ONCE again, the good old USA shows us not only how it is done but how hard it can be to modify four-wheel drives in Australia in order to keep on the right side of the law. When is the last time you saw a J150 Prado fitted with 37-inch tyres driving the streets of Sydney? I'll answer that for you, probably never. In America, where vehicle modification laws appear far more relaxed, this Lexus is the result of building what you want.
This Prado, sorry, Lexus GX470, is Chase's first 4WD, and I don't know many people who can say their first fourby was a V8-powered wagon on 37s. He decided to get into the game after messing around with a 2WD Toyota 4Runner, spending 15 years before that drifting his Nissan S13 which is still buried up the back of his garage. When asked about why he decided to build up a Lexus GX470, Chase said: "I wanted a reliable mid-size SUV for tight trails in Arizona, where I live, that was capable of getting me to some of the harder-to-reach spots in the south-west.
"All Lexus GX470s come with the extremely reliable 2UZ-FE V8 and are full-time 4WD with Torsen centre locking differential.
Finding a fourth-gen 4Runner with the same powertrain and low miles was extremely hard to do at the time as most of them came with a V6. Also, Lexus tend to be cared for better and not abused as much," Chase tells us.
"I bought this one in absolute mint condition, with only 99,000 miles on the clock. I managed to buy the nicest one I could find." So, while it probably can't be done legally in Australia, this is a damn good indicator that it can be done, and done well. Besides, it just looks cool. Let's take a closer look at one of the most insane Lexus GX470s we've ever seen.
SUSPENSION MODS
Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av 4x4 Magazine Australia.
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Denne historien er fra January 2023-utgaven av 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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CORRUGATIONS.SAND, AND SPINIFEX
WHEN TALKING LEGENDARY TRACKS, THE CANNING STOCK ROUTE HAS THE TITLE OF LONGEST HISTORICAL STOCK ROUTE IN THE WORLD, BUT TACKLING ITS 1850KM IN A 1970S LAND ROVER MAKES FOR ONE INTERESTING DRIVE FOR THE TV CREW FROM SERIOUSLY SERIES. YOU CAN SEE FOR YOURSELF BY VIEWING ROAD TO RUIN
PURE WATER
THE GUZZLE H2O STREAM IS THE IDEAL WATER PURIFICATION SOLUTION FOR PROVIDING A RELIABLE SOURCE OF CLEAN DRINKING WATER OFF THE GRID
DOES IT GET ANY TOUGHER FOR THE AT52S?
HAVING TACKLED SOME OF THE ROUGHEST TRACKS IN THE COUNTRY, THESE ALL-TERRAINS HAVE PASSED THE TEST
TOP 5 4X4 SPOTS IN SA
HERE ARE FIVE OF THE BEST 4X4 DESTINATIONS IN SOUTH AUSTRALIA
PLUGGING IN
GWM IS STUDYING THE VIABILITY OF PLUG-IN HYBRID VERSIONS OF ITS POPULAR 4X4S FOR THE AUSTRALIAN MARKET. WE GOT A CHANCE TO SAMPLE THEM ON TRACK
TOP TANK
WE HAVE COME AWAY IMPRESSED AFTER A WEEK IN GWM’S TANK 500 HYBRID 4X4.
HARD EARNED
HARD WORK AND THE RIGHT ADVICE HAVE HELPED JAMES ATKINSON BUILD THE PATROL OF HIS DREAMS
DYNAMIC DEBUT
OUR FIRST TASTE OF THE LC250 COMES IN THE FORM OF THE LEXUS GX550 OVERTRAIL, AND THIS LUXURY 4X4 WAGON IMPRESSES BOTH ON THE ROAD AND OFF IT
BLACK GROWLER
IF YOU’RE GOING TO SWAP FROM A DOUBLE-CAB UTE TO A 4X4 WAGON, YOU MIGHT AS WELL GO WITH THE BEST AVAILABLE. BRUCE HAS DONE JUST THAT AND EQUIPPED HIS GR SPORT 300 WITH THE BEST GEAR ON THE MARKET
2025 NISSAN PATROL MAKES GLOBAL DEBUT
CURTAINS DROP ON SEVENTH-GENERATION PATROL BUT NOT HERE UNTIL 2026
