Monthly Archives: October 2026

If you've been around the Lexus IS F, RC F, GS F, IS 500 or LC 500 for any amount of time, you've seen the NOVEL Racing Japan name. On forums, at meets, on time attack cars. And we get asked pretty often who they actually are and why we work with them so closely.

So let's talk about it. This is less of a product post and more of the background on one of the brands we've built a lot of Mod in Japan around.

What happened: how NOVEL and Mod in Japan connect

NOVEL Racing Japan is a Japanese tuning company focused on Lexus. That focus is the whole point. Most aftermarket brands try to cover dozens of platforms. NOVEL's catalog is built around the Lexus performance cars, which means a lot of their development time goes into a small number of cars.

Mod in Japan imports directly from NOVEL in Japan. We've supported them for years, including at the Nürburgring, and a lot of what we know about these cars came from working alongside them. That relationship is a big part of why we stock their parts

This one comes up a lot. Someone with an 86, a BRZ or a GR86 finds our HighSpark GR86 ignition coils, sees two listings, and asks which one is theirs. Fair question, because the two kits aren't interchangeable and the names don't make it obvious. But before fitment, let's talk about why the upgrade is worth it.

Quick note: HighSpark doesn't currently list a Premium kit for the GR86/BRZ, so the Standard Type A and Type C kits are the ones to look at.

So let's walk through how to figure it out, why we recommend replacing the whole set, and when coils are even worth looking at in the first place.

Why upgrade from stock coils?

If you're going to replace the coils on your 86, BRZ or GR86 anyway, this is a good spot to upgrade instead of just putting stock back in. HighSpark rates their spark output at 2 to 2.5 times more powerful than an OEM coil. That stronger spark is what sharpens throttle response, and HighSpark stabilizes the voltage coming out of the coil, so the engine runs smoother and

A lot of RC F owners call us with the same RC F build plan. They want headers, coilovers, carbon aero and a tune, and they want it all done this month. Totally understand. The RC F makes you want to do everything at once.

My concern with doing it all in one go is that you end up paying for some work twice. You set the ride height, then the aero goes on and you want it lower. Or the car gets louder and faster, and then a tired coil pack starts acting up and you're chasing a misfire on a car you just spent real money on.

So let's walk through how we'd sequence an RC F build if it were our car. This isn't the only way to do it. It's just the order that, from what we see with customers, causes the fewest headaches.

The biggest takeaway first: RC F build order

Do the reliability work before the power work, and do the suspension before the aero. If you remember nothing else from this post, remember that. The rest is details.

Step 1: Get the ignition healthy

The 2UR V8 is a great engine. It's