Another New Is 300 Owner Looking To Improve Performance

[nelly]

I'm a proud new owner of a black on black IS 300. Don't know much about my own car other than it's HELL OF A BETTER car than what I had (Ki-ki-ki-kia). Of course, now I want to add some pep to the car's performance AND I want to make it look more aggressive.

So here's what I'd like from my fellow professional IS owners: In your expert opinion, describe in stages how to improve my car to go from stock to mod. Reason I ask for stages, is because unlike some folks and big name sponsors, I don't have $$ coming out of the trees so I need to know how to go from step 1 to the end until I can get to my goal.

And here's my goal: I want to improve my acceleration and top speed but also improve the exterior look as well as interior - that's all! lol!! :D . Since I think the IS 300 tops out at 140-145 mph, then top speed improvements can wait until later, however, I'd like to improve the acceleration (0-60) with of course increasing my stock HP. I'd also like to improve the look. Since I have a black on black, I'd like to add a body kit to match the colors and I'd like to add some wheels to match the color - unless, something chromed will enhance the aggressive look more than black with chrome trim wheels.

So, here are some questions as baseline;

1) what is the best starter kit for performance that I should invest in: intake, exhaust, etc.?

( :D the supercharger will have to be a late stage addition if I'm getting my !Removed! whipped regularly)

2) what kind of wheels should I be looking at (optimal size for rims and tires)?

3) What kind of car would it be if I didn't have high quality sound? So what's good for that?

4) Can you please allow me the pleasure to see some of the work you've either done to your car or have seen from other cars so that I can use those as my motivation....

I'm hyped about owning an IS 300, so come on people show me I've made a great choice...

==========================

We fly high, no lie and you know this...... BALLIN'!!!

[bartkat]

First thing would be to drop about an inch, use Eibach springs or coilovers. After that, some custom wheel. Once you know how it looks with those mods, go with a body kit. What you put on it would be mostly a matter of personal taste.

For speed you can go wit intake, header and exhaust, but it's not going to give you all that much power increase. If you really want to go fast, save your money and go turbo later on.

[92Lex]

What kind of budget are you working with?

[nelly]

What kind of budget are you working with?

My budget is limited, but not, if that makes sense. It's limited in the amount all at once, but not limited to how many times I will spend small amounts. In other words, I could spend a couple of hundreds in short amount of times or save in a short period and spend a larger amount.

Bottom line, I'll spend what I have to get the car to handle and look impressive. So hit me with ballpark numbers of items I should get:exhaust, body kit, etc, and I'll tell you what I could do right away and what I'd need to wait..

Thanks for the help guys!

[smooth1]

Sometimes I think I might be dominating the 01-05 IS 300 Forum. So I have been trying to sit back and let others give their input, but then nobody has anything to really say other than a few like Bartkat, dcfish and maybe a a small handful of others. So heres my input anyway.

I would look at doing appearance mods first that also work on performance. That way you get sort of a double wammie for the same money right off the bat. Like Bartkat mentioned, lowering it an inch. That will help your handling and make the stance right, which looks sooooo good. Then of course you won't be able to help yourself and get nice rims. You don't really have to go to 18's, you could stick with 17's and save the money you would have to spend on new rubber for something else. Then you could ice the car. During all this time you can research the power mods and determine if you really want to or not. ( I have to tell you that there really isn't alot of hp out there to get with exhaust, intake and retune.) Although if you take your ecu out and send it to Jet, when you get it back there is about 25 hp there. Other than that you will probably come to the conclusion of turbo? or supercharger? That's where all the hp is. A turbo kit running about 10 psi will get you atleast 100 hp easy. Now that's boost! Of course your talking about 4-6 grand to do it. But,,,,,like you said, if you want it,, you can save up for it.

I just decided to go with a supercharger. ( I have to put my own kit together though, so I have to make sure all the components will work together smoothly first and look at each peice and try to determine what is the best. Decisions decisions............ B)

[749_dark]

When you say not much horses, how much is "not much". I was never a horsepower junkie but appreciate a little extra pep. 100 hp would be great but not for 4-6K, I also am not comfortable with the extra engine strain. What is a realistic expectation of intake, headers, and exhaust increase and how much would it all cost. I love my IS and bought it for its stock look. Only upgrade so far has been for stopping power. thanks

[smooth1]

Depending on what intake and exhaust system you go with, and how well they match each other, also, you will have to include a re-tune on the ECU if you go with all this, you can get as little as 15 hp, and as much as 30, maybe 35 hp would be doing well. I have seen some get as much as 40, but I think they started a little stronger. ( Remember, not every engine that rolls off the line produces exactly the same amount of hp after break in and wear. You'll probably spend around a grand to two on all that.

And by the way, 4-6k would get you more like 200-250 hp. And you will be well within the limits of the engine. The 2jz I6 is the motor that cranked out 1000 hp in the Supra's.

[749_dark]

Instead of spending time looking through the forum for exhaust/intake I thought I'd just ask the Doctor. So Doc what do you recommend? I just want to help the engine breath and sound a little better. My goal isn't to sound abnoxious but an exhaust that actual helps performance and sounds a little better (something you can barely hear at high speed). At some point I'd like to make it to a track event and will also drop it a little and change to an aluminum radiator (if they make one for my car) any recommendation there. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

[smooth1]

Instead of spending time looking through the forum for exhaust/intake I thought I'd just ask the Doctor. So Doc what do you recommend? I just want to help the engine breath and sound a little better. My goal isn't to sound abnoxious but an exhaust that actual helps performance and sounds a little better (something you can barely hear at high speed). At some point I'd like to make it to a track event and will also drop it a little and change to an aluminum radiator (if they make one for my car) any recommendation there. Thanks for taking the time to respond.

L-Tuned makes a nice muffler that isn't too loud, but I heard a Tanabe Medalion Touring muffler that sounded great!!!! Not loud, very deep and mellow. I was impressed for a straight thru design to be so quiet. There is a silencer in there, but you just can't have max air flow, and quiet. It's one or the other. You kind of have to determine how far you can live with going. And yes they make aluminum units for every car, but I wouldn't waste any money on that for along time. You have alot of "speed needs" to get to first.

[iD10T]

Hey I'm in the same boat.  Just got a 2021 IS300 AWD.  I love the car, but I do notice it isn't really peppy off the jump.  Once it gets going it goes, but I'm trying to look for little add on's on can do now, ie..exhaust, intake.  I used to be into cars, had an Integra and Eclipse at one point I put some cash into, but not that much.  I switched to trucks for awhile just got back into the sports car venue.  Kinda lost with what to go with.  I've looked at Magnaflow and Borla, only because I had a magna in my first truck and a borla in my second.  Not sure how well they are for the Lexus.  First thing I want to do is the exhaust and go from there.  I figure that since my car is brand new their might not be a lot available for it, and I have no idea where to look.  Any help would be appreciated.