Thundercloud Metallic 2003 Lexus IS300 SportDesign 5-Speed Manual
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 30 ก.ย. 2024
- Here's a curve ball for you all. Me, driving a Lexus? 2024 is off to a weird start for sure. Anyway, hope you enjoy this quick look at what I think it is a pretty neat car. Thanks for watching.
Now you talking! what made me leave Acura sorry acura. Once you experience the 2JZ and UZ engines you’ll understand.
Definitely some great engineering!
I so much miss Japanese cars from this era, where do you find such beautiful examples? Great engine sound, save the manuals!
My brother sent me the link to this one, it was on Facebook marketplace
Lexus, finally, and a rare Lexus. Bravo👏
Haha, glad you approve Big D!
Wow incredible IS 👍
Thank you!
Cars will never be this cool again.
Pretty timeless design
Those IS cars are beautiful. Being a Honda guy, I've always appreciated them from a distance. I actually would like to own one at some point. A second gen IS350 RWD. Great find!
The second gen definitely looks nice too!
Looks so mint. Lucky find and congrats!
Thank you!
Wait… a Toyota product on Tyson’s channel? Has there been a rupture in the space-time continuum? 🤣
Kidding aside, it’s a GORGEOUS car, and that is a timeless design. Could you do a behind-the-wheel review and give us your thoughts as you carve up some Arizona canyons?
I might have to plan a more in-depth eval!
Dibs.
Deal.
So refreshing to see an unmodded and clean IS300!! Sport design is gorgeous, and stick shift too. Wow. Holy grail IS. my dad just purchased a mint IS300 sport cross in pearl white from BaT, unfortunately those were not offered with stick. But a fun car nonetheless, and super rare!
Thank you, loving it so far!
Great car. One of the only two Lexus vehicles I'd consider (the other being LS400). Congrats on the new car!
Thanks, appreciate it!
Yeah, you're going to have some fun in that car! Stunning back drop for this video.
Thank you! I had some fun putting this one together
Not an Acura 😡
Just kidding!!! Super nice find!!!
Haha yes, forgive me!
Beautiful car. In the right owner's hands !!!
I appreciate that!
So clean!!
Appreciate it!
Very nice car in perfect condition.
Thank you! Def a lucky find.
That is one fine Lexus! I'd drive one. This car, or a manual SC300 are the 2 Lexus cars I'd love to own someday...Or both 👀
I'm so relieved you approve. And I think Shannon would be okay with it, even though it's not the flagship LS like hers.
Nice addition! Beautiful color. My wife calls it lawyer beige, but I love it. I'm looking to buy a different Toyota from that era 😁
Haha I like that color name
This is one of the few Lexus's I've always wanted to own. Congrats!
Definitely, a car I have always sorta been intrigued by as well
Wow, that’s probably the cleanest sd is300 I have seen, factory manual with thunder cloud metallic is super rare. I have an 04’ TCM sport design and absolutely love the car even though its auto 😂
Very nice!
Love it! Have an 03 SD myself w/ the 5 speed manual and LSD in black onyx. Indeed they are becoming a rarer find. Took me about 2 years to find mines back in 2012. Showed up at the local Benz dealership that morning, and I took it home the same night. Kept it stock and UTD w/ maintenance and still drive it up to this day. Bought it at 112K miles and currently at 230K miles. Keep it clean as it sits. She won't disappoint you. These first gens hold their value fairly well as of the past few years, especially w/ hotboi's throwing them into curbs, corners, and crowds.
Looking forward to seeing more videos of yours.
Wow 230k that's awesome!
one car i never got my hands on and probably never will because of inflated prices. Ive seen manuals in worse condition selling for 20k dollars
True, it's crazy what people are asking!
Man this is an amazing find!
Def a rarity!
She is a mint one... U never disapoint shout out to ur brother he knows his cars
Definitely, thanks!
Nothing wrong with expanding your horizons! Enjoy the car!
For sure, thank you!
Love this car with all my heart. Imo best car ever made.
Def a winner
Pienso lo mismo
Wow stepping away from Acura for a moment definitely interesting
Enjoying the diversity for a bit!
@@TysonHugie That’s what’s up man. Enjoy the IS. Had to do a double take when I saw the notification bar lol
Was this car purchased from someone in Northern Arizona?
No, it came from Chicago, but was in California for almost 20 years prior to that
What a coincidence ! I’ve been following your brothers IS for a while . Have a 5 speed myself but his is a dream .
