From Farm to Road: How Lexus Made A Car From A Condiment

Lexus loves Sriracha as much as the eternal rest of us , so we talked to them about their one - of - a - kind , zesty collaboration with Huy Fong Foods , theLexus SrirachaIS . Designing a railroad car with Sriracha liquid state in the guidance wheel , in the trunk , and even in the primal fob take them to Underwood Ranches in Ventura County California , the Huy Fong Foods factory where Sriracha is made , and to the garage of West Coast Customs ( you have it away , Xzibit ’s onetime joint ) . Here ’s how they made the earth ’s most flamin ’ automobile .

They went straight to the Sriracha source

Lexus courageously tour the Huy Fong Foods ’ Irwindale , California , facilities for inspiration . It was n’t for the feint of nitty-gritty : Sriracha ’s main ingredient , the red jalapeno chili pepper , is relatively meek in comparability to the torturing ghost pepper , but flirt up millions of them sends the Scoville plate skywards , and makes mask necessary at the factory . Lexus recreated the experience with a “ Sriracha hot ” heating plant option that cranks the heat all the agency up to a July - like 85 degrees , a Sriracha liquid cast into the guidance steering wheel , and the custom , hot hot “ Sriracha Red ” paint job .

They stuck to Sriracha’s (literal) West Coast roots

Little known fact : since the ‘ 80s , all the jalapeno pepper used to make Sriracha have come from Underwood Ranches , a single farm located about an hour off from the Huy Fong Foods factory . Lexus turned farm - to - bottle into farm - to - gas pedal by draft LA - base West Coast Customs to create the SrirachaIS . ( And if they voice intimate , that ’s because this is the crew behind all those custom jobs on MTV’sPimp My Ride . ) Together , they worked to create a Lexus that was still premium , but anything but bland . special synergy ? Harvest time at Underwood Ranches ’ 1,700 acres is October , which is when the SrirachaISwent into output .

They even tried to put Sriracha in the paint

If you ’re going to make a customs car pep up by a condiment , it should look like it ’s perfectly drenched in it – and the Lexus SrirachaISdefinitely does . The peppers used to make Sriracha are only off the vine for a brace of hours before they are brought to the plant life for processing , which give the sauce that bright , bluff red colour ( ok , mayhap not that old bottle at the back of your fridge ) . West Coast Customs recreated it with a smear - on paint shade , and at one item they even put Srirachain the paintto essay to get the perfect people of colour . Besides being Sriracha red ink , the rouge that contains particle of gold – reminiscent of chili snowflake – then is coat in a clear gloss , just like the real nursing bottle .

They gave it the green stamp of legitimacy

As every spicehead knows , it ’s not legit Huy Fong Foods Sriracha without the signature tune green bottle cap . So Lexus was n’t just thinking about the stuff in the bottle when they designed the SrirachaIS ; they also incorporated wad of green elements into the elevator car , like green interior modality lighting , a green - tipped grillwork , green - tipped exhaust pipage , and green stitching on the seats . And , lest you bury this is still a luxury railway car , there are even dark-green - tip chrome tips on the side survey mirrors . It look so much like a Sriracha bottle , we wo n’t pick you for trying to thrash it .

They made a custom car for a custom condiment

Just like the Lexus SrirachaIS , Sriracha itself was a totally custom-made creation for Huy Fong Foods founding father , David Tran . He start make hot chili sauces in his native Vietnam in 1975 , then bought an old pharmaceutical edifice , which he converted into a mill , upon his arrival in the U.S. in 1980 . To this twenty-four hours , Tran has a hand in everything from design the factory ’s machinery to the barrels used to transport the pepper . Similarly , each element of the Lexus SrirachaISwas specifically crafted by Lexus and West Coast Customs .

They kept theLexusin Lexus SrirachaIS

While the machine is model after Sriracha , the forward-looking every - man condiment , it still has everything you would expect from a luxury brand . We ’re talking hired man - embroidering on the leather bottom , a console with a high - tech digital display , and three driving musical mode , including a “ Sriracha ” way for those who wish to make “ vroom ” noises when they ’re behind the wheel ( hangdog ) . It ’s also all - steering wheel private road , has lead headlamps , and a design that makes a statement . All that stuff is also available in the new2017 LexusIS , which is still spicy in its own way – though you ’ll have to fill up the body with Sriracha bottles yourself .