gavriil

(09:37:35 Nov. 07, 2003)
Tuned for Luxury: Swift Racing Technologies Lexus IS 300
Just a little boost… and a little help from his friends

By RICHARD CHANG
(Photo by Andy Bui)

When you start (turbo) boosting cars it becomes very addictive,” Charles Park said as we sat on a cold concrete bench inside the Jacob Javits Convention Center in New York, where his Lexus IS 300 was entered in an import car show. “It’s very easy to dial up the boost control. The rush of boost gives you a natural shot of adrenaline.”

No one needs to sell us on the many splendors of boost, but Park takes it to another level. He claims his turbocharged Lexus (feeding on 117-octane, C16 race fuel) has pulled more than 700 hp at the wheels, but his goal is to crank it up to 1000 hp. Inconceivable? Not according to Swift Racing Technologies, a Lexus tuning specialist in Beltsville, Maryland. If boost is Park’s fix, then SRT is his pusher.

Not many tuners have tried to reach that kind of power on the IS 300 (or any Lexus, for that matter), and those who have have cheated, accomplishing the feat by rocking a turbo Supra short- block (and its six-speed gearbox) with a big single-turbo upgrade. Park, on the other hand, wanted to retain the stock engine block (probably the only OE engine part remaining), and SRT custom-built a Stage 4 turbo system for the car, the first of its kind. “There will be a lot of guys who will mimic my car and use the SRT formula,” Park said, “but I like to be on the cutting edge of what I do with the car.”

Long before Park reached this self-described precipice of import tuning glory, he owned a Mustang notchback, one he says he converted into a 12-second street car. Citing a hunger for something “more nimble,” he was tempted to buy an M3, but then found out about a recent trend in sport compact car tuning based on using only Japanese domestic market (JDM) parts. The parts are difficult to source and usually cost more than a mail-order Russian bride. More often than not, the rarer and pricier the part, the higher the street cred. It was this challenge that led Park to the IS 300.

“There’s an understanding about using those parts,” said Park. “It’s more hardcore for the true import enthusiast.”

So if you’re wise to the system, you’ll notice all sorts of JDM mods on the Lexus, like a Toyota Modellista aero kit, Griffin rear-roof liner lip and TRD seats. You can’t see it, but the suspension setup is also 100 percent JDM, and it’s a lot more than a set of coilovers.

“I put on a complete road race suspension system with all the bars,” Park said, “connecting bars, traction bars, strut tower bars, sways, coilovers and undercarriage braces.” For Park, an avid autocrosser and SCCA member, handling and braking are just as important as unbridled horsepower. “You name it, it’s on there. I built it to compete with single-turbo Supras, stroker-kit Corvettes and supercharged Vipers.”

For that, you need big horsepower. “Charles wanted to go all-out and be the first to hit 1000 hp,” says Muhammad Choudhury, owner of SRT. That’s an additional 300 hp over what he said the car now puts out. Choudhury says boost is set at 30 psi now and bumping that to 38 psi should be good for 850 hp. A final 175-hp shot of nitrous should close the gap. Emphasis on the word “should,” because even SRT has not done this before.

But Park is confident it’s only a matter of time before the car reaches his goal (he already refers to it as “the first 1000-hp Lexus IS 300”). Choudhury also seems sure of his strategy, but they are still an uncharted 300 hp away, or only 70 percent of the way there. And that’s the thing about the tuning world—often, it’s more about what the car is being built to do than what it does now. Even with a car as built and filled out as this.

For more information call (301) 982-4600 or visit swiftracing.com

Red Nj-s

Sooo uh is it fast?

gavriil

Nahh... CLS would beat it.

danny25

i raced it, took it by 3 cars

Gilgamesh

Nice mechanicals but it looks

danny25

it just needs to lose the stickers, I wouldn't normally like the front bumper, but it is functional with the FMIC.

CLoe

I've seen this car in person. It's F'in fast.

NOVAwhiteTypeS

Swift racing is about 50 min from my house and my self and AC went up there last year when I still had my typeS. Saw GS400/430 getting totally rebuilt/ supercharged IS300. but they where also charging like 30,000 for a turbo. YES 30k but i think this is w/ everything for like 500+ hp.

Their parking lot was filled w/ donuts.


Muhamed is a pretty cool guy too.

Chaptorial

Damn thats one crowded engine bay.

nandowong

very nice, but needs to loose the stickers and get better looking rims

SleekSilver

Yeah I saw it in the SRT shop, my best friend was getting stage 2 put on his car at the time... that thing was in their shop foooorrreeevvveeeerrrr.