Taking into the fact that the current IS3 / IS2 / Altezza platform started the rage that is APC, I still would like to see something not clear on the back of my car. Yes, I know, I could have bought a different car, but this car in every other aspect suits me just fine. I just think of Autozone every time I walk past my car, and that's more than I can take. Is there anyone who manufactures GS-coloured taillight lenses for the IS, or am I stuck? Has anyone ever photoshopped this on an Onyx Black IS? Thanks in advance for the input, discussion, bashing, etc...
Ronnie

 

i have seen some that have red lenses but it was like at some auto show or something so i don't know if anyone has produced them yet. i really doubt it. but look around on some websites for autoshows and maybe you'll see them.

 

Amy,
Thanks for the reply. I'll start checking out show sites and searching a little more as I have the time. I think it would be very attractive, and certainly different! (We all want our cars to have something different about them...)
Ronnie

 

I've seen body color-keyed covers that cover the clear portion and let the red circle show through (similar to ones on some newer Chevy Impalas). I remember seeing these on a Solar Yellow IS (check the IS gallery here, and thought I remember these covers being discussed as some sort of JDM part.).

 

Tom's Japan has these taillight covers available. I personally would like to see a red lensed light for our vehicles. Transparent red to see the interior design of the lights itself.

 

I agree with flip here...red lenses would be nice, at least as a factory option, on the IS300. I would have considered them myself. But there's an old saying....imitation is the best form of flattery. Look at all the young guys slamming and customizing their Civics, Accords, Celicas, and Eclipses with the IS300-look-alike clear-red lenses. Where I live here in Northern Virginia they're a dime a dozen. The guys at Lexus, to their credit, really started a craze with those IS300 clear lenses. I'm really surprised Infiniti didn't use them on the G35 sedan the way Nissan did on the Altima.

 

The reason Nissan and others have stayed away is that those clear lens look like they are right out of a J.C. Whitney catalog. Tacky, tacky.......
Really.........do you want your car to look like a Honda Civic or Accord. I thought Lexus people wanted to look more upscale........can you say 'Mercedes'?

BTW: Can you see Mercedes putting clear lens on their cars? Never gone to happen.

JMHO

 

i believe you are talking about the Modellista Tail light lenses.

Flatline_IS can paint your tails like that...........PM him as he has done a few already including on his own car.........

 

some of friends like my clear lenses, some of them hate them. i kinda like them...i would not mind the traditional red lenses either though.

however, it does really suck that the clear lenses, lexus signature style, got copied by all the fast and furious wannabes. their immitation, falttering perhaps, ruined and cheapened the lexus signature look.

now days, people who do not know much about lexus think that lexus is copying the fast and furious look...sigh.

 

oh yeah, and now, we lexus owners are "customizing" to get back the look of the traditional, classic look.

i have certainly considered it. i was checking out the painted covers for the tail lights. they look pretty cool. but i think red lenses will probably look even better.

 

I think Flip has had the best idea so far in this thread...red lenses, but transparent so the architecture of the lights can be seen...that would be quite sharp. Either that, or just plain red. Some interesting ideas here!

 

ISC5, i just noticed your post in the photoshop thread and saw the photoshopped red lenses done by Raynart.

i did see that particular work by Raynart before. i did not notice that he photoshopped the taillights red and semi-clear until i saw this thread and after your post in photoshop thread.

yeah, red, semi-clear (transparent), is super hot.

here's the thread with Raynart's awesome photoshopped IS. scroll almost all the way down to see it.

 

A lot of folks tinted the "reverse" clear section of the GS tail lights with red film. I'm pretty sure you could do the same. Have you thought of that?

 

Darden,
Yup, those taillights just do it for me. I'm glad there's agreement with me there!

Brendan,
I had not thought to tint them, but I want to maintain the integrity of the taillight's water-tight seal. VERY good idea, however, and a finite possibility if there's no other option.

Thanks to all!
Ronnie