Daily Slideshow: CCSP Lexus IS F is a TRD Masterpiece

Rare Bird

Some will say that Lexus created the F vehicles to compete with the other letters of the alphabet—M, RS, AMG—while others prefer to think that Lexus' only competition is Lexus and that the company made the F for its customers. It was more than ten years ago now, December of 2007 when they gave us the IS F, a sports sedan boasting a powerful and free-revving 5.0-liter V8. Lexus had to have known that tuners would take to the IS F, but they also knew a thing or two about tuning themselves and so when Toyota Racing Development (TRD) presented the Circuit Club Sport Parts series for the IS F it was yet another case of Lexus doing what they do so well—manufacturing well thought out engineering solutions befitting a luxury brand. So when Speedhunters took these shots of a rarely-seen example of the CCSP IS at Fuji Speedway in Japan, it sparked a twinge of nostalgia for a package that "has already discontinued production." 

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Carbon Coherence

"We are not merely a parts manufacturer and hence have taken the time and effort to enhance development by pursuing our originality without compromise," TRD informs us, citing the TRD Lexus GT500 race car as a reminder that these are performance parts made by a company that races on the highest level. That performance is designed to be noticed from the driver's seat, in more ways than one: "Once settled into the cockpit, the driver will be thrilled by the interior panel, the air outlet seen out of the front window, and the rear spoiler reflected in the rear-view mirror." The air outlets of which they speak are functional clear-finished carbon units in the carbon fiber, a hood that weighs 4kg less than the already light stock aluminum unit. The interior panels referred to are decorative carbon accent units designed to give a coherent feeling between the interior and exterior carbon fiber bits.

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Tunnel Tested

Functional carbon continues on the exterior in the shape of the front spoiler, large-for-Lexus (and tall) rear wing, and rear diffuser. The aerodynamic pieces were all designed using CFD analysis and test on actual vehicles in the wind tunnel and were designed to balance front and rear downforce, as well as to improve initial steering response. The wing, in particular, is beautifully finished and sports F logos formed out of carbon.

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Take Your Pick

The Fuji Speedway car pictured here rolls on TRD CCSP forged aluminum wheels that cut 10kg of rotational mass from the weight of the standard IS F. Forged wheels become a must-have item for track day enthusiasts who have heard club-day corner workers' stories of snapped spokes and unwelcome Armco collisions. Also available were magnesium wheels with 18 evenly-spaced spokes that, while no lighter than the CCSP aluminum units, offered increased rigidity.

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TRD's Own

If you wanted your IS F to sound as good as it looked, TRD had you covered with a Titan muffler system that not only offered a "dry tone when accelerating," but saved 7 kg to boot. Also offered were chassis braces TRD termed "performance dampers," performance brake pads, and a limited slip differential made by German firm Drexler. Rounding out the list of Circuit Club goodies were a full complement of suspension upgrades, including one- or two-way adjustable suspension kits with beefier sway bars and coilovers. CCSP-equipped IS Fs are hard to come by and if you don't see one at Fuji Speedway, you might want to try TRD Station in Yokohama—as it turns out this example is actually a Toyota Racing Development demo car.

>>Join the conversation about this TRD IS F right here in ClubLexus forum!

To keep your Lexus on the road and running right check out the How-to section of ClubLexus.