A Blitz SUS air filter element was added and a cat-back exhaust system was prototyped. The Blitz Nur-Spec C-Ti Premium exhaust system features the use of titanium in a dual-muffler, dual-exit design. The system terminates via twin titanium tips that sport a heat-induced purple hue that is very much in favor these days. The system appears well designed and executed and we foresee it being on the front line of bolt-on IS tuning products. Back on the dyno, the 3.5L V-6 rallied for a 93hp triumph. Peak output checked in at 402 and torque jumped 84 lb-ft from 284 to 368.
Blitz also used the IS350 project to design select aero parts. The scheme includes factory option rocker panel and rear bumper treatments augmented with an aggressive front lip spoiler that features carbon fiber in the center just below the front-mount intercooler and a carbon-fiber front grille treatment. The look is right on target as the Blitz parts add aggressiveness without changing the soul of the Lexus.
A decidedly high-class rolling stock selection provides the finishing touch. Blitz went for a staggered look to better fill the wheelwells by employing 18x8 Blitz Techno Speed Z1 wheels wrapped with 225/40-18 Dunlop SP Sport Maxx tires up front while the rear is fitted with 19x9 Techno Speeds and 245/35-19 rubber.
No doubt Z1s are visually hard hitting but this well thought out combo does not go unloved as Blitz has energized the IS350's luxury minded underpinnings with a set of purpose-minded Super Flex lowering coils, which provide more bite and drop the car 25 mm. The front coils are rated at 4.7 kg/cm2 while the rears check in at 6.5 kg/cm2. The result is a lower center of gravity and more responsive damping that give the Lexus the added agility it needs without spoiling the cushy ride Lexus is famous for.
We really like where Blitz has taken this IS350. The famed tuning house has added bite to its bark and had a supremely positive impact on the driving experience. This was surely no easy task given the nature of the beast's leading-edge direct injection system, new dual VVT-i variable valve timing scheme, and the fact that the IS is an all-new proposition from the floor up. Further, the level of modification on this car is right in line with what Lexus enthusiasts will be lusting after if, and when, the new IS taps into the tuning scene.