Also the 2003+ throttle by wire sucks bad and tip in sux. Thats where the SCT has made a big difference as well as on shift speed/firmness...

 

[MAGNIFICENT]

Man, I feel TOTALLY better now that you guys have given me lots of good info instead of FLAMING me! This car has always been a favorite of mine, and I actually set out to get an Acura TL. The dealer offered me a G35, also, but the LS was the sexiest monster on the lot. I gotta admit to you all, the car I had before was a 2005 Civic and my primary vehicle was a 2002 Chevy S10. Oh MY GOD!! the difference in power when I stuck the key in was unmatched... When I tapped the accelerator, that thing hauled @$$! Getting in that V8 from the 4-cylinder made me feel like Ricky Bobby! Eveyone thinks my car is the sweetest ride, and I just ordered the AVIC Z2, some Pioneer speakers, and a Kenwood amp and the Double DIN bezel from LS Koncepts. I will definitely show pics when I get it all installed! I might do some fine tuning, but I guess I can be happy that I can hang in the fast lane, but more importantly, I can still look like a pimp when I'm in park! :wave

 

[Fla02LS]

I have a Wrangler with the 4 liter 5 speed and spank unsuspecting folks off the line all the time

Its funny you mentioned that. I have a buddy with a wrangler w/5 speed. I was just riding with him last night and i laugh at him because he races his Jeep all the time at lights and actually gets a great jump off the line and can take ALOT of cars up to around 45-50 mph. After 50 mph though it feels as though i could get out and run faster.

 

[Kelleyo]

Its funny you mentioned that. I have a buddy with a wrangler w/5 speed. I was just riding with him last night and i laugh at him because he races his Jeep all the time at lights and actually gets a great jump off the line and can take ALOT of cars up to around 45-50 mph. After 50 mph though it feels as though i could get out and run faster.

Heh heh, thats what gears will do for ya! If the stoplights are only 100 yards apart, it does not matter if your car can go 175 mph !!!

 

[jgfish97]

Don't let anyone tell you different.... I feel like I'm the "man" when I'm driving in my V8 LS.

Like it was stated before - CAI from K&N or the KKM, SCT Xcal2, and custom exhaust... I think that's all you can do with the LS. Unless you count stickers. Really big stickers.

Welcome to LVC. There are a bunch of funny people here. They crack me up.

:gr_hail: LSKoncepts --- You're one stop shop.

 

[Fla02LS]

I gotta admit to you all, the car I had before was a 2005 Civic and my primary vehicle was a 2002 Chevy S10. Oh MY GOD!! the difference in power when I stuck the key in was unmatched... When I tapped the accelerator, that thing hauled @$$! Getting in that V8 from the 4-cylinder made me feel like Ricky Bobby! :wave

Exactly as i was suspecting. Your previous cars will alter the feel of the LS making it seem way more than it is. No doubt about it the LS has some very unique and great looks which should leave most of your peers jealous. How many of your buddys have A/C seats? As far as cruising on the highway you shouldnt have any worries. The LS will out run ALOT of cars, throw that baby into SST mode, keep it in 4 and its like the energizer bunny....it keeps going and going and going.....

 

[shagdrum]

A friend of mine owns a LS8 and he has a '79 malibu with a 383 stroker producing around 460 hp and has 4.10 gearing in the rear. while the malibu is much faster, the LS more then makes up for it in handling!
This friend of mine also races at a local track on the weekends (an '82 cutlass; hobby stock class) and he will tell u, while horsepower and straightline acceleration is important, handling is at least as important, and the LS has most all old muscle cars beat in spades on that count (in addition to a lot of these "ricer" POS's being talked about hear). While the LS may not be quite as fast as some other cars, it is a much better all around car then any of those others. The LS balances acceleration, handling and comfort much better then any Subaru could hope to. Most of these other cars trade a helluva lot off for speed. Most front wheel drive performance cars handle terribly (FWD is.."unnatural" for handling and accerleration). My sister has an Ion Redline that can't hold a straight line to save it's life during hard acceleration.
Know and appriciate your car for what it is, and know that while someone may have a faster car, your LS is better in about every other performance measure.
Keep in mind, the LS with its double wishbone all independent suspension and 50/50 weight distrubution is one of the best handling cars on the road, unless u start getting to covette level performance vehicles, which r pretty specialized, and should basically be irrelevant to this discussion.
Also, keep in mind that no production 4 cylinder (and the vast majority of modern 6 cylinder engine) can match your engine, naturally aspirated. They need "cheaters", like superchargers, turbochargers or nitrous. Your engine will last a helluva lot longer then theirs. Plus, it runs smoother at idle.

 

[nickandersonLS01]

Take all that bs with a grain of salt. Except for the turbo charged 4 bangers (I had an 03 Evo), there will not be any 4 cylinders beating your LS. The only V6s that are faster than the LS are the high end cars, like the 306hp Infiniti G. My wife has a newer Accord with the mid 200s horse V6, it has no torque and can not beat my LS.
And the Caprice.. give me a break. Whoever said that doesn't even know whats in one, because it has a small V8 with no power and is a mutt. Only a few Caprices and the Impala had the LT1 (I'm a big chevy guy and I owned a 96 Impala SS too, the LT1 has great torque but the car weighs tons. It has nothing on our LS's. I bet my LS would beat my SS off the line no problem. And the LS owns any of those cars on a road course where handling is what matters)

The LS is no race car true, but these other cars they are talking about are not either. And you have to remember, all those other cars are complete pieces of sh&t. Your rollin' p-i-m-p in an LS.

ALOT of 4 bangers(NA) could romp the LS, who are you trying to fool? Integra GSR, Integra Type R, a bunch of different civics could SMOKE the LS

but you are right, who the hell cares, the LS is much nicer than any 4 banger(minus evo's + sti's). Fill the LS up with some females and then laugh at the fools.