VIP Auto Salon’s Clark Ishihara has been in the aftermarket business for over 10 years now so by way of simple longevity, the man has built his fair share of SEMA creations, most notably with Lexus models. This year, Ishihara once again put his tuning hat to good use with two new Lexus offerings at the world’s biggest aftermarket auto show. One of these two programs is for the Lexus GS F and it’s been loaded with a wide-body kit to go with splashes of interior and performance upgrades.

Known for being a “Lexus enthusiast,” Ishihara’s history with Toyota’s premium brand goes a long way. In 2015, he presented the Macadamia LS 600hL show car and in 2010, his modifications on a 2011 LS hybrid was recognized for a Mothers award for design excellence. The man knows his way around Lexus models more than most tuners and to no one’s surprise, he was the guy that Lexus tapped to work on the GS F and the RC F models.

The upgrades for both Lexus models are admittedly more subtle than what you’d expect at an outlandish show like SEMA. But Ishihara has never been outlandish about his project cars, opting instead to give them real-world aftermarket applications that GS F and RC F owners can look at and say, “that’s something I’d like to see on my GS F.” And on that note, that’s what the man behind VIP Auto Salon did with the sports coupe. Sporty and aggressive without going over the edge. This is Clark Ishihara and this his aftermarket take on the Lexus GS F.

Continue after the jump to read more about the Lexus GS F by Clark Ishihara.

Exterior

When you have car as aggressively styled as the Lexus GS F, there’s very little a tuner can really do to further enhance the sporting look of the performance sedan. Clark Ishihara did what he could, but ultimately, the quantity of upgrades are limited to a carbon fiber front lip spoiler, side step, rear diffuser, and front fender accent. Put them all together though and the differences are striking. The lip spoiler, in particular, helps enhance the GS F’s massive front grille. Ishihara also installed a new hood with a vent in the middle and finished off the exterior upgrades with a set of 20-inch custom machined lightweight forged wheels from Vossen.

Interior

Note: Standard Lexus GS F interior shown here.

Interior upgrades are limited to the sedan's steering wheel with the standard model getting replaced entirely by a carbon fiber steering wheel with its own Alcantara accents. The rest of the GS F's interior appears to remain stock. It might be a little disappointing to see little work done on the GS F's cabin, but the good thing about it is that the standard interior is already well-organized.

Drivetrain

Note: Standard Lexus GS F drivetrain shown here.

Neither Lexus nor Clark Ishihara disclosed the results of the engine upgrades, opting only to say that the GS F’s 5.0-liter V-8 engine received a new cold air intake system, which helps bring more oxygen to the V-8’s combustion chamber, allowing the engine to not only breathe better, but also helps bring out more power. A full header back exhaust system with titanium tips acts as a nice complement, enhancing the V-8’s rip-roaring sound. Considering that the V-8 produces a stock output of 467 horsepower, that cold air intake system should be good enough to tip the GS F’s power somewhere in the 480- to 500-horsepower range. A new air spring suspension kit finishes off the technical upgrades to accommodate the engine mods, helping maintain the sedan's handling and stability.

Conclusion

Given that the Lexus GS F counts the Cadillac CTS-V and the BMW M5 as its rivals, it’s 467-horsepower output is significantly deficient compared to the two aforementioned models. So yes, an engine upgrade is a must for those looking to get some aftermarket work done on the performance sedan. Clark Ishihara’s kit is a nice template for what can be done to the GS F even though no specific mention was made on the power gains that come out of the kit. I do think that there’s something to the bump in power, but even with the additions, it’s unlikely that it’ll be enough to reach the M5’s standard output of 560 horsepower, let alone CTS-V’s 640 horsepower output.