Team Lexus IS 300 - Tyrannosaurus Lex

The TRD clutch is as light and easy to slip as a stock clutch, so launching the IS 300 is uneventful. The Supra shifter is good for a sports car unit, but the throw is a little longer and sloppier than a typical racecar. Unlike an unsynchronized racing-only gearbox, the Supra set-up in the IS 300 isn't suitable for clutchless gear changes or speed shifting, making deliberate shifts the order of the day.

The stock hydraulic power steering provides excellent feedback, though the street-oriented ratio is a bit slow through PPIR's several 180-degree turns. In the tighter turns, the locking rear differential clanks disconcertingly.

The brakes are extremely effective and the pads bite aggressively with light pedal pressure, instilling great driver confidence. The challenge is to apply the brakes lightly and progressively to avoid locking the front tires before deceleration transfers enough weight forward to support harder braking.

The ProTrac shocks feel perfect and the car is happy to accept calls for full power, even going over bumps. A lesser car would skitter and suffer wheelspin, but the IS 300 soaks them up with the gas pedal on the floor. The street-derived tires don't generate the neck-straining g loads of pure race rubber, but offer sufficient grip and respond well to driver inputs.

"It's a really fun car," says driver Terry Borcheller. "It does everything you ask it to." Borcheller says he'd like to see further improvements to the IS 300's response in side-to-side transitions, but that's about all. "Right now, it has too much roll, so transitions are too slow," he says.

More significantly for club racers and track day junkies, most of the changes can be made without compromising street-ability. The pricey ProTracs are overkill for enthusiastic street driving, so the company also offers street-oriented shocks. Because Team Lexus already sorted the components, others can exploit the team's extensive testing and experience, rather than suffering through a trial-and-error modification process.