Definitely. Import enthusiast world is pretty small!
She’s a beaut!
Coming from H.E., no less!
Welcome to the Toyota/Lexus family! Keep it up, there’s no rule that said you can’t be an enthusiast/collector for both car manufacturers. 😉. What’s the next Toyota/Lexus unicorn you’ll be after next?
Haha, we shall see!
I had a 2002 automatic silver on black when i worked for Bobby Rahal Lexus- i LOVED that car and will forever be in my top 3 of all time. So well balanced, engine was refined, comfortable, and the overall design looks good even today! Traded it in 2009 on a new Volvo S60, talk about a change!
That is definitely a change!
I love this!! I’ve seen the teaser pix, but assumed it was a family purchase on its way to UT. So clean and never knew about this package. Have a blast!
Right on all accounts! Haha, I couldn't resist having fun with it in the meantime.
I love it! I remember wanting one of these in High School when I was younger. Had an IS350 lease for a few years and it was a great car too but not as timeless as this one. Tempting me to try and find one of these now....
Also crazy thing.. the Original MSRP of this car inflation adjusted for today is about $53,500 so lines up with what a RWD IS350 with some options runs now
Wow thanks for doing the calc. Interesting how it comes out inflation wise
Congrats on purchasing outside your normal realm! The IS300 was a truly unique sedan when it came out and you are right, 5 spd manuals were rare and far and few between. You're really going to enjoy its handling with the RWD.
Definitely! RWD adds a whole different feel to it for sure.
Congrats on this unique acquisition. The engine sound is certainly an eargasm!
Not too bad!
Clean clean. Always loved these. Almost got one instead of my RSX. Good car.
Can't go wrong with an RSX too!
I'm surprised you went outside of Acura/Honda. But a manual Lexus is an awesome choice. With regular maintenance, that car will last forever.
I totally agree!
Gosh I wish I wasn't 6' 5". 😂. I'd fit in these beautiful cars better. Never had any issues with leg room in the Legends though!
Haha. I like the driving position in this thing
Had a black/black 2003 manual that I lowered with Tanabe NF springs that I sold to get my 06 S2000 that I still have today.
I do miss the my IS more so now, and maybe it was the wrong time in my life being in my mid 20's. I think I would've appreciated the turbine smooth inline 6, the super long gears where 3rd top out 90mph and 4th at 125mph now versus then. I admit it still looks good 20+ years later
Agreed!
id go for that too for the right price. could last a long time to go with the timeless looks
Agreed!
You picked a great car to cross the Honda/Acura brand. I am 🤤 on this one.
Thank you! Having fun with it so far :)
Nice pick up! I miss my 01 so much. Such a solid car!
They are great rides, thanks!
You can't go wrong with a Lexus! I'm curious to see how the IS treats you over time, especially as these are becoming hard to find in such great shape.
Agreed, you don't see them like this very often these days
Wow, nice find! I found my 04' Sport design/Thundercloud/5spd/Ash gray interior a few years ago with 116k... granted, it's not nearly this clean.
Lexus didn't put any build numbers out for SD's, but there was one random article I saw that said they built 2000 between 02'-05' with no indication of auto/5spd/color
Ah good to know! Yes Honda is the same way, difficult to track down definitive numbers
If this video is recorded in AZ, that’s a really beautiful state you live in!
Thank you, yes it was in AZ!
Just sold my 04 exact same color combo 5 speed, miss it dearly. Had an HKS Super Drager exhaust and it sounded JUST right. Had to make room for my 94 Supra
That's awesome, congrats on the Supra!
Congratulations hard to beat a Lexus
Agreed, I definitely appreciate the engineering that went into this one!
This is better than any Honda or Acura product.
Sorry. Toyota | Lexus actually makes better cars
They both have some good cars. Did you see the red 92 NSX in the garage? It’s a decent ride, maybe you haven’t driven one.
Great find, Tyson!!
Thanks! I appreciate it!
These wheels made the is look even more "jdm"
Definitely
Wife had an 03 Auto and it was a joy to drive. .
Definitely
Branching out to other brands. Good move!
Thanks!
Nice Lexus tour Tyson!! 👏🙌
You bet! Thanks for checking it out!
Keep it stock except for Bilstein shocks and Eibach sway bars. Really improves the way it drives with out being harsh. You can pull out the dash, strip the oxidized coating with purple power down to the plastic, and paint it with matte black Duplicolor vinyl paint, 9 - 10 lite coats. The dash will then look stock but will be very durable.
