1,000+ HP Lexus GS 300: The Ultimate Sleeper
A Toyota 2JZ GTE swap, one big turbo, and a clean 1999 Lexus GS 300 is all you need to catch anyone off guard.
There’s just something incredibly satisfying about driving a car that’s the automotive equivalent of a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Maybe it’s the joy we get from blowing the doors off high dollar, purpose built sports cars. Or maybe it’s the surprised looks we get when we rip off impressive 1/4 mile times. Either way, virtually any Lexus model makes a great basis for the ultimate sleeper.
Most folks won’t blink an eye at any Lexus sedan, because they aren’t exactly barn burners from the factory. That includes this boring, beigh(ish) 1999 Lexus GS 300 we found on Craigslist, which looks like any other clean used car on your local lot. But under that fairly innocuous exterior is a real, firebreathing beast of a powerplant. In place of the original 225 hp six banger lies a mighty Toyota 2JZ GTE inline six.
That legendary engine isn’t exactly what you would call stock, either. Most of the car’s 850 rear wheel horsepower (on pump gas) comes courtesy of a Precision 7685mm Ball Bearing Turbo providing 23 pounds of boost. Internally, upgraded pistons, rods, and studs help keep things from blowing up under all that pressure. A Chevy TH350 trans sits behind the beastly motor, sending power back to a TRD diff with 3.76 gears.
And if all that isn’t enough, the seller claims that the car is capable of producing a whopping 1,300 horsepower on E85. Assuming you can get that power to the ground, it’s safe to say that you won’t have to worry about too many other cars on the road. Especially since it’s very likely that they won’t exactly perceive your beige Lexus as a true threat.
