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.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2023-Ausgabe von 4x4 Magazine Australia.
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Diese Geschichte stammt aus der January 2023-Ausgabe von 4x4 Magazine Australia.
Starten Sie Ihre 7-tägige kostenlose Testversion von Magzter GOLD, um auf Tausende kuratierte Premium-Storys sowie über 8.000 Zeitschriften und Zeitungen zuzugreifen.
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OUTBACK WATERING HOLES
SINCE OFF TRACK WINES WAS LAUNCHED, OWNERS ANNA AND BRETT FISHER HAVE DRIVEN MORE THAN 20,000KM UP, DOWN AND ACROSS AUSTRALIA SPRUIKING THEIR WINES-IN-A-CAN MADE FOR CAMPING. THEY DROPPED INTO PLENTY OF OUTBACK PUBS ALONG THE WAY AND THESE ARE THEIR SOUTH AUSTRALIAN FAVOURITES
BIG COUNTRY
THE PILBARA IS THE VERY DEFINITION OF BIG COUNTRY, AND THERE IS PLENTY TO SEE, DO AND ENJOY IN THIS ANCIENT LANDSCAPE IN WA'S RUGGED NORTHWEST
ISLAND PARADISE
NEAR THE TOP OF THE BUCKET LIST FOR EVERY AUSSIE FOUR-WHEEL DRIVER, K'GARI IS PACKED WITH STUNNING HIGHLIGHTS AND BOASTS SOME OF THE BEST BEACH DRIVING IN THE COUNTRY
WEIGHTLIFTING
INCREASING THE GVM OF YOUR 4X4 SHOULD NOT BE TAKEN LIGHTLY, BUT BY THE SAME TOKEN SHOULD NOT BE AVOIDED IF YOU NEED IT. WE GO THROUGH THE PROCESS ON OUR FORD RANGER TO EXPLAIN HOW TO GET IT RIGHT
NOW HEAR THIS
THE CEL-FI GO MOBILE BOOSTER WILL KEEP EMAILS, MESSAGES AND CALLS COMING THROUGH TO YOUR DEVICES WHEN EVERYBODY ELSE IS HEARING CRICKETS
LOOKING BACK
A PAIR OF MSA 4X4 TOWING MIRRORS ENSURE WE ALWAYS KNOW WHAT'S GOING ON BEHIND US WHEN WE HAVE A TRAILER HITCHED TO OUR MITSUBISHI TRITON
TRUCKIN' LIFE
CAN FORD AUSTRALIA'S NEW F-150 BE AN ACCOMPLISHED OFF-ROAD TOURING 4X4?
WHAT LURKS BENEATH
IT MAY LOOK LIKE A FAIRLY STANDARD (IF CLEAN) 80 SERIES, BUT DIVE A LITTLE DEEPER AND YOU'LL FIND A MONSTER BELOW THE SURFACE
EYE OF THE HURRICANE
RAM HAS DUMPED ITS HEMI V8FOR A SIX-CYLINDER, AND IT'S COMING TO AUSTRALIA
GETTING TANKED
GWM EXPANDS IT TANK 4X4 RANGE WITH THE LUXURIOUS TANK 500 WAGON