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Lexus is doing SEMA right with a super sedan that’s equal parts lean, mean, and obscene. The only thing it leaves us wanting is a production model to match.
The DSPORT IS 600+ project started life as an IS 350 F Sport. As stock, it’s a capable luxury sedan, albeit with a relatively humble 311-horsepower V6. This build eschewed the stock engine, instead dropping in the potent V35A 3.5-liter twin-turbocharged V6, as seen in the LS 500. Delivering 416 hp stock, it’s been tuned here to over 600 hp, thanks to upgraded turbos, more boost, and E85 fuel.
Helping deliver that power to the ground is a Samsonas full-sequential six-speed transmission. It’s paddle-shifted, by virtue of its control being integrated into the Emtron engine management system.
Intended for track use, the chassis has been granted a four-point roll cage. This not only protects the occupants, but stiffens up the chassis for sharper handling. The interior also gets Sparco seats and harnesses to suit its sporting ambitions, with the rear seats removed to save weight. The stock suspension has been replaced with KW double-adjustable coilovers, and the carbon brake kit from the Lexus RC F helps the IS 600+ shed speed in the braking zones without fade.
Outside, the IS 600+ scored a custom paint job using Lexus’s OEM paint colors. It’s an aggressive two-tone look with a white base. The black carbon fiber hood and trunk are joined by plenty of contrast stripes and trim on the body. There’s also a huge wing on the back that really ties the whole look together. The car rides on wheels from Volk Racing, wrapped in Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires. They tuck neatly under the pumped guards of the Artisan Spirits widebody kit.
The IS 600+ is just one of many builds Lexus brought to SEMA. Others include the GX 460 Overland Concept finished in glorious flipcolor paint, and the Lexus Electrified Sport concept that outlines the company’s EV ambitions. As you might expect, the rest of the brand’s showing is made up of SUVs, including two LX 600 concepts and the RS 500h F Sport.
The IS 600+ shows us just how cool a performance-oriented, track-tuned Lexus can be. Who wouldn’t love to see the Japanese automaker out attacking the Nürburgring, dicing for laptimes with Porsche’s collection of GT3- and GT4-badged track weapons? Sign us up.
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