Neo

Try turning the lights off. The DRLs should be on regardless of the light switch.

The 194s are parking lights. These are the little bulbs in the corner of the high beam part of the housings. These area not DRLs.

The GS DRLs are the high beams running at 1/2 power. You can try to switch it out to minimize the yellow but 1/2 power of anything will be kind of yellowish.

Out of the 3, style-wise, I like the Vengeance. I have never heard of the brand so I cannot give feedback on quality. Only if you want to although it is recommended. If you swap out the springs to lower, it is better to upgrade the shocks too. The change in the springs will probably decrease the life of the OEM shocks. You can wait until the shocks fail and then replace. You will just have to pay for installation twice (once for springs install and later for shocks install). Any change is a change. Only you can decide if it is worth it. It was to me. :) No matter what setup you decide, the wheel gap will NOT change UNLESS you change the overall wheel diameter. If you get the appropriate tires, ground clearance and fender gap should stay the same. It will only LOOK lifted because of the more metal/less rubber aspect. I would go for a staggered setup. I would go with 8.5 or 9.0 front and 10 or 10.5 rear. With these setups, offsets are important. The three wheels you listed did not show offset info so you are taking their word that things will fit. It also comes down to how aggressive/flushed you want the setup. Do you want bolt on or you are willing to take a few steps to have it more flushed? Best you can afford for the conditions you plan to drive it. :) Tires come into play for going AND stopping.

I'll try to check out that thread. I am lowered on L-Tuned shocks and springs in that picture. I am currently on Tein CS coilovers. It comes down to your taste. I am not into being close to the ground BUT I don't like a giant wheel/fender gap. I use my car for daily driving so I am not into tucking the tires either. When you go to 18s or 19s, the OEM suspension will work fine. You will still have that big gap. With the reduced sidewall and larger "metal", the car will look like it is on stilts. If you are OK with that, keep the OEM suspension. Otherwise, look into some kind of lowering.

The spoiler is the Win Racing spoiler: http://www.l-tunedparts.com/product/?id=778 The wheels are OZ Salinas. Lexus bought them to be part of their L-Tuned catalog. L-Tuned was a short-lived Lexus tuning division. Since L-Tuned is now dead, you won't be able to buy these wheels new. I sold my set awhile ago. As for centercap fitment, I don't know of a list. Sorry.

Thanks. The color is Antique Mica Bronze. It only came on the 98-00 models.

Are you talking about the OEM wood or a dash kit that was added afterwards? IF OEM, removal is obviously possible. If a kit, then be careful as the surface underneath might be damaged from the adhesive. If you are lucky, then you will just need some adhesive remover. If not, you will have to replace the part underneath or cover it up with a different kit.

Here are a few of when I still had 18s. Hope that helps.

If you can afford the 01, get the 01. The car gets refined every year as Lexus (or any manufacturer) tweaks the car as they get feedback and issues. Bodyshape-wise, they are the same. For example, the brake assist system was added in 2000. It would be in the 01 (and 00) but not in the 98-99 if you picked the earlier models. I bought my 98 in 97 as an early adapter. I've been lucky that the car has had no major issues. Still, I would go for a later year if I can afford it to hedge my bets. Good luck.

TRDs are stiff and provide the better handling of the two. It comes at a price where ride quality suffers a lot. The Daizens are 95% as good as the TRDs for handling but at very minimal ride degredation. I had TRDs and sold them after I got the Daizens. I drive a Lexus and I thought a Lexus should still feel like a Lexus, even with better cornering. Mod your car based on your requirements and tolerances. Good luck.

How many of these engines are currently running in a GS?

I'm with bartkat. If you want a yellow look all the time, get the film. If not, then get yellow HID fogs. I will go a step further by suggesting HID fogs AND film (clear if you don't want the lens yellow all the time and yellow if you do). This way, you get cool fogs and protection.

Beauty is in the eye of the beholder, but these eyes prefer the looks and specs of the 2nd gen.

