Follow us today...
Lexus and its mother company, Toyota, have been a roll creating awesome SUVs. The Toyota Land Cruiser and Lexus GX550 share the same J250 chassis, but there are some key differences, allowing prospective buyers to choose whatever suits their needs best. To no surprise, Lexus GX550 owners love to modify and personalize their SUV, similarly to what Land Cruiser owners do to their vehicles.
This got me thinking, what is the perfect-spec Lexus GX550? While scouting the 2024+ Lexus GX (GX 550 & GX 550H) group on Facebook, I think I stumbled upon the answer. Grant Peters, who is a veteran member of the group, posted an interesting post of his personalized Lexus GX550 Overtrail Plus, which is already the model's most off-road-oriented version. The post is accompanied by some high-quality images (some of which I used for the purpose of this article).
I decided to write about this owner's Lexus GX550 because I think these are the most essential mods you can do to a rugged, luxury SUV like this one, and it could also inspire other SUV owners to modify their vehicles in a similarly tasteful manner.
Grant Peters: “Haven’t posted for some time. GX550 build is pretty solid and basically done”.
-
Suspension - ICON Vehicle Dynamics
-
Wheels - ICON Alloys
-
Bumpers, Sliders, Rack - Dissent Offroad
-
Satin PPF - Beyond Wraps
-
Hidden Winch (behind front plate) - Come-Up Winch
-
Lighting - Rigid Industries
Build breakdown - the cost of perfection
I decided to check the pricing for each of the mods the owner did to his GX550, and clearly, no expense has been spared.
-
The lifted suspension by ICON Vehicle Dynamics works with the factory KDSS system. Depending on which variant you go for (the owner does not specify), a suspension kit like this would set you back from $2,575 to $4,070.
-
The ICON alloy wheels, which seem to be Satin black RECON SLX, will set you back $328 with a discount (that's active at the time of writing this article), but the usual price is around $395 a piece.
-
The high-clearance bumper, roof rack, and sliders will set you back just under $1,800 each, making for a hefty $5,395 for the whole kit.
-
The Atomic Silver wrap with PPF will set you back at least $4,000 for a mid-size SUV like the Lexus GX550.
-
The hidden winch will set you back around $1,680 or more, depending on the model and fitment.
-
Rigid industries lightbar – while I couldn't pinpoint the exact model in the company's catalogue (there are many), this piece of equipment will set you back from $334 to around $4,000, depending on how many fallen suns you want to illuminate.
All in all, the owner has spent over $15,000 in accessories. Given the Lexus GX550 Overtrail Plus’ starting MSRP of $81,195, we are looking at a near-as-makes-no-difference, $100,000 build.
A true old-school off-road build
The Lexus GX550 is one of the very few luxury SUVs that are meant for off-roading. Even its plainer counterpart, the Toyota Land Cruiser J250, manages to beat more powerful and high-tech rivals off the beaten path, solidifying the Japanese SUV's reputation as a do-it-all, go-anywhere platform.
There are many reasons why people would upgrade to the GX550 over the Land Cruiser. The more upscale interior and non-hybrid V-6 are the key factors here. To me, this signifies that the owner wants a less-complicated SUV, which will be used as intended. Toyota's 3.4-liter, twin-turbo V-6 may have had some issues, but those have been sorted out by now.
With 349 horsepower and 478 pound-feet, this boxy off-roader can sprint to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and return a respectable 17 MPG combined (21 highway/ 15 city). According to a Reddit discussion, owners are easily managing 21 MPG highway, at speeds of 75 to 80 mph, which means EPA ratings don't do the Lexus GX550 enough justice as they simulate lower speeds.
What do you think about Grant's GX550 Overtrail Plus build? Would you have done anything differently? This Japanese SUV looks like the kind of build someone does for a "forever truck” or at least something that won't be sold anytime soon. I invite you to share your thoughts in the comment section below.
Dimitar Angelov's automotive interests made him an expert in a wide variety of vehicles. Japanese brands like Toyota are closest to his heart, although performance cars in general are his favorite segment, which is why he is constantly on the lookout for the best deals on the market. Dimitar Angelov's car passion and knack for the written word led him to complete a Master of Arts in Media and Communications, and classic car restoration. Dim is happy to get behind the wheel of any car and share his impressions. You can follow Dimitar on X, Linked-in, Instagram, and Facebook.
Follow us today...
