5 Best Affordable Mods For the IS F
With a little bit of coin, you can easily make your IS F even better.
1. Springs
Aftermarket springs are a simple and comparatively cheap way to improve both the look and performance of your IS F. Some of the best ones are made by TEIN. For around $210, TEIN's High Tech springs will lower your car just over an inch. With a lower center of gravity and a stiffer rate than stock, handling dynamics noticeably improve without sacrificing too much in terms of ride quality.
2. Ported Intake Manifold
For a few hundred bucks, you can see gains of up to 13 rear wheel horsepower with a nicely ported and polished intake manifold. Quite a few shops will gladly spend upwards of 12 hours working out all the imperfections in your manifold and smoothing it out to perfection, which greatly increases airflow. And while you're at it, have them smooth out and carefully polish the throttle body to keep things running nicely.
3. Exhaust
An aftermarket exhaust like Borla's cat back setup will run you a little more than our other mods (over $1,000), but it's worth every penny. A free flowing, stainless steel exhaust not only looks better than the factory pipes, but it sounds fantastic and frees up a decent amount of horsepower and torque when compared to the stock setup. And did we mention it sounds fantastic?
4. Headers
If you've installed an aftermarket exhaust but want to take things a step further, you've got a couple of options when it comes to headers. Sikky makes a well-regarded set for the Lexus IS F, as does PPE. Either way, you'll see noticeable gains across the powerband. The only downside is that you'll probably need to seek professional installation, which adds to the cost.
5. Coilovers
If you want to greatly improve handling, a set of aftermarket coilovers is a great way to go for the money. Both BC and TEIN make great coilover sets for the Lexus IS F. Both present a huge bump in handling performance without sacrificing too much in terms of ride quality. Both also allow for damper adjustment so you can dial them into your own personal preference.
For help with your do-it-yourself maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.