The Right Amount Of GoodiesJapan's automotive culture is all about self-expression; that means there is no shortage of tuning houses and aftermarket parts for any car. The Japanese aren't known to shy away from aesthetic upgrades, and various tuners can give buyers the looks they really want.You'd think most mods would cater to cars, specifically Japanese performance models. However, a growing and somewhat exploding segment has been the aftermarket support for SUVs and off-roaders.NOVELLexus SpecialistsNovel Racing is what you think it is: a fully-fledged race team from Japan that competes in the 24 Hours of Nürburgring using Lexus vehicles. Racing is the best way to test one's expertise and capabilities in tuning, and as such, Novel has become Japan's Lexus specialists. Another part of their business is creating mods for both performance and aesthetics for privately owned, road-going Lexus cars.Novel's latest project takes on one of Lexus' in-demand SUVs, the GX550. Novel prides itself on being a proud "Made in Japan" brand, which speaks to its craftsmanship. When you think about the brand name, it's no surprise they strive to create something completely new and unlike anything else.The GX550 project is actually their first attempt at dressing up and kitting out a real off-roader. It isn't just a random kit, mind you; with a true racing background, proper aerodynamic properties were baked into the GX550's Kit. The front features a spoiler reminiscent of an air inlet, the rear has a diffuser-shaped under spoiler, and the sides are shaped like air vents. Overall, the Novel kit is very subtle, and you could mistake it for a factory kit unless you look closer. The kit is listed as a pure exterior upgrade, and doesn't include any changes to the interior or the performance of the GX550.NOVELCustomizeableThe Novel GX550 kit is available as separate pieces or as a complete kit; the full body kit in Japan costs $3,200 (converted). The individual pieces include the front spoiler, rear fender duct, rear under spoiler, and front fender duct. Individual pieces range from $600 (converted) to $1,200 (converted). Currently, the kit is only announced for Japan; upon checking, NOVEL's U.S. site doesn't carry it yet.NOVEL