Enrico Del Mar of Modern Image in San Diego was an enthusiast before he even had his license. Car audio was the hot topic amongst his peers then. So once he graduated from school and got a job he used most of the money to pay for his vehicle modifications. So much for food and other necessities. His dedication has paid off. One look at the vehicle in these pages is enough to tell you that.
Enrico spent a good deal of time researching how car audio works, and how to achieve the best quality sound system. His many hours of studying and hard work have become the foundation for his company's latest project car, a 2001 Lexus IS300. He is well aware of the scene in his area and knew in order to turn heads and keep them focused he was going to have to take some risks. Looking at the finished product I would venture to say that he has surpassed most, if not all of his original goals. Let's take a closer look at the details that bring this eye and ear candy to life.
Exterior/Handling
The Lexus factory yellow paint just screams, "Look at me!!!" Considering that, Enrico wanted to change up the exterior a bit to keep the attention the bright color draws. He started with the stance, slightly lowering the car on a B&G coil over suspension system designed to keep this machine glued to the earth. Assisting with road adhesion are Yokohama AVS sport tires wrapped around 19" x 8" TSW Pin Drive wheels. With basic handling out of the way, it was time to further enhance the lines of the already smooth Lexus body. Enrico chose a Stillen body kit, which complements the platform perfectly and leaves a race-ready image burned in your memory. An aftermarket grill and front valance grill were added to enhance the body modifications. Of course to finish off the outside, Modern Image cut the vinyl to give props to all of the people that helped him complete the project.
Power/Performance
The exterior is eye-popping certainly, but what about the machine under the shell? First off, Enrico wanted to upgrade the acceleration and the braking. The standard 3.0 liter motor was outfitted with an intake system from Injen, and an exhaust system from Fox for better breathing. The all-out punch is heavily boosted by a Nitrous Express kit (just in case, of course). Brembo brakes were installed to get him out of the trouble the Nitrous Express kit gets him into. The guys at AEBS (Ben and Roger) were the masterminds behind the tuning of the complete package. With improved performance and stunning looks there was only one thing left to work on. They saved the best for last.
Interior/Entertainment
With the early stages of any big audio system install comes the removal of almost every interior panel within the cockpit. This makes for an excellent opportunity to dress up certain components and focus your attention on interior detail. Enrico teamed up with the guys at Wetworks Garage.
Together they took advantage of the time available and went to town with the aesthetic side of the creature comforts. Notice that on the dashboard all of the grain of the plastic has been removed, smoothed out and painted to match the exterior. The door panels and all of the speaker bezels received the same special treatment where possible. The factory seats were replaced with Sparcos for that race feel without compromising comfort. Dynamat was installed on every interior panel possible to eliminate the possibility of unnecessary noises. A nice interior touch are the floor mats with the Eclipse logo.
The focus now was on the audio/video system installation. Enrico got together with Eclipse/Fujitsu Ten and Jason Lee of Competition Soundworks in Cerritos to come up with the master list of products and gadgets that would bring the IS300 to life. Since sound quality was the goal, top of the line components were chosen, starting with the Eclipse 55090 in-dash DVD /AM/FM tuner. This unit was mounted in the stock location directly above the Eclipse 7002 video display unit and heads up the control center for the whole system. The 7002 takes care of the LCD display for the front. An Eclipse 5083 8-disc changer was mounted nicely in the trunk and can be vocally controlled through the 9002 Eclipse Commander system. With the Eclipse Commander (or E-COM) every component in the system potentially could be controlled by your voice, making adjustments to the entertainment while on the road easy and safe. The E-COM system also comes into play with the 9902 GPS system that receives and actually gives directions aurally.
The chosen signal for the entertainment then travels through Monster Cable and back to the two amplifiers mounted offset, one above the other in the trunk of the car. The power cables for the system are 1/0 guage to the 60 amp fuse and distribution blocks from Monster Cable. The power is then sent to the first Eclipse amplifier (the 32430), a 4-channel which produces 85W per channel @ 4 ohms. This unit powers the front and rear stages of the car. The front stage was upgraded to Eclipse Component Series separates, model 8062. The components consist of a 6" driver and a silk dome tweeter mounted in the factory locations. The rear stage was also upgraded with the installation of Eclipse's 6" x 9" Point Source Drivers, model 89940, which were also installed in the factory rear locations. The point source drivers are built with co-axial tweeters to handle the highs for the rear.
As we take a closer look in the trunk of the car we can't help but admire the smooth flowing subwoofer enclosure. Built for public display the enclosure houses the woofer in such a way that has it aiming toward the rear of the car. The molded wood and fiberglass box measures out to 1.5 cubic feet and the paint-matched finish really has it jumping out at passers-by. The goal with the sub enclosure was to, "Create smooth bass for sound quality, and have big boom on command," according to Enrico. Mission accomplished. Nestled tightly in the enclosure is an Eclipse Titanium Series Dual Voice Coil 12" sub (the 88120TiDVC). This woofer/box combination provides plenty of low-end frequencies, and very solid-hitting bass when needed.
Powering the sub is the second amp for the system, an Eclipse 34230 2-channel, delivering 370 watts to each of the two voice coils of the subwoofer. For those moments of power desperation a Lightning Audio 1-fared cap was also installed in line. The trunk area is finished off with the installation of the Eclipse 7211 wide screen monitor mounted in the trunk lid for show purposes.
This is one of those projects that you have to see in person to truly appreciate the time and effort everyone has invested in every detail. The color matching of the entire vehicle and especially the custom bezels around trunk-mounted accessories really exemplify the dedication that went into the work. The vehicle is scheduled to make appearances at some major shows like SEMA and CES, so keep your eyes and ears peeled.
Owner Comments: "There is no way I would have accomplished building this car without any help, so I have to thank the following companies."
Eclipse/Fujtsu TenCompetition SoundworksWetworks GarageB&G SuspensionTSWYokohama Race Technology / BremboSparcoNitrous Express AEBSInjenFox