LOL. It took awhile but you finally said what I was trying to say. It is your opinion (and you are perfectly entitled to it) that the use of hybrid technology is about saving gas. Others agree with this but also states that there is more to hybrids than just that. Maybe I read the "I beg to differ" in a different tone as you were challenging the position that other than being used for gas efficiency, hybrids don't have other uses. Opinions do not change how hybrids can be used. I apologize if that was not your intent and I was putting words in your mouth. :)

That is by design (look up L-finesse ;)). Whether anyone agrees or how far Lexus want to take it is in the air. If you look at BMW, MB, and Audi, all their cars in a generation has a certain similar feel to them. Lexus is trying to do that this time around. Even the newer Infiniti and Acura cars are somewhat this way.

I answered more in the thread you started but RFTs are not the best tires for anything but emergency flat control. The dealer has a point to say the RFTs are the cause. From my understanding, RFTs can last 10k-20k. You are at 15k so you are right there. Replace the tires with traditional tires and I think you will be happy again (hopefully :)).

Sorry to hear bout your dissatisfaction. With that said, run-flats are mainly about problem control when you get a flat. I guess in that sense, it is safer, which is why some manufacturers are using them. With ride quality, handling, braking, ..., however, "normal" tires are superior. The other problem is that I assume you are on 17s. 17s and up are categorized as performance tires. This means that the rubber compound is different and will wear out faster. Pretty much all manufacturers who equip their cars with 17s, 18s, 19s, ... have a disclaimer on the short tread life. 15k miles is the norm for performance tires, sometimes shorter if you drive aggressively. This is how it is with performance (and run flats on top of that) tires. Good or bad, that is the expectation. Recall? I don't think so since these are working within its operating limits. Budget-wise, I agree it is not ideal but you bought (in your words) a luxury SPORTS vehicle. Sportiness, even if it is only part ofthe equation, comes with a price. In the lux segment, a $50k car does not mean it is twice as better as a $25k car. I congratulate you on being successful enough to enjoy a $50 car but unfortunately with it comes the expenses of a $50k car. At this point, your best bet is to replace the tires (with traditional tires if you do not like the run flats), get an alignment and chalk everything up to the maintenance cost of a luxury car. Hopefully, this will bring back your enjoyment of the car. You'll just need to work the tire cost into your maintenance budget. ;)

Congrats. :) My 98 is NOT dead silent. All plugs still in place. My brother in law bought an 01 GS too and complained about the noise. To me, it is not THAT bad. My mom has an ES330 and it is quieter than my car. I have been in LS400s and they are also quieter. Sometimes it is about expectations and tolerances. What is quiet for one person can be "loud" for another. BTW- I am talking about stock vs stock. With the upgrades on my car, I expect it to be louder than when I was stock. ;)

I beg to differ on that one. Saving gas and/or pollution are probably the biggest reasons for buying hybrids. Enlighten me as to the point of buying a Civic Hybrid, Insight, Camry Hybrid, Prius, etc?? There are certainly better looking, better driving, faster, etc. cars in each of their price classes. If only I had a dime for every time I read how happy a new RX hybrid owner now is after trading in their gas guzzling Expedition or Tahoe on a 400h or how much gas their co-workers suvs drink.... The Hybrid technology is just that, a technology. It can be used for different goals. In the smaller/non-lux car segment, the manufacturer (in this case, Toyota & Honda) chose to tune the use of hybrids to help the car be more fuel efficient. In the lux segment, Toyota is using the technology to increase power with minimal expense to fuel efficiency. There is some regards to fuel efficiency but the goal here is power, quiet daily driving torque. I agree that for some, "Saving gas and/or pollution are probably the biggest reasons for buying hybrids." It is not the case for all though. You may disagree and thing that the latter group is out of their mind for doing so. It is still their opinion and $ to spend. It only makes them wrong in your eyes, not necessarily everyone else. ;)

There are a number of guys on air suspension so yes, they get pretty low in the US. ;)

Unfortunately, the GS is on the "loud" side. It is not like the LS and to a certain extent the ES, when it comes to noise. I don't think it is overly loud. It is just not whisper quiet like the LS.

Unfortunately, I don't think it will. Most of the ride quality feel will come from the shocks and not the springs. If you go to softer springs, you will get worse handling while not alleviating as much with the ride quality. From what I hear, the SS are just stiff, unfortunately. I think you would be much better off looking for a used set of CS since the CS are pretty much discontinued now.

The TTs will fit on the GS but make sure you have wheels that can accommodate the large caliper.

LOL. 35 front and 30 rear is much different than 30 front and 35 rear. ;)