The automaker Toyota is well known for making extremely economical models and their proven reliability, however the Japanese car builder is also known for something completely different, something a little faster. TRD or Toyota Racing Development as it is known is responsible for the automobile manufacturer’s racing efforts ranging from NASCAR to SuperGT, but that is not all, because TRD is preparing a special edition Lexus IS C for the SEMA Show in Las Vegas sporting an F-Sport package for the open air IS. The TRD IS C makes the most of a ground effects kit from Five Axis Design and is covered in eye catching Vibrance Orange Glow candy paint.
The modified IS C sits on a set of F-Sport ten spoke forged aluminum alloys measuring 19 inches in diameter and wrapped with sticky Michelin Pilot Sport tires as well as Lexus’s F-Sport performance front and rear brake upgrade kit, F-Sport lowering kit consisting of new shocks and springs as well as a set of sway bars to make the factory tuned drop top IS handle as good as it looks.
While just the other day we were telling you about the bright green drop top IS C by Fox Marketing, today we have another tuner treat for you with another customized IS C for SEMA. The aftermarket parts manufacturer VIP Auto Salon and the Japanese car enthusiast website JTuned.com have come up with what they call the Matador Red IS C and is just as unique as the last one we showed you. Setting it apart form the rest of the crowd of Lexus IS convertibles at the show will be a carbon fiber hood, carbon fiber trunk spoiler, high performance exhaust and a set of custom wheels and tires to round out the tuner transformation. So what would it cost to park one of these Matador Red IS C’s in your driveway, roughly $15,000 over the sticker price, and you can’t be in any hurry because it will take the craftsmen a month and a half of hard labor to get the job done.
Fox Marketing Cars was responsible for bringing a bright orange twin turbochargedIS-F to SEMA last year, and with the advent of the new drop top Lexus IS C, Fox Marketing is up to their old tricks again with a lime green open air IS for this year’s automotive aftermarket retreat in Las Vegas. The Exterior of this IS350 convertible has been given a more muscular makeover thanks to a bold front chin spoiler, custom wide body front fenders and lower hanging side skirts from the IS-F super sedan as well as a new rear bumper and a carbon fiber rear wing to complete the IS C’s aerodynamic upgrades.
Finishing off the visual appeal of the lime green Fox Marketing Lexus IS C are a set of staggered iForged wheels, measuring 20 inches in diameter all around and 9 inches wide up front and 11.5 inches in the rear. This particular Fox has been tuned to produce a total of 450 HP thanks to a ProCharger Supercharger System strapped to the 3.5 Lier V6 and a new F-Sport Exhaust system to spit out the spent gasses. We will have to see just how well this new tuner creation stacks up to last year’s bright orange boosted IS-F when we arrive in sin city to take in the sights ourselves.
The Japanese luxury automaker Lexus will unveil the F-Sport package for the 2010 Lexus IS lineup at the Fankfurt Motor Show. Although the F-Sport package won’t transform your everyday IS 250 in the V8 powered IS-F super sedan, it does add a tasteful upgrade to the standard car’s aesthetics adding a few simple additions that go a long way to make both the diesel and gas powered versions a bit more sporty.
The kit includes an IS-F type radiator grill with its wavy metal face and a subtle rear spoiler that barely pokes out above the car’s deck lid. Although you don’t get the bulging fenders of the high horsepower model, you do get a nice set of exclusive 18 inch wheels to finish off the package. Lexus will the F-Sport performance package for all versions of the IS sedan, offering color matched parts straight from the factory, including the new Cattleya Purple.
The Lexus F-Sport interior is made up of a highly bolstered set of leather wrapped IS-F inspired bucket seats as well as the steering wheel and automatic gear shift lever from the super sedan complete with tasteful grey stitching. Even the IS-F’s bespoke, black on black color scheme carries over with a black headliner to match the rest of the interior.
UPDATE 09/07/2010: Check out our review of the IS-F Sport by clicking here!
The US Open is up in full swing at the moment and while most of us car nuts don’t really put too much stock on who’s winning and who’s been eliminated, we do like to take advantage of the fact that Lexus is one of the tournament’s main sponsors and as such, should have a couple of marketing ploys up its sleeve.
And you can bet your bottom dealer that we were right.
For those who’re looking at these photos for the first time, you’ll probably recognize that car as a Lexus IS 350 decked in some pretty hideous yellow-green paint. But upon closer inspection, you’ll realize that the color didn’t come from some paint, but it’s actually the material used in tennis balls. Pretty cool, isn’t it?
This isn’t the first time Lexus has resorted to some sort of cross-marketing with a sports tournament. Last year, Lexus was also the official vehicle of the US Open of golf and guess what they did? They rolled out an LS 460 L with a golf ball-dimpled exterior!
We’re guessing that these cars are just for publicity and won’t be going out the market anytime soon. We can imagine what’s going to happen to the IS 350 if it gets drenched in rain. You’re going to need a whole lot of blow dryers to dry that baby out.
