Written by Dave MacKinnon | Photos by RCH Designs
If you have any interest in cars, then the name Troy Sumitomo should ring a bell. Sumitomo is the owner of Five Axis – a vehicle customization shop in Huntington Beach, CA that specializes in doing work for large corporations. Their resume includes builds for brands such as Honda, Scion, Toyota and Lexus, and it’s the latter that asked them to put together the 2012 GS on these pages for the 2011 SEMA Show. Built to debut alongside the 2012 Lexus GS F Sport, this car is an example of what happens when a keen sense of style and design is set free on a blank canvas.
We usually kick things off by going over the performance mods a car has received, but as the GS build is coming together in stages, nothing has been done under the hood as of yet. That certainly doesn’t mean the car was left in stock form. The Five Axis team put together one of their trademarks - a clean tidy 30mm widebody conversion for the mighty GS. This conversion included quarter panel and door flares that blends seamlessly into the factory sheet metal, a new front bumper with integrated winglets, a rear bumper with an integrated diffuser and a custom rear spoiler. The panels were created using CAD software and referenced factory- sourced engineering data. Doing this allowed molds to be CNC milled before Fiberglass Reinforced Plastic parts were created. The completed body work was shot in Glacier White paint with Slate Grey accents along the bottom.
“Our goal was to enhance the styling cues that were already in place on the F Sport model and create a more visually aggressive stance by not only lowering the ride height but also widening the body and adding aerodynamic ground affects. The main area of focus was on the front bumper especially in the main grill area. We wanted to really emphasize the new spindle grill graphic shape and bring back some of the flavor of the original LF-Gh concept by blacking out the originally body-colored bumper beam emphasizing the spindle graphic. The addition of the winglets to the lower corners of the bumper helped to complete the front end giving it a much more aggressive, aerodynamic and grounded image. Likewise the side skirts and the rear bumper were also redesigned with enhanced aerodynamic features and lower ground clearance to enhance the sportier look of our Project GS,” Sumitomo said.
Five Axis swapped in a massive set of Stoptech brakes with the front rotors measuring 380mm and 355mm in the rear. Six and four piston calipers fed by braided steel lines clamp the massive discs. For wheels, a set of FIVE:AD S5:F 20-inchers does the deed. Up front, the wheels are 9.5 inches in width and the rears are 10.5inches. They are wrapped in sticky Yokohama Advan sport rubber 245/35 ZR20 in at the nose and 285/30 ZR20 at the tail. Setting the stance is an Air Runner TC-5 airbag system. Factory F Sport sway bars firm things up for the corners.
The work in the interior started with the running of Scosche interconnects, power and speaker wires. The Five Axis crew then fabricated a home for Pioneer’s ultra-high end Stage 4 system starting with PioneerDEX-P99RS CD Receiver in the storage pocket at the front edge of the center console. This Motorized panel rises to expose the face of the deck when the key is turned on. Signals from the P99RS feed a pair of matching Stage 4 amplifiers. A PRS-A900 4-channel takes care of the car’s front stage with 50 Watts of power per channel.
The front stage consists of Pioneer TS-C172PRS 6-3/4” component speakers that have been augmented with a pair of 2-5/8” TS-S062PRS component midrange drivers. The midrange and tweeters are located on top of the dash, while the woofers are mounted in the doors. Powering a pair of TS-W252PRS 10”subwoofers are two PRS-D1200SPL digital mono amplifiers rated to produce 1,000 Watts into the resulting 2-Ohm load.
The trunk is a secondary focal point of the vehicle. In the center is a motorized amp rack that extends out of the trunk to bring the pair of amplifiers into view. The shape of the amp rack closely mimics the vehicle’s new front bumper and grill section which is decidedly aggressive. Flanking the amp rack are the 10-inch subs, one on each side of the trunk. Each is home to its own sealed enclosure that has been finished to match the new floor panel. Other than the amp rack, the trunk looks stock, which is a testament to its clean design.
Sitting on black carpet and surrounded by low glass barriers, the Project GS was a huge hit at the SEMA Show. It was chosen as one of the Top 7 vehicles at the show by Autoweek – a well-deserved honour for sure. Leave it to Five Axis to take a good looking car, with a solid stance and raise the bar to the next level in a manner few shops can duplicate. Hopefully this will inspire GS owners to take their cars down the same path.
ESSENTIALS
Owner: Lexus
Builder: Five Axis / FIVE:AD / Lexus
Vehicle: 2012 Lexus GS
Location: Huntington Beach, CA
Engine Displacement: 3.5L
Horsepower: 306hp
Website:
EXHAUST
Custom exhaust finishers by Five Axis
EXTERIOR
Custom Five Axis 30mm widebody conversion
Custom Five Axis front bumper with winglets
Custom Five Axis rear bumper with diffuser
Custom Five Axis Carryover main grilles and custom matched outer grilles
Custom Five Axis 30mm widebody fenders
Custom Five Axis 30mm widebody quarter and door flares blended into factory sheet metal
Custom Five Axisrear spoiler
Custom Five Axis Glacier White Paint with Slate Grey accents
WHEELS / TIRES / BRAKES
FIVE:AD S5:F Wheels; 20x9.5 (f), 20x10.5 (r)
Yokohama Advan Sport; 245/35 ZR20 (f), 285/30 ZR20 (r)
380mm 2-Piece Drilled Rotors (f)
Stoptech 6-Pistons Calipers (f)
355mm 2-Piece Drilled Rotors (r)
Stoptech 4-Pistons Calipers (r)
Stainless Braided Lines
SUSPENSION
Air Runner TC-5 Airbag System
Factory F Sport sway bars
Factory F Sport strut bar
INTERIOR
Ebony Leather shift knob
Ebony Leather steering wheel with white accent stitch
Ebony Leather shift boot
Ebony Leather e-brake boot
Factory F Sport gauges ackage
Factory F Sport seat package reupholstered in Ebony Leather with textured silver Bio PVC inserts
AUDIO / MULTIMEDIA
Pioneer Reference Series DEX-P99RS CD Tuner
Pioneer Reference Series PRS- Pioneer Reference Series PRS-D1200SPL
Pioneer Reference Series PRS-A900
Pioneer Reference Series PRS-A900
Pioneer Reference Series PRS-A900
Pioneer Reference Series TS-W252PRS 10 inch Component Subs (x2)
Pioneer Reference Series TS-C172PRS 6-3/4” Component Mid Bass Speakers (x2)
Pioneer Reference Series TS-S062PRS 2/5/8” Component Midrange Speak (x2)
Pioneer Reference Series TS-C172PRS Component Tweeters (x2)
Front fuse holder: Scosche
Main power wire: Scosche
Distribution Blocks: Scosche
SPONSORS
Pioneer
Air Runner
Yokohama
Scosche
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