SP Rides: Living for the Lexus

cover

Image 1 of 8

BY MICHAEL KITCHENS

Name: Kyle Bello
Age: 19
Occupation: Security officer
Hobbies: Cars, vaping, friends
Year/Make/Model: 1999 Lexus GS400
Color: Black
Exterior: OG Junction Produce parts (front bumper, side skirts, roof spoiler, 3-piece spoiler), one-off custom Sessions rear bumper with LS460 exhaust tails, LED taillights from Japan
Interior: All black original leather interior, Junction Produce curtains, neck pads, steering wheel cover
Suspension: Airlift 3p digital management, UAS aero sport bags on stock suspension, Sage rear lower control arms, Sage Super stroker kit
Rims and tires: 18×10.5 +12 Work CR-Kais, Yokohama 225/35/18 all around

Kyle Bello may only be 19, but his youth hasn’t prevented him from being quite the dedicated car enthusiast. In high school, he began his car collection with a well-loved 1996 Honda Prelude before progressing to a 1999 Lexus GS400. And although he would slip into a boosted VW Jetta for a season, the Lexus always remained at the forefront of his mind.

Originally purchased with his own money and built during his senior year, the Lexus had been temporarily relegated to the dustbin following a breakdown. But once Bello opted to sell his Jetta, he vowed to turn the GS400 into a showstopper.

The car features an original Junction Produce (JP) front bumper combined with JP side skirts, a roof spoiler and a swank JP 3-piece spoiler. Of special note is the custom and completely one-off Sessions rear bumper that has been modified with LS460 exhaust tails and a slick, mid-level diffuser. The rear features LED taillights, sourced directly from Japan, which really make this black beauty stand out.

Adding to the stealth black theme are some truly metal Work CR-Kais spec’d at 18×10.5 and covered in Yokohama 225/35R18s all around. The car itself is capable of being slammed to only a few inches above the ground, thanks to the custom installed Airlift 3p digital manage and UAS aero sport bags. The stock struts have been modified to receive the bags while the Sage Super Stroker kit is enhanced with Sage rear lower control arms.

A 3-inch straight through exhaust has been added along with the stock catalytic converter for a bit of growl. Still, the engine remains fairly stock — something quite common for most VIP rides.

The rare interior features an all-original black leather GS set that convinced Bello he didn’t need a total retrofit. What Bello did add, however, were JP luxury window curtains, neck pads and a nifty steering wheel cover. He also installed a Kenwood touch-screen deck with Bluetooth.  Two Rockford Fosgate amps power the setup, including a 12-inch Orion competition subwoofer that proved too powerful after cracking the car’s windows!

Today, the Lexus remains a work in progress. Bello has his ideas of how to improve the ride, and if all goes according to plan, the GS400 will be a different beast when SPOCOM rolls around in August.

His advice to other car enthusiasts is simple when it comes to building their rides: “Never give up, and always build it how you want it.”

LATEST POSTS