Thanks for the dash idea
If you sell it, you'll regret it I promise you.
Thank you!
I think it’s a nice looking car… I like that color.
Definitely, thank you!
Congratulations! Outstanding engineering👍🏻
I agree!
What an amazing find! Congratulations
Thank you!
Absolutely love these. These are amazing cars. Congrats on getting one in a 5 speed too!
Thanks! It is an impressive ride for its age, especially for the price point which I don't think was too bad when it was new!
Nice! I just test drove a SportCross version, would've bought it if it had the stick (SportCrosses were auto only, and the manumatic feature was pretty clunky).
I've been looking for clean stock lower mileage stick sedans like yours and they're REALLY hard to find these days.
I love how small, light, and responsive they feel...Kinda like a BMW 3 series with Japanese build quality. Great buy!
Definitely, I've heard that too... the 3 series comparison. Last weekend I went to a car show where a guy had swapped a 5-speed manual into his SportCross. Pretty cool.
A 5 speed SportCross would pretty much be the perfect car!
And as someone who's also been test driving BMWs from this era...The difference in quality in how well a Lexus or Acura's buttons and plastics and leather has held up is WORLDS better than how BMWs have worn!
Wait a minute, that's not a Honda, lol😅
Haha yep
I love my 2003 manual IS300 (different spec).
I just dislike the *glug experience between shifting from 1st to 2nd gear.
I don't really notice that but I'm going to pay closer attention!
That gauge cluster is so iconic and still looks great. You found a beautiful example. Many years ago we looked at one (auto😢) and went with a E39 instead. Should have bought the IS 🤦🏻♂️. Looking forward to more IS videos. Congrats my friend!
Thanks Huy!
Beauty car and beauty view!! 🏔️
Thank you!
nice find
Thank you!
get a gs400 or gs430! super fun cars
I have always liked those. Mom used to have an 03 GS430 Millennium Silver
I love the first generation Lexus IS. I almost bought one from a friend about 4-5 years ago with plans to manual swap (and eventually GTE engine swap) it as I enjoyed driving his car so much. Nice to see one in such mint condition with the manual transmission. Enjoy it for the time you have it!
You know it! Thanks Sunny!
“…will most likely stay in the family…” haha. No doubt! As it should!
Word!
I worked for LONGO LEXUS out of El Monte California for 13 years from 2000 until late 2013.
You are correct; this model IS300, the transmission is derived from the Toyota Tacoma… so it is almost a completely indestructible power plant, so as long as you keep up with the timing belt intervals 😂
In the shop we use to have two IS300s as delivery cars and as fleet cars; One was manual, and the other was automatic both power plants were completely reliable and indestructible. One of them (last time I saw) had 350,000; The other had 385,000 miles. None of them were a “powerhouse”, but; both were very well balanced, very reliable, very comfortable on road trips, and very sporty when it came down to it.
The time , the quality and the craftsmanship that men took to build this model was top-notch first class workmanship; you can tell, even by the sound of the door shutting…. It’s a solid ‘clunk’.
Definitely a keeper.
Agreed, you can tell the car was over-engineered!
I have to agree that the door shutting sound/feel is pretty great.
The car is 💯 solid
You have 3 classics collection in your garage..nice..
Thanks 👍
Like the license plate.
I copied my bro, but it works!
I've always thought this generation of the IS was/is very cool. Was my go to in Grand Tourismo haha. Cool spec on this survivor. Congrats on a great ACquisition here 👏
Absolutely! Having some fun with it while I can!
It’s closer to a Toyota than Lexus wants you to believe
I'm okay with that!
Tyson, great to see someone who had a favorite brand but doesn’t discriminate against other great machines! Im amazed at the condition of those perforated leather seats, for 1 they usually shrivel up and crack in the drier climate! I would much prefer full leather over the “suede” the standard car is equipped with… I feel those seats age poorly. great find !
Agreed the interior has held up super well for being 20+ years old!
Amazing vehicle. I had a 3rd gen is350 and i miss it dearly
They are solid cars!
What a gem! This is when Lexus built a better sport sedan than BMW.
@@87Aquarian great cars!
Absolutely amazing video! You outdid yourself on this one! Its good to see the IS back in its original climate or very similar to it. I love the scenery and lighting. The poster of this thumbnail you sent me is already hanging up in my house😀 this video came up at the top of my feed and it was right after I was checking out your poster.
