Every time we get to shoot a car it’s a new story to hear about. Between the owner and the car itself, everyone goes through a different path when it comes to customization and building their project. No matter how many cars we go through featuring, or how many owners we meet there are always characteristics that stand out for a particular feature. Johnny Feng is no stranger to us here at Tunerzine.com. Being part of and representing Team Ar-Kan in Southern California definitely has some perks. For those of our readers that aren’t from the Southern California region, Team Ar-Kan is one of the youngest crews out here but has established themselves as one of the strongest and most tight knit around. Their quality of cars extends to the quality of the owners. And Johnny is no different. This Lexus IS250 is a great representation of Johnny himself.
When searching for a new car, Johnny didn’t just want something sporty and mod-friendly, he wanted something with style that would represent him well: “I wanted something unique, something that would make people say ‘Why the hell did he fix that up? It’s nice though!'” Well, it’s definitely easy to say now that his IS250 has accomplished that task. Not that we had anything to question though, we find the new IS250 to be very well accepted in the aftermarket, probably more so than Johnny had anticipated. There’s probably not as many people asking why he fixed up an IS250, but it definitely isn’t as common as your everyday 350Z or EVO. So what did Johnny like most about the IS250 and made him choose it? Simple, “The body, the car just doesn’t look like anything else on the road.” There’s no doubt there, the styling of the new IS250 has been attractive to the masses and will only become more so with the new IS-F on the horizon.
So let’s get down to the details on Johnny’s IS250. For anyone that’s familiar with the aftermarket for the all new IS, there aren’t a ton of parts out there yet, but it has been well received by some of Japan’s greatest manufacturers. Starting with underneath the hood, the 2.5L V6 has received a handful of modifications to bump the horsepower and torque up a notch. The first thing that stood out to us was the ARC induction box and suction pipe. Johnny claims that it’s the only one in America right now and who are we to argue? Freeing up the exhaust system and giving the car a menacing growl and look is a HKS Hi-Power dual exhaust system. It complements the rear look of the IS250 just perfect. Sun Auto’s goods then came into play, with their Hot Inazma ECO, Hyper Gauss and Hyper Voltage System. Lastly, the stock oil and radiator cap were swapped out with none other than ARC pieces.
One of the things we really loved about Johnny’s IS was just how much he drove it on a daily basis. Commuting close to 80 miles just to shoot with us, this IS250 is packing well over the nation’s average of yearly mileage. We’re talking close to twice that number! Johnny just absolutely loves driving his IS250 and we would too if we owned it. To get the comfort and adjustability he needs to not only compete in shows but drive around the rough streets of Southern California, the suspension of this luxury sedan has been swapped out with Zeal’s Function XS coilover system. Johnny told us that with the dampening adjustability, he is able to achieve a close to stock quality ride, but he mentioned “I feel that there’s no real point in investing into such a high quality coilover system and setting the dampening to the softest setting.” Needless to say his Zeal Function XS struts are set on a much stiffer setting, but we were still surprised at the ride quality. A big brake kit from Project Mu can be seen on the car as well, with their 4 piston calipers. Buckling down the chassis is a custom front strut tower bar.
Rolling in style is no easy task in Southern California. Making a statement with your wheel and tire setup is crucial if you want to stand out from the crowd. Johnny’s IS250 does more than that. As if sporting a set of 19-inch Volk Racing TE-37’s wasn’t enough for Johnny, he had them ordered in the custom Magnesium Blue shade. A staggered setup is run on this IS250, with a 8.5 and 9.5 combination on all four corners. None other than Dunlop’s Sports Maxx rubber is seen on this luxury cruiser. While we’re on the topic of aesthetics, this IS250’s exterior has been transformed from mild to styled. A full genuine Ings+1 body kit was match painted and installed, starting with the front slip, side steps and rear apron. The rear trunk spoiler sports the Ings+1 badge as well.
We then wanted to see how Johnny keeps himself entertained on the long commutes around Southern California. We know firsthand how horrendous the traffic is and we couldn’t imagine this car would be skimping on the in car electronics and interior modifications. We were right.somewhat! Johnny’s kept the interior really simple, but told us he has more on the way. For now however, an ARC titanium shift knob can be seen in the center console while a Project Mu pedal system accents the cabin. For in car electronics however, an Eclipse AVN5500 double DIN navigation unit with rear view camera has been installed. Providing the audio is a pair of Crossfire BMF subwoofers and a pair of Crossfire amplifiers.
So why did Johnny choose the IS250? Well simply put, the IS350 only comes automatic. Even though his commutes are long, Johnny still enjoys the thrill of driving and shifting through Lexus’ 6-speed manual transmission. He just wouldn’t trade it for anything in the world. Ok we lied, word on the street is Johnny is anticipating to one day complete a 2JZ swap into his IS250. Before some of you snicker or roll your eyes, this has already been done, albeit in a full out drift car. It won’t be long before someone comes out with a complete kit to drop the famed twin turbo Toyota motor into the IS250. And with the way Lexus is embracing the aftermarket and introducing the IS-F, we reckon Johnny will need every horsepower he can get to compete with the new V8 wonder. But for now, we personally think Johnny’s IS250 has plenty of style to turn more heads than the IS-F will when it hits the streets. Don’t try to convince us otherwise, we just won’t hear it.
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