Hey all, brand new here, and my first post! Just picked up a 2018 IS300F rwd, so the 2.0 turbo, and I'm looking for some entry mods to boost the power, and maybe a little sound, I'm definitely more of a leisure driver, but as soon as I hit the mountains, it's a different story.

I previously owned a 2017 Golf R, and loved the aggressiveness. The 300F definitely has the potential. So I wanna get to that.

Title says it all, I've been snooping around alot of build threads, and this is basically what I've come up with...

RR racing Chip Vs JB4 Vs RaceChip GTS??? The GTS seems to offer more bang for buck, but idk the first thing about chips.... And how it will adapt to the next mods.

HPS Short Ram intake / HPS intercooler charge tubes. I've been told the charge tubes give a little more turbo sound, which is non-existent, and a minor amount of air flow improvement.

Maybe a blow off valve? Idk, I wanna hear the turbo, but I don't wanna HEAR the turbo, ya dig?

Tell me what you guys think, or recommend. Side note, exhaust WILL come later. But not yet.

 

Have you seen this thread: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/per...-2-plus-2.html

I don't believe RR Racing has a tune for the turbo 4-cylinder...also they are still working on cracking the 2018 ECU as far as I'm aware.
The 2017+ IS3XX they reference is the V6: https://www.rr-racing.com/category-s/235.htm
After looking at the Racechip website, seems pretty much like snake oil.

The JB4 unit has been used by many.

 

I did take a look at that thread previously. Probably where I got most of my starting ideas xD.
So it seems like its JB4 vs the RaceChip, curious as to what makes you skeptical about it. But if JB4 is the most trusted, then I should probably go with that. I've also heard of D3, but havent done much research yet.

 

Racechip claims of HP and Torque aren't actually substantiated by any factual data.
There are many companies out there with these "plug in boxes" claiming to give you 50+HP no matter the car you drive...red flag #1.
The price they charge is usually a little lower if not the same as a reputable tuner that's actually creating proper fuel/ignition/timing maps for the vehicle, which takes countless hours of testing...red flag #2.
They offer 3 levels of the "chip" performance regardless of anything else you have on the vehicle (i.e. exhaust, intake, etc.)...the performance is solely based on the "chip"...red flag #3.
Regardless of the vehicle you choose and the performance chip you choose, the fuel economy improvement is the same for each level of chip across the board...15%, 20%, and 20%...red flag #4.
I can go on...but I think it's only gonna get worse from here.
I'm not even going to mention that adjusting the "tune" for each "chip" involves turning a screw...good gawd!

 

Well, now that you are mentioning all that.... It makes total sense, and thus I'm glad to be here lmao.

Also, Ive decided against the HPS Intake, I've read a bit too much about Wet Air filters, and would rather not deal with the hassle of burning out sensors constantly. A Dry filter seems just as efficient, and less hassle.
Does your Takeda produce a nice volume of sound? And did you notice some difference with it as far as response and power?

 

You do get a nice sound from the Takeda intake. Power and responsive is likely an illusion from the sound.
Of course I have the 250, so all the other engines in the 3IS lineup have more power.

 

But the 250 engine has great potential to be supercharged.

Bottom line is, there is nothing reliable out there for the 2 litre 8AR-FTS. Just enjoy the powerbox + throttle controller and enjoy the smooth ride.