Any of you guys remember that candy-apple-red Lexus open-wheel street rod with the 4.3 V8 that was displayed at the Detroit Show a few years back....the one that was supposed to compete with the Plymouth Prowler? What ever became of that? Obviously it was never actually put into production like the Prowler was.
A street rod with Lexus quality...now there's something to contemplate....especially considering what a low-quality rattletrap the Prowler was. Would any of you guys be interested in it?.....maybe Lexus would reconsider it. What would it be called?....... Maybe Lexus SR430 (for Street Rod)?

 

There was a cable show a few weeks ago on muscle cars, I think it was on the History Channel. They interviewed some guy with a '34 Ford, and they showed the interior--the gateshifter was unmistakeably Lexus. Then the guy popped the hood, and sure enough, a 4.3L V8 from an '01 LS 430. It's too bad I don't have a TiVo, would have saved the clip.

 

That was a one-off show car by Lexus North America. It was never pitched as a possible competitor to the Prowler nor was there any attempt at a business case (as far as any published information was concerned..who knows what might have been said behind closed doors?) made. As I recall, the estimate for mass production still yielded a $100k plus price tag.

But it sure did look good!!!!

 

I remember seeing something about that on the RMM site... Yah, here it is.

http://www.rodmillen.com/Lexus.htm for full details and more pics

 

wooww..this soooo cool

 

I'd take it over a Prowler any day of the week.

 

Toyota brought that to us at the 2nd annual Carson Meet. I requested that and one of many other special Toyota vehicles to be displayed at the meet. They even brought a Long Beach Grand Prix Celica as well as the Ultimate Celica (3S-GTE All Trac). I've seen that car in person. It's a work of art.

 

I think that's a different street rod then I saw on the History Channel, the name of the show is "Shifting Gears." The one I saw was owned by a private owner (don't think he was from RMM). I don't recall it having a GS steering wheel, rather just a typical street rod wheel without an airbag. I can almost swear seeing the stylish engine cover from the 3UZ-FE (4.3L), and hearing the narrator mention an LS430, (it was definitely an LS, not a GS, from which the engine was pulled, and I'm pretty sure it was the 430 engine). I'll keep searching the web to see if I can find it.

The one you guys posted is certainly a sweet ride, nice interior, too!

 

Thanks, guys, for the pictures. I know I remembered seeing it..that's why I brought it up.
Interesting...it had an auto tranny with manu-shift just like the Prowler.
Perhaps Lexus should have produced it....even at 100k a copy. When the Prowler first came out dealers were getting 70K and even 80K with the matching little trailer....easily twice over list. 100K for Lexus quality surely would have been a better buy than 70-80K for a cheap Plymouth....providing, of course, that the Lexus shops did not charge 150K and get it.