If you’ve held off overlanding because you’ve been waiting for a 550 horsepower four-wheel drive supercharged Lexus, you need to check out this latest concept truck – the Lexus J201.
Set to debut this week at the 10-day-long Rebelle Rally with defending champions Rachelle Croft and Taylor Pawley behind the wheel, the Lexus J201 is based on the mighty LX 570 and elevates the art of overlanding with a dash of luxury and a whole lotta power.
Bolting a Magnuson supercharger under the hood amps output to 550 ponies and a like amount of torque. ARB air lockers help out underneath, along with front and rear 4.30 Nitro gears turning 33-inch General Grabber X3 tires. That’s a TJM Airtec snorkel serving as a raised intake, by the way.
Icon Vehicle Dynamics jumped on board this project with an upgraded suspension kit comprising of unique upper front control arms and lower arms out back. Adjusted OEM height sensors permit 4.8 inches of lift up front and 4.1 inches of lift in the rear. A brace of CBI offroad rock sliders and skid plates will help the defending champs navigate tough obstacles they’re sure to find along the Rebelle Rally course.
It wouldn’t be a true overlanding concept without a yaffle of aftermarket cargo and camping gear. Up top is a roof rack system from Prinsu that stores a set of MaxTrax recovery boards and serves as a mounting point for a surface-of-the-sun Rigid Industries light bar. That wicked CBI rear bumper is carrying water cans and spare tire plus a few other goodies. Behind it are a series of overlanding drawer modules for overlanding essentials and a pair of Zero Halliburton aluminum travel cases that look hella cool.
If you’re wondering about the name, it stems from the LX 570’s internal chassis and platform code – URJ201. Like some sort of automotive secret handshake, these types of designations are used by ardent fans of a particular brand, such as Land Cruiser aficionados who speak in a myriad of FJ60 and FJ80 codes (your author prefers the 80, by the way).
Look for updates about the Lexus J201 on the brand’s various social media properties during this month’s Rebelle Rally.