I love how you laminated all the documents and even have all the pictures printed. Those brochures are so nice and I could not locate any for 2003. The stock manual Sport Design will only get more rare as they get swallowed up by the tuner community real fast and in many cases disappear. Lightweight manual inline 6 RWD LSD all in a limited production luxury Lexus, there isn’t a car that compares. After reading all the comments a lot of people understand. Also it’s crazy to think but I was the same I was with Honda/Acura for so long before I truly went onto other brands now I’ve settled in with Toyota/Lexus for a long time.
I figured sooner or later you would come across the video, haha. Definitely enjoying this car. Thank you again!
The altezza 🤤
Gotta love it
He said he’s not familiar with the brand😂
Haha, my channel is 95% Honda/Acura
super clean!
Appreciate it!
loved mine and should’ve kept it!
They are great rides
I’ve owned a millennium silver 2003 IS300 manual since 2006. All leather with the LSD also. It’s my daily driver with 280k miles on it. Fun to drive and easy to maintain. Best car I have ever owned!
Congratulations and enjoy!
Very nice! Thank you!
That is a cool gauge cluster for sure. I think I prefer the blue 1st gen Acura TSX gauges though ;)
Classics!
My 2003 IS300 Sport Design still runs like a scalded dog! Mine is automatic, my wife doesn't like driving a stick. I have my 1999 Acura Integra for manual shifting fun!
@@leinahtanyeroc9 both great cars!
You’re gona have a gen 2 MR2 next 😂
Ohh that would be a fun one
what a find with such a low milage! i have the exact same SportDesign model (body color, wheels) from 2003 with the stick, and from Steven Creek dealer in San Jose, CA as well... LOL... mine has 175K mile and has got me through all these years... still fun to drive the stick. i just got a 08 Lexus GS for a little more relaxed driving and more roomy interior space. will keep my IS for sure. Congrats and hope you will enjoy it.
Thank you!
Bro I am in the UK and was lucky enough to find one 3 years ago which had 1 lady owner fsh. I have just over 116k at the moment and only drive her weekends. Mine is also the sport design and I recently found out that there are only 47 left into he UK so never letting her go.
That's awesome, sounds like a rare car in your area
My Cousin to works for Lexus/Toyota and I remember when these came out he got a sweet lease deal on one and I remember it being BRIGHT yellow. Then my friend had a red wagon version then crashed it and got a grey wagon version. I loved it!
Oh yes the yellow ones are awesome!
The holy grail!
Thanks!!
Just moved on from my 95 Acura Legend to a pretty much stock Graphite Grey Pearl 2003 IS300 due to being in college and needing something a bit easier to find parts for. Very blessed to have these as my first 2 cars. Absolutely loving the IS though, grew up in a Toyota family and have always loved the way IS300's looked, even before I got into cars.
Bit upset that I'm going to have to give up my Legend since I live at my parents house still, but honestly really looking forward to building my IS300 the right way because man is it a fun, timeless car. 150k miles but still drives like a charm, the NA 2jz with a LSD just hits different.
Was very lucky to get one before prices started going up even more here in Cali, these cars hold their value and are only going to get more expensive. Truly a JDM icon.
Congrats on the IS! Should serve you as well as the Legend did.
I had one of these in manual. Great car and extremely reliable but pretty boring..
Fair enough!
@@TysonHugie Maybe also time to look for a mint LS400 or LS430? 🙂 Might as well give the flagship a try!
Beautiful car 😍
Thank you!
Please keep her just how she is! You don't ever see an is300 that is stock or near-stock. Especially a sports design! This is my dream chassis, my goal in a couple years is to import its jdm sister the Altezza rs200!
Thank you, that's the plan!
Just make sure to rust proof them as they all rust at the rear sills
Thanks
As an Acura lover that also owns an IS300, this was awesome to see. Beautiful example!
Awesome, thank you!
I was about to record a review of mine! You probably have the cleanest IS I've seen till now! It's a gem of a car!
I will check out your vids!
Love it! Classic IS + AZ views
Thanks Marty!! Also congrats on your gig with RR - Sofyan and I were talking about you!
@@TysonHugie Thank you! That’s awesome, I saw you guys have been friends a long time and I’m glad to be working with RR!
I’ve always really liked these cars. Such a great find! That 2JZ sounds good too!
Agreed, great sound to it!
Tyson in a is300? Instant like
Haha thanks