Carbon GS - Lexus, GS - TunerZine.com - Your Online Automotive Magazine

Carbon GS
This Lexus GS300 has all it needs to sweep shows, prowl the street and just look straight gangsta’

Posted:  Mar 17, 2008
Type:  Feature Car, Lexus, GS
Rating:  100%

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Photos: Eric Chang Words: Jason Siu Vehicle Owner: Tony Nguyen

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We’ll be the first to admit it, we haven’t featured enough of the VIP styled sedans that is slowly becoming a prominent player in our scene. Some print magazines have shined the spotlight on them briefly, but there hasn’t been a continuous focus on these cars. And to be honest, we’re not really sure why! Customized sedans out in Japan are a huge craze and hopefully it’ll become even a larger craze here on the stateside. What is always nice to see is a builder’s personal touch in customizing their luxury sedan, blending in performance and menacing looks into one package. This car isn’t exactly full blown VIP as we know it, but it isn’t full blown tuner either!

Tony Nguyen started with his GS300 with a couple things in mind: to make a presence at the shows and prowl the streets in style that few can imitate. The exterior of his GS300 has been completely revamped making his GS300 a true one of a kind. A Revolution Modified style front bumper and rear bumper along with VIS Racing side skirts starts the customizing portion of the exterior on his wicked sedan. Then came the fun with all the carbon fiber goods and thus the nickname Nguyen has given his car: CarbonGS. VIS’ carbon fiber DV vented hood along with a Junction Produce replica spoiler that’s been carbon wrapped in the center are the first things to catch our eyes. A UEGO roof spoiler has been wrapped with carbon fiber and installed along with carbon fiber b-pillars and a carbon fiber grille. Nguyen also overhauled all the lighting parts on his GS300 starting with CCFL daytime Demon Eyes, painted black headlight housings and clear turn signals. HIDs were installed along with IS300 fog lamps that were retrofitted for his GS300.

Under the hood Nguyen’s GS300 teamed up with parts manufacturer Swift Racing Technologies for some go-fast goods to back up the menacing good looks. Nguyen bolted on Swift Racing Technologies’ cold air intake, heat shield and ECU upgrade to start. A custom Remus style exhaust can be seen in the rear connected to a Paul’s custom exhaust piping from the header back. Engine bay décor include a polished 2JZ-GE intake manifold, Helix radiator hose, Pro Lex Performance exhaust manifold heat shield and Aristo cam gear cover.

Looking good on the exterior with engine performance upgrades means nothing if your suspension, brakes, wheels and tires combination doesn’t fit the bill. Nguyen knew that and paid careful attention to detail when choosing his suspension and brakes to start. Up front are Supra brake calipers combined with SP Cross drilled and slotted rotors. Axxis brake pads provide the stopping power all around. To give Nguyen the stance he needs a set of K-Sport coilovers were installed on all four corners, getting rid of the stock, mushy springs and shocks. Tightening up the chassis is a TC Sportline upper strut bar. Filling the wheel wells are massive 20-inch EXE Konvex wheels in a staggered setup. Up front are 20x9-inch with a +37 offset while the rears sport a wider 20x10 and a +35 offset. Wrapped with Dunlop Sport Maxx tires in a 245/35/20 and 285/30/20 combination, this GS300 has plenty of rubber to pound the pavement with.

Last but not least, the interior has received its fair share of goods so that Nguyen can enjoy the car himself. The rear seats have been converted to black along with more carbon fiber goods. Hayame carbon fiber pedals accent the custom carbon fiber wrapped trim and Pilot carbon weave shift boot and knob. This GS packs quite a punch in the in car electronics department as well with a Pioneer AVIC-D3 head unit, Power Acoustics amplifier and a 12-inch Kicker L7 subwoofer.

We can only hope that we are able to feature more cars of this style. But for now, the least we can do is continue spreading the word and inspire others to do the same!

SPECS

Exterior:
Revolution Modified Style Front Bumper, Revolution Style Rear Bumper, VIS Carbon Fiber DV Vented Hood, VIS Side Skirts, Junction Produce Replica Spoiler (Center Carbon Wrapped), Custom Carbon Fiber wrapped UGO Roof Spoiler, Custom Carbon Fiber B-Pillars w/Emblems, Custom Carbon Fiber Grille, TRD Toyota Aristo Vent Visors, CCFL Daytime Demon Eyes (AAC), Painted Black Headlight Housings, Cleared Turn Signals, Shaved Side Markers, Hyper Blue Turn Signal Bulbs, 9000K HID Kit McCulloch's Ballasts, Hella 9006 12V HID Bulbs, Street Glow White Under Car Neon Kit, Authentic TRD Gas Cap Cover, Lexus IS300 Retrofitted Fog Lamps, Aristo Carbon C-Pillar Garnishes

