Feature: 1993 Toyota Aristo/Lexus GS300

Not Your Boss’s Ride

Paul Parangat’s 1993 Toyota Aristo/Lexus GS300

Words: Raymond Wu
Photos: Kevin Beronilla

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The Toyota Aristo (known as the Lexus GS stateside) brings out all the best characteristics of Japanese cars. It’s well built, reliable, practical and comfortable. And since this is an executive mid-size sedan, the Aristo is very comfortable indeed. Supple leather and wood grain grace the interior. The ride is soft and absorbs all the imperfections of the road. So what in the name of hell was Paul Parangat thinking when he decided to transplant the heart of a Supra into his Aristo?

Paul is not a normal Aristo owner. He used to be a follower to the likes of Porsche and BMW. But when the first generation Aristo was released in 1993, it captivated his senses and he would remain a Lexus loyalist for years to come. But the stock USDM Aristo shares very little with the likes of Porsche and BMW. After all, these marquees define performance and speed. The Aristo was…slow to put it bluntly. Sure, the car is luxurious and has substantial amenities, but these weren’t the only things Paul was looking for in his dream car. Paul was on a mission to prove that the big VIP sedans can hang with the rest of the field on the drag strip. It took Paul over twelve years, but what follows is the culmination of his vision of what a perfect car should be.

Paul turned to Sound Performance to transform his Aristo into an entirely different beast. Sound Performance is no stranger to turning average cars into thundering monsters that dominate the track. They’ve churned out multiple 1000HP Supras from their shop and are well acquainted with the 2JZ-GTE.  For Paul’s Aristo, they worked their magic again on the venerable Supra heart. The engine itself was pulled off a JDM Aristo and was heavily re-worked and reinforced. The valvetrain was upgraded with BC valve springs and valves. HKS 264 camshafts give the engine awesome power over a wide powerband without being too harsh. ARP main studs and head studs make sure that the heart seams are tight and secure, while Greddy lightweight pulleys guarantee that more of power that the engine produces is transferred to the wheels.

Like its compatriot the RB26, the 2JZ-GTE isn’t much unless there’s a nice big turbo sitting alongside the engine. Paul and Sound Performance decided upon the HKS T51R SPL to be the star that gets to be implanted alongside the Aristo’s heart. Trying to describe the sheer size of the turbo does present a few challenges. Adjectives like gigantic, enormous and monstrous doesn’t really drive the stake into the dirt. Why? Well, the turbo is so big that it’s known to eat pets and small children for breakfast. It’s so big that it was the root cause that turned the Jolly Green Giant green from envy. It’s so big that it generates its own gravitational force that sucks in planets and stars. The turbo is that big. And making sure that this demonic presence is kept content, HKS headers and a 4-in downpipe allow all the spent gases to escape. An HKS GTII 60mm wastegate and Tial 50mm BOV ensures that the boost levels stay consistently safe.

Complementing all this high-end hardware is a little bling and glitz. The front strut bar is polished along with just about everything else including the turbo, racing intake, cam covers, Accufab throttle body, Fluidyne radiator, Greddy 4-row front mount intercooler and the Greddy oil catch can. A wire tuck also moves all the unsightly wiring within the engine bay. The result is a blinding display of craftsmanship and power whenever the hood is popped open.

In addition to the engine, Paul has a turbo button available at his fingertips. Paul has a nitrous setup that helps the turbo spool quicker by using a 75 dry shot from a 10lb bottle of NOS. A NOS bottle heater and in-trunk mount finish the system that keeps the big turbo spooling at lower revs. This setup allows for quicker getaways from a stop.

Keeping this heart pumping are dual Walbro in-tank fuel pumps, an Aeromotive fuel pressure regulator, and Precision 1000cc fuel injectors implanted in a custom polished fuel rail. The reliable HKS Twin Power DLI ignition amplifier and various NGK plugs provide the spark to keep the heart moving. Various Greddy gauges and an AEM wideband Air/Fuel gauge allow Paul to monitor and spot any potential issues within the Aristo. The brain that ties everything together is an AEM EMS.

Transferring the power to the wheels is none other than a Sound Performance modified GM TH400 that has been fortified and fitted with a TRD limited slip diff. The SP400 is one of the few automatics that can handle the power that the 2JZ-GTE can dish out. A transbrake has been installed as well in order to keep the car stationary while revving up before a launch. Fitting this massive transmission required some modifications to the transmission tunnel. A simple pneumatic hammer and some old-school skill found in Sound Performance’s craftsmen widened the transmission tunnel enough to drop the SP400 into the Aristo.

Keeping the car planted to the road is a set of D2 coilovers. These firm coilovers give Paul the extra traction he needs to power down the drag strip. Once he gets to the end the strip, Supra NA brakes with Rotora rotors and EBC pads bring the car from triple digit speeds to a standstill quickly and without drama. Goodridge stainless steel brake lines keep the brake feel consistent and ensure that all brakes receive their share of Motul brake fluid. Paul has four different sets of wheels and tires, each with their own unique form and function, ranging from street use to track use. These include Mickey Thompson drag radials of different widths for the track and Vredestein tires for street use.

By the time that Paul had begun transforming this particular Aristo, the car was beginning to show its age. Not wanting just a stripped out drag car, Paul had the body and interior completely refreshed and reworked with brand new OEM parts. The biggest things that stand out within this luxurious interior are the Sparco Chronos seats in red. The exterior had various parts from a JDM Aristo that was stripped down, refinished and repainted. The end result is a 16 year old car that looks like it’s brand new.

So what is the reward for all this hard work? From the exterior, it looks like just about any other GS300. Sure, it’s been slammed and sports a trick set of Work wheels, but other than that, it looks like just about every other VIP-inspired Aristo. All that is needed to convince someone otherwise is a stab at the throttle. At that moment, the roar of the 2JZ coming to life immediately grabs everyone’s attention. Then the blow off valve letting off all the excess pressure in a loud *passhhheeee* makes everyone’s jaws drop. That’s right, this ain’t no ordinary GS300. While we weren’t given exact dyno numbers, a good estimate would be at least 750WHP. Most likely, the actual figure is higher. One thing we do know is the fact that this executive car is capable of blasting down the quarter mile at 10.698 seconds at 131MPH. And this Aristo can run 10 second passes all day long too. The reliability of the engine and gearbox is astounding for a car putting out so much power.

But raw power is just part of Paul’s vision for his dream Aristo. This luxurious executive car needs to stay as comfortable as possible. The air conditioning is still present and working. If Paul wants to, he can take 4 additional passengers onto the track and run 10 second passes all day long. And those passengers will be pampered with rich leather seating and the beautiful scent of burning rubber filling their nostrils. If Paul runs out of gas, what does he do? He can go to the local gas station to fill up. In the words of Paul himself, “I love visiting different tracks and rolling out of the trailer a 4 door sedan that has the VIP look. You get many looks and laughs. But that usually ends quickly. I usually like to stay in the blind side and I wait for the other racer to look for me. When I see them looking, I creep up, look over and give them the thumbs up and grab the steering wheel with both hands just in time when the surge happens and you hear the wheel chirp and the car just goes!”

Needless to say this “sleeper” of a car is hard to improve upon. But Paul and Sound Performance are perfectionists and will continue to improve this monstrous Aristo. Future plans include an updated exterior with some VIP goodies, a re-worked head, bigger injectors, a diet of race gas, a wet nitrous kit and interior work by IEEE. In other words, more luxury and even more power. Whatever the case, we look forward to see what lies in store for this gem. Be sure to keep an eye out for it at your local drag strip!

-JDM Chicago

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