Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun

Standing out in a sea of cool builds, this killer IS F-Sport is well worth a closer look.

By Brett Foote - February 25, 2020
Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun
Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun
Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun
Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun
Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun
Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun
Stock IS350 F-Sport Morphs Into Something Much More Fun

Impossible to Resist

As much as we love a stock Lexus IS, we just can't resist modding them. Nor can we cease to scope out the many IS builds that are taking place at any given time here in the Club Lexus forums. And who can blame us? When you've got killer builds like this IS F-Sport from taktiks giving us ideas, it's just far too hard to resist.  

Photos: Club Lexus Forums

Some Considerations

The OP originally bought this IS as a long-term daily driver. Since he resides in Northern California, he's obviously restricted in terms of performance mods, so everything had to be done with smog in mind, not to mention keeping the car reliable. But with just 27k miles on the clock at the time, we'd say it was a good start.

Photos: Club Lexus Forums

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's IS 350 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Various Corrections

Still, the paint had quite a bit of swirling in it, so the first step was to perform some paint correction. Then, the Obsidian Black beauty was treated to a tint job for the windows. The entire leather interior then received some conditioning to protect it from both sunlight and occupants. 

Photos: Club Lexus Forums

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's IS 350 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Improved Sound

A great deal on a Tsudo exhaust soon presented itself, so the OP couldn't resist swapping it out for the stock pipes. "I think it has a great tone, he said. "And the level of drone isn't really noticeable with the radio on. I actually enjoy the sound enough that sometimes I'll drive with the radio off and the windows down."

Photos: Club Lexus Forums

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's IS 350 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Subtle Changes

On the inside, he soon recovered the stock steering wheel in leather and suede to thicken it up a bit and give it a sportier feel. But he still wasn't quite satisfied, so he went ahead and ordered a new carbon wheel from Alibaba. And on the outside, the OP made things even darker by blacking out the chrome window trim with 3M Satin Black vinyl.

Photos: Club Lexus Forums

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's IS 350 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Bigger Changes

Next up - some big changes. It took some time to decide, but the OP finally landed on a set of Rohana RC7 wheels measuring in at 19x9.5 +40 in the rear and 19x8.5 +35 up front. They're wrapped in Sumitomo HTR ZIII tires measuring in at 245/35 and 265/30 in the front and rear, respectively. With some RS-R down springs, the stance is looking mighty fine at this point. 

Photos: Club Lexus Forums

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's IS 350 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus forum.

Stay Tuned

But the OP isn't finished just yet. Right now, future plans call for a more aggressive rear diffuser, rear roof spoiler, an eBay front lip, and vinyl for the interior trim. So be sure and head over here to stay tuned for future updates!

Photos: Club Lexus Forums

>>Join the conversation about this forum member's IS 350 F Sport right here in the ClubLexus forum.

For help with your maintenance and repair projects, please visit our how-to section in the forum.

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