SEMA 2009: A trio of modded Lexus customs drop their tops

While it might be tempting to dismiss the Lexus C (either the 250 or 350) as a bustled buttocksed luxury faux-sports car, Lexus implanted enough good handling (in the 250 C) and/or POWA! (in the 350 C) to make 'em pretty much OK in our book. Still, this is SEMA -- pretty much OK is never even kinda close to good enough.

Meet the IS 350C by Fox Marketing. First of all, check out that Foxy Green paint. We like it, and it reminds us of the Snake Skin Green found on the Dodge Viper -- bonus! But Fox's IS 350C is much more than several coats of high-gloss paint, there's a supercharger bolted to the 3.5-liter V6 making six pounds of boost and increasing the motor's gumption from 300 horses to a pretty dang respectable 405 hp. There are no less than eleven custom body panels, including a Foxy Green Lexus badge. We like this one.

Next up is the IS 350 C by Auto Salon and JTuned.com. Unlike the shiny Foxy Green C, this one is matte. And red. With a touch of black. And while there's (sadly) no supercharger, there is about $15,000 worth of mods and baubles, including performance enhancing goodies like a custom intake, exhaust and air filter. There's also a reworked fuel mapping schema and a new throttle system. There's also a set of big old Hankooks and more carbon fiber than a Boeing Dreamliner. Just kidding on that last bit, but you get the idea.

Lastly, we've got 0-60 and Design Craft Fabrication's custom IS 250 C. From a handling perspective, this might be pick of the litter, as we've always dug the more balanced dancing ways of the smaller 250 to the faster but nose-heavier 350. Add to that a KW coilover setup, chipped ECU, tuned exhaust and custom Brembos stopping one-piece Advan racing wheels and you've got quite a tasty package. And the Pontiac G8 looking twin hood vents are kinda growing on us.