What a superb, sublime powertrain the new Lexus LS has. It produces effortless power, sounds terrific when revved, and is whisper quiet when cruising. The eight-speed transmission is a touch more responsive in Sport mode, but when requesting added oomph it sometimes skips a beat while deciding which gear is appropriate for the downshift. Manual shifting produces snappy response when selecting a lower gear, while upshifts are a bit delayed. We averaged 16.6 mpg during our one-week test, yet predict most owners will produce better results because we frequently dipped into the LS 460’s prodigious well of power.