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For the 2007 SEMA show Troy Sumitomo and his staff of auto artists at Five Axis were commissioned by Toyota to build three concept vehicles. The flagship build was this no-holds-barred reinterpretation of Lexus’ newly released IS-F.
The new “F” series marks a huge landmark in the luxury carmakers long list of accolades. Lexus wanted to produce and in-house vehicle that built upon the traditional foundation it is renown for but also be able to compete with the world’s top luxury sport sedans. The outcome was a reworked IS that was outfitted with 8-speed paddle shifting transmission which is strapped to a quad-cam aluminum 5.0 Liter V8 that pushes out 416 hp and 371 lb-ft and propels this rear-wheel demon to 60 mph in a blistering 4.6 seconds. 6-piston Brembo front brakes, 19-inch factory wheels, braced chassis points, reworked aerodynamics and the “F” badging differentiate this model from its tamed brethren.
With an outstanding platform to begin with, Five Axis was called upon to make it even better. Not having to worry about the production and civility of a mass marketed vehicle Troy was able to reach deep within his artistic imagination to create a vehicle Lexus could only dream of.
With concepts of military inspired stealth fighter jets streaking through his mind Troy and his team quickly went to work on the IS-F. From concept, planning, to final production, everything is carefully overseen and engineered in the 22,000 sq-ft Huntington Beach location Five Axis currently resides in. Starting with the exterior, Five Axis completely resculpted the factory skin with a wider stance that protrudes an additional 3 inches on each side and a body line that flows and twists to give it a sleeker appearance. The outcome not only looks fast when standing still but performs just as well at a factory limited top speed of 170 mph. One-off aero mirrors with built-in cameras send live video feed to the navigation screen sitting in the dash. The entire body was covered in a satin matte color with bronze accents to keep in line with its top secret test car look. 20 inch Five Axis wheels in a satin bronze finish add visual depth, aggressiveness and fill the gaping wells under the massive over fenders. Yokohama tires, Tein suspension, and gargantuan Brembo calipers attached to floating brake rotors round out the suspension and brake modifications.
Stepping inside the satin clad armor Five Axis choose to rewrap the factory seats with alcantara materials woven with leather and stainless steel mesh. The final product is pure genius and continues on with the technological theme.
Burning the candle on both ends, Troy’s team was not able to delve into the 5.0-liter monster as hoped due to the time constraints of SEMA. They did however produce a custom dual exhaust, which replaces the love it, or hate it factory quad tips. The newly engineered exhaust is mated to a new diffuser and is seamlessly integrated into the back end of the vehicle.
With just enough time for the dust to settle, this vehicle has been taken on a whirlwind of press junkets and promises to be back in the hands of its creator for stage two of its progression. Troy has mentioned that they will try and exploit the factory tuned V8 to match the sinister good looks. If the aerodynamics of the body has any inclination of what’s in-store for under the hood, you can bet the farm that this thing will decimate any bourgeois European snob sedan before they even knew what hit them.
