When it comes to VIP there is no denying that Japan reigns supreme when it comes to stylish sedans. The US is number one when it comes to hot-rods and muscle cars, countries in Europe like the UK, Belgium, and Germany fight for the Euro-crown, and all eyes are on Japan when it comes to all things VIP. Even in Japan though, there are those that stand at the top. K-Break is a name that is synonymous with VIP all over the world, and in Japan, the tuning house is a center-stone for the VIP community, hosting one of the largest dress-up events in the country as well as attending and supporting as many dress-up events as they can. Syogo Arai is apart the K-Break family, and offers us his latest creation, a 2000 Lexus GS300.
No, I’m not confused, this isn’t a Toyota Aristo. This is indeed a real-deal, USDM Lexus GS300 that’s been imported to Japan. Before this one, Arai-san had a JZS160 Aristo that was unfortunately wrecked in an auto-accident and totaled out. Arai-san is a huge JZS160 fan, and instead of getting another Aristo, he decided to pull out all the stops and import a GS from the states to build. Why the hassle though of getting a US GS over to Japan? I’ll let Arai-san explain, “I want to show America, where VIP is gaining much more traction nowadays, the greatness of OG Japanese VIP style. Also an American GS300 is pretty rare so that was an added factor in getting one over here!” With the car safely in Japan, it was straight to the workshop where Arai-san and crew got to work.
Being a K-Break car, you can certainly expect this to be a very complete car, and Arai-san and company definitely delivered. Every part of this car has been modified, extensively. The photos speak for themselves, but in true VIP fashion there are certain modifications that are so well done that they are hard to spot, while others jump out and smack you right in the face. To me, cars like this are the epitome of the VIP culture, the cars you can really call VIP cars, and not just VIP-style cars. If you want to take notes, I can’t think of a better example, so get those notebooks out because class is now in session…
With a car that’s so extensively customized, we could start anywhere. No one area is better than the other, but I guess like most features, we’ll start outside and work our way in. The exterior of this GS is one that I expect of a true VIP car which means it is essentially a one-off. I think the only pieces that were originally intended for a GS are the hood and grille, which are K-Break items, the doors, and the tail lights. Everything else was customized to fit. The front bumper is a Tommy Kaira piece for a Toyota Prius, while the side-skirts are Wald Black Bison pieces for a W220 Mercedes Benz. The GT-style inspired rear bumper is a combination of the OE GS bumper and a Tommy Kaira GT86 bumper. The fenders? Yep, custom one-offs with some aggressive vents to compliment the serious pull and radius all four panels received. The fronts were raised 40mm and pulled 10mm while the rears were raised 80mm and pulled out 30mm, but just take a look at the detail photos to see how cleanly it was done. Pure artwork.
With the body sculpted to perfection, it was time to bring it closer to the ground. If you’ve been around here for awhile, you should know that simple suspension setups really don’t make the cut anymore when it comes to VIP cars, and Arai-san’s GS is no different. It all starts with a set of RS-R Black i coilovers with some custom spring-rates to keep the wheels and tires from banging into the custom metal-work of the body. To aid in the copious amounts of lowness, a set of custom shortened-knuckles were fabricated up front as well as a SS kit and custom caster arms to keep the wheels and angle of the strut centered. Out back, a pair of Toyota Crown upper-control arms work in conjunction with a pair of custom, lower-control arms to dial in the camber, while a rear SS kit keeps everything in check. For wheels, Arai-san went with one of my personal favorites, the K-Break Five Stars. The Five Star is a simple design, but one that is so classic, and looks good on just about any application. Arai-san’s Five Stars come in at 20×9.5 and 20×10.5, and are finished in a custom red-face/black-window finish with polished lips.
Inside the car, the custom work continues. We’ve featured a few cars with some over-the-top interiors, and this GS is right up there. As far as custom audio setups, the only other one I can think of personally that matches up is Junpei Gato’s Celsior that we featured earlier in the year. The custom lighting, amplifiers, and speakers dominate the space that were previously occupied by the rear seats. Rockford Fosgate speakers, subs, and amplifiers are the electronics of choice, and the rear seat display is the stunning center-piece, finished in LED and acrylic lighting which is becoming the new norm in Japan.
With all of the bases covered, what’s next for Arai-san and his GS? Well, we did skip out on one area, the engine, but that is where Arai-san picks up. “I want to do a 2JZ turbo swap and drift it!” Is he crazy, or just having fun!? I think he’s just enjoying doing what he wants with his car. After all, it’s not uncommon to see some of these impressive, VIP cars, sliding around the tracks of Japan. The engine bay would just finish off an already complete car. It’s refreshing to feature a complete car every now and then. We definitely go to the extremes here at S:N, but it’s really great when we get to showcase a car that stands in a class of its own. Arai-san’s GS definitely cannot be compared to others, and really stands on its own. If you’re a veteran of the VIP culture, you will no doubt respect the work and presence of this car, while on the other end, if you’re new to VIP tuning, this is a great car to take a few notes from. VIP is not just taking a luxury sedan and lowering it on a set of wheels. There’s so much more to it, and this car does an amazing job of explaining it, and representing what VIP is. With the bar set, we’re anxious to see what Arai-san and his K-Break friends continue to turn out. Enjoy a few more amazing photos from Chris Anderson, and be sure to chime in with your thoughts in the comments section. Till next time…
Wheels/Tires/Suspension:
Wheel – K-Break Five Star
Front: 20 x 9.5
Rear: 20 x 10.5
RS-R Black i
Original Short Knuckle
Original Caster arm
Tierods
SS kit
Rear: Toyota Crown upper arms
SS kit, Original connecting rods
Exterior:
Front- Tommy Kaira Prius
Side – Walk Black Bison W220
Rear – Tommy Kaira GT86
Bonnet/Grille – K-Break
Front Radius/Widening
Raise – 40mm
Pull – 10mm
Rear Radius * Widening
Raise – 80mm
Pull – 30mm
eadlights – LS600h.V36Skyline
Everything has been customized.
Interior:
Carrozzeria P01
Rockford
Speakers x 4
Sub x 2
Amp x 2
Capacitor
Circuit Breaker
Sparco seats
Momo Steering
Custom Center consol and lighting