Photo: Lexus
SEMA must feel like the automotive community's big day out, a break from all the seriousness that comes with being involved in a multi-billion industry where every tiny decision can have very non-tiny repercussions.
Events such as this one give manufacturers the chance to come up with the kind of builds that would never be financially viable, but thanks to the virtually limitless freedom, these are often some of the coolest things you'll ever see from those brands in an official capacity.
Not everyone goes over the top, though. Some companies bring cars that are almost impossible to recognize with only a handful of square inches left unoccupied by one of the many accessories available, while others show they can exercise restraint and come up with a more cohesive – and, at the same time, more subtle – concept that still retains a lot of resemblance to the model it is based on.
For this year's SEMA, Lexus' presence definitely falls into the latter category. The Japanese company has brought two exhibits, one based on the IS 500 (called HIRAKU & TOWNSEND BELL STREET PERFORMANCE IS 500), and the other on the IS 350 F Sport (called DSPORT & SCOTT PRUETT TRACK PERFORMANCE IS 350).
You might have recognized Scott Pruett's name in there. The legendary racing driver, who is a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America but also an ambassador of the brand, teamed up with DSPORT magazine to give the Lexus IS 350 F Sport a complete makeover that should ultimately turn it into the supreme track weapon.
What you see here is only phase one of the project since we're mostly talking about aesthetic modifications. We all know racing stripes add a bit of extra hp to the total output of the engine as well but, in all seriousness, the time to tune the 311 hp 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 will come. The team says the IS will develop more than double its current power, but we'll have to wait for next year's SEMA for that.
For now, though, we can only talk about stuff such as the unique wrap – developed by Troy Lee Design using inspiration from Scott Pruett's helmet art. Underneath the film sits a special body kit originating from Japanese company Artisan Spirits, which adds the necessary width to cope with the extended track width this IS 350 F Sport will eventually feature.
On the inside, the track-bound Lexus features a full roll bar and carbon/Kevlar race seats with a five-point harness setup, both provided by the well-known specialist SPARCO. The show car also features an enhanced adjustable suspension system and carbon-ceramic brake discs. For track duty, the IS will feature 19-inch black wheels (from ADVAN Racing), but in the meantime, it sits on 20-inch Rotiform KPS rims finished in matte copper.
As we said, this is an ongoing project, so expect to hear more from Lexus over the coming months, all culminating with the promised power hike for next year's SEMA show. The transformation will be massive, but the message Lexus wants to send here – apart from accentuating the model's sporty nature – is that almost all of these modifications can be acquired independently and mixed however the customer desires.
Not everyone goes over the top, though. Some companies bring cars that are almost impossible to recognize with only a handful of square inches left unoccupied by one of the many accessories available, while others show they can exercise restraint and come up with a more cohesive – and, at the same time, more subtle – concept that still retains a lot of resemblance to the model it is based on.
For this year's SEMA, Lexus' presence definitely falls into the latter category. The Japanese company has brought two exhibits, one based on the IS 500 (called HIRAKU & TOWNSEND BELL STREET PERFORMANCE IS 500), and the other on the IS 350 F Sport (called DSPORT & SCOTT PRUETT TRACK PERFORMANCE IS 350).
You might have recognized Scott Pruett's name in there. The legendary racing driver, who is a member of the Motorsports Hall of Fame of America but also an ambassador of the brand, teamed up with DSPORT magazine to give the Lexus IS 350 F Sport a complete makeover that should ultimately turn it into the supreme track weapon.
What you see here is only phase one of the project since we're mostly talking about aesthetic modifications. We all know racing stripes add a bit of extra hp to the total output of the engine as well but, in all seriousness, the time to tune the 311 hp 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 will come. The team says the IS will develop more than double its current power, but we'll have to wait for next year's SEMA for that.
For now, though, we can only talk about stuff such as the unique wrap – developed by Troy Lee Design using inspiration from Scott Pruett's helmet art. Underneath the film sits a special body kit originating from Japanese company Artisan Spirits, which adds the necessary width to cope with the extended track width this IS 350 F Sport will eventually feature.
On the inside, the track-bound Lexus features a full roll bar and carbon/Kevlar race seats with a five-point harness setup, both provided by the well-known specialist SPARCO. The show car also features an enhanced adjustable suspension system and carbon-ceramic brake discs. For track duty, the IS will feature 19-inch black wheels (from ADVAN Racing), but in the meantime, it sits on 20-inch Rotiform KPS rims finished in matte copper.
As we said, this is an ongoing project, so expect to hear more from Lexus over the coming months, all culminating with the promised power hike for next year's SEMA show. The transformation will be massive, but the message Lexus wants to send here – apart from accentuating the model's sporty nature – is that almost all of these modifications can be acquired independently and mixed however the customer desires.
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