Lexus IS to get Deviant at SEMA

Wed, 21 Aug 2013

It's time to start gathering intel on SEMA, and it starts with this drawing of a modified 2014 Lexus IS. Lexus ran a competition on DeviantART, an online community for artists, to find a suitably modified IS that it could build and display at the temple of all things aftermarket in Las Vegas. The winner, as judged by a four-person panel from among more than 600 entries, is the IS rendered above by Rob Evans.

The winner looks like the beginning of a build for an IS entry into Japan's Super GT series, with a seriously exaggerated front spoiler and rear diffuser and fender flares that aren't just punched out, they're throwing 12-punch combinations.

Evans will have his car built by VIP Auto Salon and plastered all over Lexus materials promoting its presence at the show. Oh, and he gets an IS F-Sport for a year, among other prizes. Second place went to Lucia Lee, third place to Guangho Huang. A press release below has more on the competition and the winner.

2014 Lexus IS Sport Sedan Designed to Deviate at 2013 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show

- Lexus and DeviantART Challenge Creatives to Modify IS
- 25 IS Finalists Selected – Inspired by Performance and Design
- First Place Submission to be Modified and Displayed at SEMA

TORRANCE, Calif., – August 19, 2013 – The all-new 2014 Lexus IS sport sedan is getting closer to making its grand entrance this November at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. The third-generation IS will turn heads at SEMA with new aggressive exterior styling demonstrated by a spindle grille, wider stance and sporty rocker panels. To make the IS stand out more, Lexus partnered with DeviantART to find creatives who envisioned the sport sedan to be even edgier.

DeviantArt and Lexus challenged the design community to show their vision for the 2014 IS with custom exterior treatments and modifications. The ultimate IS sport sedan concept will be modified by VIP Auto Salon in 10 weeks to reflect the rendering. It will also be displayed at the Lexus space at SEMA.

Community members spent countless hours conceiving concepts and creating visions that would further enhance the IS. Four judges narrowed more than 600 innovative submissions down to 25. The top 25 entries were selected based on being true to the essence of the 2014 IS design, being consistent with the image of the Lexus brand, originality and potential as an actual executable design.

Lexus and DeviantART announced the first, second and third place winners today. Rob Evans from Seattle, Washington took first place. His rendering will be built and displayed at the SEMA show. The second place winner was Lucia Lee of Pasadena, California, while Guanghao Huang from Southfield, Michigan placed third.

In addition to having their creation come to life, the talented first place winner will receive a one-year lease of a 2014 Lexus IS F SPORT; $2,000; a trip to this year's SEMA Show to see their IS concept on display; 8,000 deviantART points; and a one-year premium membership to deviantART.

The second and third place prize packages include $1,500; a six-month premium membership to deviantART; and 4,000 deviantART points. Semi-finalists will receive 2,000 deviantART points; a three-month premium membership to deviantART; and a Lexus slim master hardcover notebook.

The four judges were Brian Bolain, Lexus corporate manager marketing communications; Clark Ishihara, VIP AutoSalon president; Nate Martinez, Motor Trend associate online editor; and Alex Shen, Calty Design Research, Inc. studio chief designer.

The all-new IS landed at dealerships in June. Lexus will feature the DeviantART IS at the SEMA Show in its exhibit located at the front of Central Hall of the Las Vegas Convention Center, November 5-8.

By Jonathon Ramsey