Interior:
Swapped Interior, Converted Black Seats, Hayame Carbon Fiber Pedals, Pilot Carbon Weave Shift Boot and Knob, Custom Carbon Fiber Wrapped Trim

Electronics:
12" Kicker L7, Custom Ported Wall, 2000 watt Power Acoustics Amplifier, Pioneer Avic-D3, Lightning Audio 2 Farad Capacitor, Eclipse Component Speakers, Pioneer Tweeters, I-Pod Interface, Lowrance I-Way 800 Navigation System, Audiovox Remote Starter/Alarm, PlayStation 2 Slim

Engine:
Swift Racing Technologies Cold Air Intake, Swift Racing Technologies ECU Upgrade, Swift Racing Technologies Heat Shield, Customized Remus Style Exhaust, Paul's Custom Exhaust Piping - Header back, Polished 2JZ-GE Intake Manifold, Polished Helix Radiator Hose, Pro Lex Performance Exhaust Manifold Heat Shield, Custom Aristo Cam Gear Cover

Suspension/Wheels/Tires/Brakes:
20" x 9" +37 EXE Konvex Wheels Front, 20" x 10" +35 EXE Konvex Wheels Rear, Dunlop Sport Maxx Tires, 245/35/20 Front, 285/30/20 Rear, NA/T Supra Brake Calipers Front, SP Cross Drilled/Slotted Rotors Front, Painted Rear OEM Calipers, Axxis Semi-Metallic Pads, BFG Steel Braided Brake Lines, K-Sport Coilovers, TC-Sportline Upper Strut Bar

Achievements

2006:
A Family Affair-05' 1st Place Lexus, Ignition Show-06' 2nd Place Import, TMV Show-06' 1st Modern Luxury, Joker Performance S.A.D.D.-06' 1st Import Mild, Berry Motor Works Show-06' 1st Mod. Lux. St., S.I.D.S Show-06' Top 10 Imp. Mild, Megamaxx Show-06' 1st Full-Size Mod. Lux., Redline Invitational-06' Triple Crown, Redline Invitational-06' 1st Import Sedan/Wagon, Welch Show-06' Top 15 Import Mild, Modhouse Tribute-06' Top 50, Tunerfest Shootout v3.0-06' Top 20 Import Mild, S3 Magazine Show Top 10 Mild, Elite Audio Summer Nats-06' 2nd Overall Luxury, Soundproof Audio 09-06' 1st Mid-Size Foreign, Nopi Nationals 9-06' 2nd Asian Luxury Custom, Carrollton Car Stereo 9-06' 1st Full Size Foreign, SCC Autofest-06' 3rd Overall Luxury, Lamar Stephens Invitational Best Mild Entry

2007:
World of Wheels - Atlanta - 1st Euro Style Sedan, Joker Performance - Hooter's - 1st Import, Children's Miracle Network - Charity Quizzno's - Best Of Show, Meggamaxx - 1st Full Sized Foreign, DUB Memphis - 2nd Luxury, The Main Event - Trinity Show - Best Luxury, U.S. Play by Brunswick Car Show - 2nd Full Sized Foreign, U.S. Play by Brunswick Car Show - Best Display, Tunerfest 4 - Top 10 Mild, Soundproof - Best Fullsize Foreign, Drift Fury - Top 10, Nopi Nats - 1st Asian luxury Lexus GS/LS custom, KIA Partnership Against Domestic Violence - 1st Import, Street Stylze/Hooters - 3rd Import Wild

2008:
World of Wheels - Atlanta - 2nd Euro Style Custom (I.S.C.A.), World of Wheels - Chattanooga - 1st Euro Style Custom (I.S.C.A.), World of Wheels - Birmingham - 1st Euro Style Custom (I.S.C.A.)

Special Thanks To:
Companies:
Tunerzine, Dunlop Tires, Flynn's Wax, Advanced Automotive Concepts, Superstar Customs, AD Signs, Zen Motorsports, Invisible Glass, R2B2 Motors, B.O.D.I Performance, Precision Audio, Paul's Custom Exhaust, Changaroo Photography
Forums:
EliteDriven.com, SouthSideImports.net, Lexotic Concepts, ImportAtlanta.com, SELOC.net, ClubLexus.com

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LA_IS350 Name: Craig White Gender: Male Age: 40 Location: Los Angeles CA Member Since: Jun 23, 2008
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LA_IS350

Name: Craig White
Gender: Male
Age: 40
Location: Los Angeles CA
Member Since: Jun 23, 2008

Mistajuju

Name: Peter Quach
Gender: Male
Age: 24
Location: Arcadia CA
Member Since: Oct 13, 2007

scott7239

Name: Richard Rosenblum
Gender: Male
Age: 45
Location: Ponca City OK
Member Since: Feb 01, 2009

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