Published: November 17, 2016, 7:40 AM
Updated: November 20, 2016, 5:21 PM
Hot sauce Lexus!
Yes, Lexus really did create this one-off Sriracha themed custom car. And while normally we’d ignore such things, there is so much attention to detail that’s gone into it that we can’t help but admire this cheesy but wondrous creation.
Words and pictures by Kanishka Sonnadara.
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In for a dime, in for a dollar
As an automaker, if you’re going to do something obviously tongue-in-cheek – like, say build a car themed around a bottle of hot sauce – you should go all the way. With the Sriracha, Lexus shows us how it’s done and earns mad respect for it.
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A bottle of Sriracha
The Lexus IS has been painted to mimic a bottle of Huy Fong Foods Sriracha laying on its side. Sriracha hot sauce has gone from relative obscurity to a foodie cultural icon that’s now become as commonplace and recognizable as any other product on the market.
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Official Sriracha IS Paint Job
“Lexus experimented with a range of mixtures and methods—including adding Sriracha sauce to the paint itself—to create the Sriracha Red colour, complete with flecks of chili-like flakes. The custom paint job was designed to mimic Sriracha sauce inside the bottle and topped with a clear coating.”
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Iconic green
There are touches of vibrant green throughout the car, but it starts as a surround to the spindle grille. It’s the green that easily identifies a Sriracha hot sauce bottle as the one from Huy Fong Foods that we all know and love.
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Still a proper Lexus
The Sriracha IS actually is an all-wheel drive Lexus IS300. Pricing for the car, sans the Sriracha treatment, starts at $42,950 in Canada.
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Not quite stock
It may look like it’s a factory stock cabin, but look closer and you’ll start noticing all the Sriracha inspired detail work.
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Definitely not a dealer option
In the case of the seats, you don’t need to look that closely after all; the Sriracha love is rather apparent. It’s all the conservative design Lexus is known for with a bold hit of Sriracha-style spice.
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Sriracha badging
Custom badging on the side, rear and door wells identify this model, while illuminated callouts under the passenger and driver’s doors add a level of exclusivity.
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It’s good to not take yourself too seriously
“The key fob includes an emergency chili button that dispenses the sauce from a nozzle on the fob, so drivers are always prepared.” Lexus even goes so far as to call this “America’s favourite chilli pepper based vehicle.” We agree.
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Hand-painted calipers
Red brake calipers are so overplayed. Green, that’s where it’s at!
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Mirror accents
Normally these mirror accents would be chrome, but tinting them bottle-cap green shows an uncanny attention to detail.
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Lexus, Sriracha, it’s a perfect match
“The Sriracha IS. Proof that everything is hotter with Sriracha”
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Red rooster
We can’t be sure, but we doubt that Huy Fong Foods founder, David Tran ever imagined his rooster logo would adorn the headrests of a Lexus in hand-embroided rich red stitching.
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Lexus Sriracha IS
A reminder
Just in case you forget what car you’re about to get into, the front seat backs will remind you in big bold lettering.
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Make it hot
We’re not sure what this button activates, but it looks like hitting will make things extra spicy in the car.
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Sriracha-Injected Steering Wheel
A Sriracha-like liquid was cast in resin, then formed into a Lexus steering wheel, complete with a warning for “Hot Handling.”
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Turn up the heat
The Lexus IS300 features dual climate control, but in this case, turning up the heat could mean more than one thing.
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Heated seats? No. Hot seats!
Or maybe that’s the icon for “your butt’s on fire”. Hmmm, we’ll have to think on that for a minute.
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Sriracha Driving Mode
“Sriracha mode tunes the powertrain for faster gear changes and more dynamic throttle mapping.”
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Who does this?
Clearly some folks at Lexus have a sense of humour. Lexus hired West Coast Customs to create the Sriracha IS. Yes, that’s the same shop that starred alongside rapper Xibit in the popular show ‘Pimp My Ride’ from the mid-2000s.
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Attention to detail
Customized seat airbag tags shows just how much attention to detail West Coast Customs and Lexus paid to this creation.
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Lexus sense of humour
“This car has so much Sriracha in it, we even christened it with Sriracha. Lexus vice president Brian Smith and Sriracha founder David Tran had the honours.”
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A trunk full
Just when you thought there was nowhere else to put Sriracha, they found more. There are 43 bottles of Sriracha in that trunk.
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“We flavour tested every inch of it, twice”
Lexus even made a driving jacket and mitts to go with the car. “Some cars require driving gloves. The handling on the Sriracha IS is so hot, custom oven mitts are necessary.”
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