This is hilarious. You may remember me posting up photos of some first generation Lexus SCs done up in grand style, like the one above. Well, it seems like they’ve also been noticed by local police, including Officer “Smith”, who blogs the following:

The latest fad to strike the Bay Area is the uncontrollable urge to purchase a Lexus SC300.

Used of course. Preferably pre-1999 vintage. Aged well.

But to simply purchase one is not enough. Next, you must paint the car in some candy color that simply does not belong on a car. We’ll say candy grape purple. Then, you have to choose a contrasting color, say bright piss yellow perhaps, in which to paint a large Lexus “L” symbol on both doors because, of course, the rest of us are far too stupid to know the car is a Lexus. To further assist us idiots, please remember to paint a smaller “L” on the rear fenders as an added reminder.

Maybe you could even get personalized plates to the effect of LXS DUBZ, or some such nonsense.

I had myself in stitches by the time I was done reading his post. Best of all, he used the images from this site. Such a small world.

[Source: Officer "Smith"]

Not every day you get to see a souped 700hp Lexus IS engine blow up (make sure to turn the sound down, loud rap music ahead):

Not sure on the full story, but I can’t help but think whoever made this video of must have wanted to rub it in — either that or it was the owner.

(I wonder if it was this IS?)

We’ve seen the finished version of the the Fox/Artisan Lexus IS-F that will be displayed at this year’s SEMA, and now another has surfaced — this time it’s a work-in-progess by 0-60 Magazine:

So far, the plan looks to be replacing the hood, front fenders, side skirts and the trunk lid with carbon fiber versions, and some custom exhaust work from Greddy, but what I really want to do is highlight just how crazy the IS-F is without its engine cover:

No matter how many times I see the unmasked engine, it still manages to astonish me.

The Fox Marketing/Artisan Performance Lexus IS-F project car scheduled for display at SEMA 2008 has been unveiled early, and brings with it some very exciting news for IS-F owners:

The vehicle will be debuted at SEMA 2008 in Las Vegas alongside 3 other IS-F’s from different aftermarket companies. These companies will be showcasing and developing new aftermarket parts for the IS-F. Artisan will be offering an exhaust, intake, pullies and a turbo kit for the IS-F.

Last time we saw this IS-F it was in mid-build, and the finished project doesn’t disappoint. The flared-out fenders remind me of the 5Axis IS-F from last year, and the burnt orange exterior and carbon-fiber roof are just fantastic. Very tastefully done. [Via: Club Lexus]

Here’s the full gallery:

Every year, the JM Lexus dealership in South Florida sponsors the Lexus/Supra Mega Meet, a two day event set up for enthusiasts to both check out and show off some custom rides.

To mark the occasion, JM Lexus put together a heavily modified IS 350, featuring not only every F-Sport accessory available but also a full reworking of the interior & exterior.

Anthony Barbosa of JM Lexus filled me in on the details:

Originally this project vehicle was designed for the purpose of the Mega Meet and advertising for the dealership. The main goal of this project was to be able to showcase what we here at JM Lexus could do in house…we are excited to be able to make our Lexus customers get their own unique/personalized vehicles all done in house.

What’s more, the IS 350 was sold long before it made its Mega Meet debut, selling for a price of $96,000 (!!!). (Of course, looking at the full list of mods minimizes the sticker shock quite a bit.)

For the full effect, Anthony was also kind enough to send me a number of photos, including some taken during the build:

Exterior Modifications:

1. Custom Two-tone Paint Pearl White Factory White With The Top Half Is-f Blue
2. Custom Black Solid Hand Painted Stripe
3. Lexus Oem Ground Effects
4. Custom Lexus “IS” Painted Factory Grille And Badges

Interior Modifications:

1. Custom Leather White Inserts
2. Custom Black Headliner And Pillar Posts
3. Llmar ATX Window Tint

Electronic Upgrades:

1. JL Audio 500/1v2 Amplifier
2. JL Audio G6600 Amplifier
3. Two JL Audio C-5 6 1/2 Component Speakers
4. Two 10″ W3v3 Subwoofers
5. Custom Fiberglass Enclosure Painted To Match
6. Custom Trunk Lid Cover w/ Two Monitors And F-Sport Logo
7. Embroidering F-Sport Into Stock Floor Mat
8. PS3 In Trunk
9. Front Video Conversion
10. Rossen Dual Headrest Monitors
11. Rossen ½ Din Dvd Player In Glove Box

Mechanical Modification:

1. F-Sport Engine Cover
2. F-Sport Brake Upgrades Front And Rear
3. F-Sport Exhaust System
4. F-Sport Performance Air Intake
5. F-Sport Shock Set
6. F-Sport Lowering Springs
7. F-Sport Rear Chassis Member Brace
8. F-Sport Sway Bar Set
9. MHT Mantra Chrome Wheels 19″ W/ Custom Powder Coating
10. Pirelli P-zero Nero 235/35/19 Front, 265/30/19 Rears High Performance Tires

L-Tuned Parts, the online Lexus parts superstore, is now offering some custom-made IS-F interior mods, including these two steering wheel replacements:

Here’s the stock IS-F wheel for comparison’s sake:

Replacement steering wheels aren’t for the faint-of-heart: Even if you send the IS-F’s stock steering wheel in exchange, these carbon fiber versions aren’t cheap ($1350USD & $1150USD respectively). This is also ignoring the cost of installation.

(Also available are two replacement shift knobs (one & two) and some additional carbon fiber for the center console.)

[Via: Club Lexus]