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Lexus IS, new and old, and LFA to make splash at SEMA

Lexus has announced its Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show cars: a group of eight Lexus IS sedans spanning all three generations, and a 2012 LFA supercar. One of the show cars, a custom 2014 Lexus IS 350 F Sport, is a creation penned by IS fan Rob Evans, the winner of a contest to design a Lexus SEMA show car.
The standouts in the group of Lexus IS show cars, in no particular order, are a 700-horsepower 2014 Lexus IS 340 (it has a heavily modified Toyota Supra inline six swapped in, which is stroked out to 3.4 liters, hence the nomenclature change) by Philip Case and a supercharged 2004 Lexus IS 300 by Maricar Cortez. Both cars prove that oldies can be goodies - the venerable Supra 2JZTE engine, which ceased production over a decade ago, lives on in a 2014 platform, and the 2004 IS 300 gets a supercharger and remains relevant through the use of electronics, such as a back-up radar sensor, upgraded headlights and more.
Of course, the LFA by Guy S. De Alwis will be a stand out on its own, but unfortunately Lexus only provided us with a couple pictures that don't do it justice. We'll have to take a closer look at it on the show floor. Same goes for the IS penned by contest-winner Rob Evans, of which only a rendering was provided.

Lexus teases Detroit-bound F Performance Coupe... again

A few weeks ago, Lexus released a teaser image of its upcoming Detroit Auto Show reveal, simply calling it the "next Lexus F." Now, a new shot of the Detroit-bound car has been sent out, and while we still don't know what the new model will be called, we can tell you this: it's a coupe.
Originally, we assumed the new Lexus F model would be the successor to the IS F sedan. But now that we know it'll be a two-door, it stands to reason that this could be the performance oriented version of the 2015 RC coupe that made its debut at the Tokyo Motor Show earlier this year. Of course, Lexus is still keeping quiet on any specifics, simply stating that the company "will unleash its upcoming F model as a coupe, conceived with grit, an entirely new expression of design and uncompromising performance."
The official name of the new F model is set to be revealed in early January, likely just before its official debut in Detroit. Stay tuned for more, and scroll down to read Lexus' very brief press blast.

Lexus IS to get Deviant at SEMA

It's time to start gathering intel on SEMA, and it starts with this drawing of a modified 2014 Lexus IS. Lexus ran a competition on DeviantART, an online community for artists, to find a suitably modified IS that it could build and display at the temple of all things aftermarket in Las Vegas. The winner, as judged by a four-person panel from among more than 600 entries, is the IS rendered above by Rob Evans.
The winner looks like the beginning of a build for an IS entry into Japan's Super GT series, with a seriously exaggerated front spoiler and rear diffuser and fender flares that aren't just punched out, they're throwing 12-punch combinations.
Evans will have his car built by VIP Auto Salon and plastered all over Lexus materials promoting its presence at the show. Oh, and he gets an IS F-Sport for a year, among other prizes. Second place went to Lucia Lee, third place to Guangho Huang. A press release below has more on the competition and the winner.