Body Kits

For the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japanese tuner company Wald International outfitted a 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport with their Executive Line body kit and Renovatio wheels:

Wald’s tendency to overcomplicate the simple Lexus design is too over-the-top for my tastes, especially with the front-fender vents and the massive 22” Renevatio wheels, but it isn’t hard to see the appeal of muscling up the LS with some more aggressive lines.

Superb photography as well, here’s the full gallery:

[Source: Winding Road]

The 2010 Lexus LX 570 is getting the sports treatment down under, as Lexus Australia is releasing the supersize SUV with a muscular body kit as part of new Sports Luxury package:

There’s something ill-fitting about that front bumper and the way it overlaps, but I do like the reverse trapezoid air intake mirroring the grille. The rear bumper looks quite fussy in the creases, but with only one photo to go on, it’s tough to judge.

Some more photos:

The LX 570 Sports Luxury will retail for $165,400 AUD and will likely be limited to Australia—you can find out more information on the Lexus Australia website.

[Via: The Motor Report]

The modified Lexus HS 250h at the Detroit Auto Show was the centerpiece of the entire Lexus exhibit. Put together by Clark Ishihara and VIP Auto Salon, the HSh is decked out in Branew—front under-spoiler, side skirts, rear under-spoiler, trunk spoiler, stainless steel muffler, and the 20” wheels all come from the Japanese tuning company.

There’s also the custom suspension, which makes a world of difference when it comes to the HS’ appearance, though it may have a less-than-optimal effect on ride quality when combined with the VIP-style minus offset wheels:

Photographing the HSh also resulted in one of my favorite photos from the autoshow:

Here’s the full gallery:

Autoblog has posted their review of the 2010 Lexus LS 460 Sport, where they were pleasantly surprised by the sedan’s newfound sportiness:

Approaching the first tight turn along this curvy hillside ribbon of asphalt, we instinctively wanted to tap into the upgraded Brembos to scrub off some momentum. Expecting a fair amount of body roll, we planned our line accordingly, but amazingly, the LS – with its re-calibrated suspension, beefier stabilizer bars and uprated shocks – was well planted and barely bobbed to either side. We pushed a little harder into the next bend and the stately sedan just hunkered down and carved a perfect arc. This can’t be right.

As the road straightened out we were scratching our head trying to figure out what just happened. Is this Lexus actually fun to drive? Did these seemingly minor suspension changes really transform the LS from a perfectly wonderful boulevard cruiser to a genuine back road bomber?

These positive reviews of the LS Sport are very exciting—with no (reported) sacrifice in ride quality, a tasteful body kit, a handsome interior color scheme with beautiful matte wood, and all the performance upgrades, there doesn’t seem to be a single drawback to this package.

Best of all, this bodes well for the future of the Lexus’ flagship sedan—maybe these performance upgrades should be standard.

(I also recommend going through the photo gallery, great detail photos in there.)

[Source: Autoblog]

Along with the usual press photos, Lexus has also put together a video showing their stable of customized SEMA cars:

It’s a nice lineup of cars this year, though I would have preferred to see more done with the GS. Also, I hope the wheels on the TRD (orange) IS-C make it into the F-Sport lineup (though I can’t say the same for the GS’ customized grille).

SEMA, the annual automotive specialty products tradeshow, starts tomorrow, and will feature seven Lexus automobiles, including the North American debut of the LFA and the winner of the SEMA Showcase contest—here’s a full breakdown of the participating vehicles:

IS 300 by DAVID HUANG

Description

David Huang invested over $100,000 in his IS 300 and it shows. Dubbed the “IS 1000,” this Lexus SEMA Showcase winner features an estimated 1,000-horsepower engine, custom color-shift Midnight Purple paint, custom body and frame work and custom suspension.

Highlights

• JDM 2004 ARISTO 2JZ-GTE w/ VVTi
• JDM Work 20-inch VS-XX anodized-chrome with BF Goodrich KDW/TA tires
• JDM ENDLESS rotors and calipers
• JDM Zeal Function X’s coilovers
• JDM HKS purple sway bars and Kansai rear strut tower bar

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