Lexus LX 570 J201 concept revealed

The Lexus LX 570 J201 concept has broken cover in the USA – a mean-looking mud-slinger with serious off-road upgrades and a stunning 410kW supercharged V8 petrol engine.

Revealed by Lexus’ North American operation, the vehicle has been designed to compete in a 10-day rally that stretches across California and Nevada, the Rebelle Rally, and shows there’s plenty of life left in the ageing Toyota LandCruiser-based Lexus LX large SUV.

Built in conjunction with off-road specialist Expedition Overland, upgrades to the Lexus LX 570 J201 concept include a lift kit that raises ride height by up to 4.8 inches (122mm) at the front and 4.1 inches (104mm) at the rear.

New front upper and rear lower control arms from Icon Vehicle Dynamics are designed to take a beating.

The Lexus LX 570’s connection with the dirt is via 17-inch EVO Corse DakarZero rims shod with 33-inch General Grabber X3 tyres. Even the anchors have been upgraded, with StopTech drilled disc brakes and performance pads at both ends.

While we reckon the 4.5-litre turbo-diesel V8 would be an ideal engine for an 4x4 weapon like the Lexus J201, Americans prefer petrol power and so a Magnuson supercharger has been plumbed into the 5.7-litre petrol V8 to increase power and torque from 270kW/530Nm to 410kW/745Nm.

The engine sucks in air through a TJM Airtec snorkel, and the extra power has seen upgraded differentials added to ensure reliable desert duelling.

As well as upgraded underbody bash plates for the front end, transfer case and fuel tank, the front bumper has been modified to fit a winch and a 30-inch (762mm) light bar. There’s also reinforced side skirts, or rock sliders, while the rear end gets a new bumper and swing-out cargo modules to carry the spare wheel and water reserves.

Heavy-duty roof racks are added, complete with a front 40-inch (1106mm) LED light bar and rear ladder, while the boot packs in twin drawers for storage and a recovery kit.

While this rip-snorting concept has very little chance of becoming a production model (or ever coming Down Under), it could serve as a precursor for a Toyota LandCruiser Rugged X that is anticipated when the new LandCruiser 300 Series arrives in 2021.

Toyota Australia has indicated its interest in an Aussie-engineered Rugged X model that would be tailor-made for off-roading.

The next-generation Lexus LX is set to break cover in 2022.

Lexus Australia spokesperson Daniel DeGasperi declined to comment on any specifics of the next-gen LandCruiser-based Lexus LX.

“The LX is a great seller for Lexus in Australia, it’s a much-loved vehicle and any future production planning we’d love to see. But we can’t comment further than that at the moment,” he said.

As for the J201 name, it is derived from the LX 570’s internal Lexus chassis and platform code, URJ201, which aligns closely with the current Toyota LandCruiser 200 Series.

The current Lexus LX has found 237 customers thus far in 2020, which accounts for an 8.5 per cent share of the upper-large luxury SUV market. The Mercedes-Benz GLS (658), BMW X7 (643) and Land Rover Discovery (625) are the league leaders in the big luxury SUV space, each with around 23 per cent market share.