Cars are a lot like ice cream flavors to me–I want to try them all. Fortunately, as is the case with that cold, sweet treat, it’s possible to blend automotive tastes. It just takes time, money, and determination.
A forum member of one of our sister sites, LS1Tech, poured all three into mixing the sound and performance of an American sports car with the stateliness and luxury of a 2006 LS430.
This big-bodied Lex still has a V8, but it’s not a silky smooth Japanese 4.3-liter unit. It’s the brawny and raucous 6.2-liter LS3, the motor used in a variety of GM vehicles, including the last-generation Chevrolet Corvette.
That Yankee power plant sends its horsepower through a transmission with six forward gears, the same number the original gearbox had. The difference is that this one has a third pedal.
silvias13 is not done with this badass hybrid, though.
A wide-body conversion, 20-inch wheels, and an air suspension are next on the list of mods.
Check out one delicious combination of American power and Japanese style in the video and photo gallery below.
via LS1Tech
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
