Toyotafest ’07 was a hit and the IS-F arrived in SoCal’s Backyard!
May 12, 2007 –
Toyota Owners & Restorers Club (T.O.R.C) 12th Annual Toyotafest at Southern
California’s picturesque
Beach
day for all
family enthusiasts to get together. This is
50th Anniversary in
and the first time all three brands were represented with goodies from each
corporate division. Many traveled from many parts of the
and some spectators flew out from as far as the East Coast to experience this
annual gala.
As this was a first of it’s kind showing from all three Toyota brands,
this was Lexus’ first official appearance at a large enthusiast
gathering. The theme that Lexus introduced to all the guests was
Performance & Technology. Each category was represented well with a
display of the Lexus GS & IS Pace Cars, the Lexus Hybrid contingent
which included the RX400h, GS450h and the all new premium flagship, the
LS600hL. In typical Lexus fashion, they wowed the crowd with a special
surprise.
Last year’s surprise at Toyotafest ’06 was the Carizzma Blue Pearl Team
Lexus IS350. This year, Lexus raised the ante and the big surprise was
definitely a representative of Lexus Performance & Technology. It
was the first Southern California debut and the first public display
outside of a major auto show. The more than 400 horsepower 5.0L V8
Lexus IS-F had arrived. The Ultrasonic Blue IS-F that was once only
viewed from afar by press photos and media outlets was now available
for view amongst the many Toyotafest attendees. It caught many off guard to see this car as it came to the show unannounced. It was
definitely a huge treat for those who had driven over 300 miles the
night before and for those who flew out from the East Coast. This was
the same Ultrasonic Blue IS-F that was first unveiled to the world in Detroit earlier this year. The IS-F also made it’s way to major auto shows here in America,
including a special trip to the Geneva Auto Show. The IS-F’s surprise visit
was a definitely a huge hit.
For those that were able to see the IS-F at Toyotafest, many were
treated to experience the wonderful sounds of the robust 5.0L V8. The
IS-F V8 revs drew so much attention to the Lexus display, you can tell that
the others at the Toyota corporate displays were looking in jealousy.
One at the Toyota NASCAR booth felt compelled to draw some attention
away by revving up their very loud Craftsman Truck Series Toyota
Tundra. Needless to say people looked towards the direction of the
Tundra, but more people continued to gather around the IS-F. A refined hi-tech robust V8 revving vs.
conventional free flowing pushrod V8 sound. It was
quite the sound competition.
Congratulations to all the Toyotafest 07 winners this year.
This includes but not limited to our own members
SanseiGS43, GSAristo, RMMGS4, INDGOGRL, ddquach, DoubleWoosh! and Flippu.
Our group came home with a lot of awards this year. A special thanks
goes out to our LGW NorCal family who trekked down all
the way from NorCal (r.maestas and family, RMMGS4, INDGOGRL and family,
Jawnthen, TAMR GUS98, LDYNRED and family, miss_IS300) to join this
historic Toyota event. A special thank you goes out to T.O.R.C. for the
invitation and the prime waterfront location we were placed at this
year and not to forget a huge thank you to Lexus for making their first
ever debut to Toyotafest by making it a very memorable one. Everyone
did not expect to see such a grand display at one given location. Thank
you for sharing the special goodies!
For more photos on Toyotafest 2007 and the 2008 Lexus IS-F:
CLICK HERE: TOYOTAFEST 2007 GALLERY
Want to talk about the IS-F @ Toyotafest 2007?
CLICK HERE: IS-F Discussion Forum: THE IS-F ARRIVES IN SOCAL’S BACKYARD!
To view the Toyotafest 2007 list of winners and photos:
CLICK HERE: Toyotafest Results & Photos
Article & Photos by: Flipside909 & Club Lexus – A Lexus Owners Club. ©2007
