TOM’S proposes a new era of sports customization
Parts manufacturers and special shops generously invest their pride and joy in their “demo cars”. What kind of special care has been put into each one, and what has actually changed compared to the stock specs? This time, we took a test drive of the Lexus IS300 complete car produced by TOM’S, which is known for its racing activities and parts development for Toyota vehicles.
What would happen if TOM’S finished the Lexus IS300 as a complete car?
TOM’S is a brand that releases parts to customize Toyota cars, and at the same time, it is a racing team that has competed in Super GT and Super Formula as a Toyota-affiliated team carrying the ace number in racing.
TOM’S original parts, such as aero parts and suspensions available at dealers, have been supported for their ease of use and reliability on the streets. TOM’S proposes the Lexus IS300 complete car.
A new factory has been set up in Gotenba, where TOM’S mechanics build complete cars one by one. The base of the car can be a high-quality used car prepared by TOM’S or a vehicle brought in by the customer. The appeal of this service is that it allows customers to obtain a complete car, in which TOM’S know-how has been concentrated, more quickly and flexibly.
The IS300 F Sport we test-drove this time is a prototype four-door sedan with an RWD layout and powered by a 2-liter turbo engine. Mr. Imamura of TOM’s Development Planning Department said.
“The IS300 is a Lexus, but it is a car in the vein of the Altezza, so to speak. We thought it would be nice to finish it as a sports FR and enjoy it.”
Handling like lowered ride height is achieved with normal ride height
The aero parts are the most eye-catching part of the styling. The demo car is fitted with a prototype one-off carbon fiber piece, while the production version is made from FRP but has the same shape. The front, sides, rear underbody, and wing are fitted to tighten up the overall appearance.
Only the springs were replaced with the original ‘Adbox’ suspension. This is a type of so-called ‘down suspension’ or ‘down spring’, where only the springs are replaced from the stock suspension. The advantage of using genuine dampers is that they are more supple and less likely to leak oil or make noise even after tens of thousands of kilometers of use.
But the key point here is that the ride height is not lowered. It is generally the springs that lower the ride height. We asked Mr. Imamura from TOM’S about the intention behind this.
“We have received many requests from users for sharper handling and handling like a lowered ride height, but keeping the height the same because a lowered ride height is not user-friendly, so we produced these springs to achieve this.”
The front brakes are Brembo 6-pot, giving the car a sturdy and rigid feel. The finishing touch is the muffler, which aims to enhance driving enjoyment with a pleasant sound.
The demo car we test-drove this time was equipped with Bridgestone POTENZA S007S tires in addition to these specs. The stock sizes of 245/40R19 front and 265/35R19 rear were chosen.
You can enjoy sporty driving while taking advantage of the latest safety equipment
The test drive was conducted on public roads and winding roads, and the first thing that impressed us was how comfortable the ride is. The sharp handling is also impressive. While eliminating the normal feeling of sluggishness, there is no sense of so-called hardness. The goal was to achieve handling like a lowered vehicle at normal ride height, so I thought there might be some stiffness, but I didn’t feel it at all.
In fact, especially in the early stages of movement, it feels soft, and as the vehicle speed increases, it feels slightly softer. For those who want to drive at a high pace on highways and winding roads, we recommend replacing the entire suspension, but for those who want to drive lightly on winding roads in addition to city driving, this is perfect.
When you step on the brakes, the overwhelming rigidity of the Brembo 6-pot pedal increases your sense of security. The brakes are extremely easy to handle as they only respond to the amount of pressure you apply. The choice of premium sport S007 tires makes the bike quiet and calm, but also responds well when a grip is needed.
As soon as you step on the accelerator, a gentle but slightly wilder sound comes through. At the same time, the 2-liter engine accelerates with a stretchy lift. It’s not a fast car by any means, but as you rev the engine and enjoy the extended acceleration, you realize that this is indeed a sport FR with an Altezza feel.
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The fact that the ride height does not change by changing the springs means that the operation of follow-up cruise control and Safety Sense is also reassuring. You get that peace of mind, but with improved sporty handling. This is the modern version of sports customization proposed by TOMS.
Although the customization of cars has become more difficult in recent years due to the complexity of various requirements, the passion of car enthusiasts to conquer these requirements and adapt the car to their own taste is still alive and well in this day and age. TOM’S proposes such the latest tuning.
translated by DeepL