Daily Slideshow: LC500 Brings a New Wave of Modified Lexus

The Awesome Lexus LC 500

When the Lexus LC 500 grand tourer car debuted at the North American International Auto Show in January 2016, no one would have thought that it would soon become a top pick among car modifiers around the world. As car modification trends go, modifiers often go for the iconic, time-tested vehicle brands. This has not been the case with the LC 500. Lexus has always been known as the producer of refined, reliable and sedate cars and SUVs, not fiercely styled, tremendously powerful luxury sports cars. The LC 500 is just the 5th iteration of the Lexus F high-performance marque models, so driving enthusiasts were still getting used to the fact that Lexus is now fully embracing the development of high-performance cars like its long-time German competitors. Therefore, trending in car modification circles was not initially expected for the LC 500.

However, there was and is no denying the fact that The LC 500 looks awesome. With its sharp lines, daring curves, and fluid, athletic silhouette, it looks like a futuristic sports car from a James Bond movie. Therefore, car modifiers quickly realized that it is the perfect platform on which to apply their high-performance modifications. There is also no denying its performance capabilities. With a naturally aspirated 5.0-liter V8 engine that belts out 471 horsepower and with a zero-60mph sprint time of just 4.4 seconds, the Lexus LC 500 deserves to be mentioned alongside legendary grand tourers like the Aston Martin DB11 and the BMW 650i Coupe.

Here are a few examples of the outstanding Lexus LC 500 modifications that have been made recently.

>>Join the conversation about the Aftermarket Landscape for the LC500 right here in ClubLexus forum!

The First Modified LC500

The first customized Lexus LC 500 debuted at the 2016 SEMA Show. It demonstrated how much better this attention-grabbing car could look and perform with a few tweaks. This modified LC 500 was created by Gordon Ting/Beyond Marketing. Because the Lexus LC 500 had not hit the market yet, Gordon Ting/Beyond Marketing had a mammoth task developing a custom performance suspension, body kit, and brake kits without any aftermarket or accessory support. They had to use an early prototype of the car, and needless to say, they did an awesome job. They took the initial 471-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 engine and increased its displacement to 5.6 liters. They also bored out the cylinders to 99.5mm and added custom Carrillo connecting rods and CP Pistons. With these modifications, the engine delivered an improved 525 horsepower and could rev up to an extraordinary 9,000 rpm. Lexus said that when fully optimized, this engine had the potential to deliver over 900 horsepower. In addition, the modified LC 500 also got a custom Artisan Spirit Custom Lexus LC Kit that included a front diffuser, a rear diffuser, side skirts, and a rear wing. It also got a custom KW Suspension with a one-of-a-kind hydraulic lift system, customized extra-large Brembo brakes, and 22-inch satin charcoal alloy wheels with Pirelli P Zero Nero tires.

>>Join the conversation about the Aftermarket Landscape for the LC500 right here in ClubLexus forum!

The Liberty walk LC 500

Another well-reputed auto-tuning company that has taken interest in the Lexus LC 500 is Japan-based Liberty Walk. They have succeeded in creating a masterpiece of a body kit for the LC 500 that is sure to garner more stares and ogles that you can imagine. This widebody kit features riveted extra wide fenders, a massive front spoiler, a pronounced side diffuser, a rear diffuser, and a ducktail spoiler that is sure to yield tons of downforce. This car also features electric-blue-accented quad tailpipes and massive Advan wheels and tires. The Liberty Walk LC 500 also features an especially low ground clearance; so needless to say, its movements are restricted to the pavement. Liberty Walk has avails this body kit in two forms: fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) and carbon fiber-reinforced polymer (CFRP). The CFRP option is significantly more expensive.

>>Join the conversation about the Aftermarket Landscape for the LC500 right here in ClubLexus forum!

The Artisan Spirits BLACK LABEL GT LC 500

Japan-based auto design company Artisan Spirits also dug deep to develop the Black Label GT LC 500 body kit that they premiered at the 2017 SEMA show in the Lexus booth. They also displayed this body kit at the 2018 Tokyo Auto Salon – one of the top auto shows for modified cars in the world. The complete carbon-fiber body kit included a front under-spoiler with a "BLACK LABEL" plate, side under spoilers, a rear diffuser, a GT fender kit, and a cabin fiber rear wing. The Artisan Spirits LC 500 also featured 20-inch OZ Altelier forged Zeus wheels and Advan high-performance tires.

>>Join the conversation about the Aftermarket Landscape for the LC500 right here in ClubLexus forum!

Aimgain LC 500

The folks at Aimgain also did an awesome job with their modified LC 500 body kit. The modified LC 500 that they have shown to the public is white with carbon fiber elements that include custom carbon fiber fenders, carbon fiber front and side splitters, and a carbon fiber GT rear wing. This blend of white and black creates a panda-like effect that makes the Aimgain LC 500 even more appealing. The Aimgain LC 500 also features a rear diffuser and a front fender duct.

These are many more modifications of the Lexus LC 500 that have been made in the last year, and many more are sure to be made in the coming year.

>>Join the conversation about the Aftermarket Landscape for the LC500 right here in ClubLexus forum!

To keep your Lexus on the road and running right check out the How-to section of ClubLexus.