350360

I've been into driving cars and altering them for performance for the greater part of my time on this planet. The internet and a few good friends can do wonders for a young mind. I began, unknowingly so, following the 1320 crew before they were the 1320 crew. When they were just a few young guys, a bit older than I, that were packed into various cars filming all sorts of races. We would watch, and then we would go out and try to get into races with all sorts of people. For a kid like I was, that was the most fun I was having.

My performance initiation was with a DSM in 05 that I slowly got to around 500whp, which went through multiple setups in the quest for power and oddly enough was my DD the entire time, and it took more than a fair amount of work, time, blood, and sweat to keep it that way. The only tears I had were tears of joy when that 67mm snail would spool and launch me into a frenzy of anarchic euphoria. Then I had a Legacy GT that I did bolt-ons and a tune. Solid car but nothing special. Sold it off once it started to have ringland, and decided then to get something with a respectable engine, ultimate reliability, and most of all a comfortable interior.

When I researched the 2GR-FSE engine and its capabilities, I was captured. The technology that went into its powerplant was incredible, and I knew it could be practical and fun. Shoutout to RedSpencer for his build and thread. Very informative and showed how potential could be drawn out of this chassis. Then came this gem. 2012 Lexus IS350 with 54k miles in great condition.

First thing I did was the F-Sport intake. Which made the throttle response better and power delivery more smooth. I wasn't expecting a huge power increase, however I notice small things in cars. The F-Sport suspension was great however I had never really tested it out. Until now. About 20K miles ago I started to really push this thing.

Next I did the F-Sport front and rear sway bars. A year later I threw on some Pilot Sport 4S tires. This was the best upgrade you can do for a car I believe. Tires and brakes. I installed some EBC RedStuff brakes. And the local canyons combined with my driving style meant that I wore the suspension out completely. So I looked into some options and based on my use and needs, the HKS Hipermax GT 4 coilovers looked like the best option. So I got them. At the same time a Tanabe Medallion Revel exhaust came into the picture. And since I was doing suspension work I installed the RR Racing LCA bushings, also known as the USRS.

Now the car is completely different. The Hipermax coilovers combined with the RR Racing USRS make the car predictable. I can go into turns faster, brake later, and the rear end slides out predictably with as much oversteer as necessary. I can power through the apex of turns with confidence now. Although one particular night of runs have made my EBC RedStuff pads toast. Only got 6k out of them. If you're doing spirited driving and street runs, I'm sure they would be fine. For me I need a bit more with a higher max operating temperature. The canyons can thank me later for the rubber and dust I left on their surface. Worth the price of the components entirely. Canyons are a-plenty in Southern California so I'm sure I have a bit more exploring and learning to do.

Short Parts Review:
F-Sport Intake - Wonderful sound generation above 3k, smoother power delivery and a bit more overall power.
F-Sport Front and Rear Sway Bars - Stiffens the chassis and makes turning much more lateral.
Michelin PS4S - Best tires I've ever had. End of story. Although for what its worth the Firehawks were great.
EBC RedStuff - Impressive cold and medium heat grip. Fades with harder driving and wears fast, I'm going with Stoptech Sport Pads (on order).
HKS Hipermax GT 4 - Incredibly civilized on the street. Still dialing in for harder driving. Its doing its job beyond expectation in the turns so far.
RR Racing LCA USRS - Tightens up steering response a bit and is most noticeable in higher speed transitional turns. Better road connection.
Tanable Revel Axle-Back Exhaust - The sound is quiet at idle with minimal drone in the lower RPMs and it opens up with a throaty burst when you get on it. The sound at WOT is worth it alone.

Here's a few pictures. More coming as I get around to it. Thanks to everyone on this board that's posted and kept my enthusiasm continued. This is a great community with a lot of knowledgeable members, vibrant personas, and of course... CARS!


Completely Stock

Completely stock

Beautiful Coilovers

Tanabe Revel packaged

front suspension

RR USRS bushing vs Stock Lexus bushing

I'll upload some pictures of it in its current state soon. It's way more fun to drive than I expected. That much I can say. And also, I'm still learning how to carve things up better with this car. Driver mod is still the best mod you can do to any car.

bakalag

Nice to see another IS owner who drives the car hard! The 4s is an improvement from the Firehawks but the the Firehawks are great for the price/performance. I've been eye-ing the 595RS-PRO lately... Which part of SoCal are you in?