Lexus GS: 2nd Generation

This video of Motor Trend television awarding the Lexus GS the 1998 import car of the year award is extraordinary if only for the sheer amount of praise heaped on the vehicle:

"Almost as good as a new Corvette." "Matching or exceeding the German traditions in every measure possible." It's no wonder why the second-generation GS was such a success, with compliments like that (from Motor Trend of all places!).

The latest Import Tuner has a feature on the VIP'd 1999 Lexus GS 400 pictured above. Here's a basic breakdown:

Using a genuine Junction Produce body kit, including the bumpers, side skirts and rear wing, Johnny added a Ugo roof spoiler and JDM rain guards, chrome door handles and a trunk bar. To highlight the gleaming white paintjob, he painted the roof and part of the trunk black. Lowered to touch the ground, the chassis sits above a set of 20-inch Fabulous Profounds with an offset of +23 in the front and +29 in the back. Falken FK-452 tires stretch around these ridiculously deep dished wheels that tuck perfectly underneath the fenders. These tires avoid tragically rubbing against the car through the use of an Air Runner suspension kit with an eight-valve electric solenoid upgrade-the choice system for VIP cars in Japan.

Really like the contrasting roof, but only because it reminds me of the ES 350 and its panoramic glass. (I had to laugh at the owner's motivation: "My previous car was a Mazda RX-7 and I was tired of being cooped up in it like a coffin and not being able to take my friends out.")

Flickr photographer capt4inslow has posted up some incredible shots of a second-gen GS 400, here's a couple of my favorites:

I've always been a big fan of this GS generation, with its equally elegant and aggressive styling. More than anything, though, these photos remind me of the tough decision I had to make when choosing the LS over the GS, which I still revisit from time to time.

Be sure to check out capt4inslow's Flickr stream for more GS 400 photos.

For sheer volume, there's few things I come across more on Youtube than Lexus' doing donuts. Practically an everyday event, I've never thought to feature a single one until now. Crazy speed, residential area, tight turning radius:

To top it off, if the description is to be believed, the car's stolen, meaning this whole video is just stupid insane even before pressing play. Who steals cars and posts about it on the Internet?

If you're adverse to automotive violence, best avert your eyes, as this guy has some serious pedestrian rage:

As is the nature of this type of video, I'm left with more questions than answers:

• What was that all about?
• Where did he get the steel pipe?
• What is it with Russia and destroying Lexus'?

Even though I'm a fan of stock rides (with the exception of some nice rims & tints), it's impossible for me to avoid drooling over Kelvin Tohar's VIP'd (AutoLuxury) 2000 GS 300:

I'm practically in love with the Junction Produce body kit, but I'm just not feeling the insanely tilted rims, which is due to squeezing 19-inch Scara rims and Falken tires under a severely dropped suspension. It's part of the look though, and it's not something that comes cheap:

The VIP style is quite tempting, but Kelvin warns that it isn't cheap. Even though you can pick up a used GS 300 for around $15,000, the right parts will cost you nearly double that.

You can check out the full article and more photos @ Superstreet Magazine.