SEMA Preview: Lexus GS 460 by Five Axis

Lexus is gearing up for a big showing at SEMA. In addition to bringing four tuned IS Fs, including one from our friends at 0-60 magazine and another from Fox Marketing/Artisan Performance, long-time Toyota collaborator, Five Axis, will be debuting a heavily reworked GS 460 in Vegas.
Also on hand will be IS Fs from Import Tuner/Tein and MotorworldHype, along with an ICON-designed LX 570 sporting serious off-road upgrades, an IS 350 kitted out with F-Sport accessories and a prototype body kit, plus the 2009 IS F with a handful of upgrades and a new interior color.
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Microheat Inc., the company responsible for inventing and supplying General Motors with their HotSpot windshield cleaning system, has filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection. The technology utilized heated liquid to clean the front glass of debris, ice, and snow. Unfortunately, a short circuit on a printed circuit board could overheat and lead to a fire (removing contaminants from much more than just the front windshield). As a result, GM recalled 944,000 vehicles and dropped Microheat, and their HotSpot product, from the lineup. Even with the system no longer offered on vehicles, things are cooking in court as GM is now seeking $20-25 million in damages to cover the cost of the recall. Without the assets to cover the charges, bankruptcy protection could only be expected. While GM’s HotSpot recall solves the overheating problem with a simple inline fuse, the new filing by Microheat only seems to be fueling the fire.


The new Dodge Challenger is offering tuners one of the hottest platforms to work with since the Mustang in 2005, and there will no doubt be plenty of different variations on the floor at SEMA in just a few weeks. We don’t know if we’ll be able to spot them all, but we are definitely going to be keeping our eyes out for these two bad boys built by Mr. Norm’s Garage. Who’s Mr. Norm, you ask? He’s the legendary owner of Grand Spaulding Dodge that was famous for building some of the fastest Mopars in the country. Mr. Norm is now working his magic on the current Dodge lineup, and will be be showcasing the two Challengers you see here. The Super Challenger features a supercharged version of the 6.1L Hemi putting out 900 tire-shredding horsepower plus Rodtana forged wheels, Hotchkis suspension upgrades, massive SSBC brakes, and a custom front spoiler and side scoops. The other Challenger features similar performance upgrades but has been converted to replicate the legendary AAR Cuda.


