The Rebelle Rally kicks off on October 8, 2020. And the two defending champions, Rachelle Croft and Taylor Pawley, will be piloting Lexus’ latest overland concept, codenamed the J201.
Based upon the URJ201 Lexus LX570, it was outfitted by Expedition Overland in collaboration with a handful of other brands. The result is a beefed up but super stylish LX that, thanks to its Magnuson supercharger, churns out 550 horsepower and 550 foot-pounds of torque.
The J201 now rides on a new suspension from Icon Vehicle Dynamics that can raise the front of the rig by 4.8 inches and the rear by 4.1 inches, just in case they need a bit more ground clearance on the fly.
ARB air lockers were added in the front and rear at the same time as a re-gearing of both differentials. Those beefed-up diffs route power to 33-inch General Grabber X3 tires wrapped around 17-inch wheels.
The front, rear, side, and underside of the J201 are protected by bumpers, sliders, and skids designed by CBI. The rear bumper is a dual swing-out that includes a full-size spare and two five-gallon water cans. A ladder was also added to the rear hatch for easier access to the roof rack.
The rear-end of the truck was further up-fitted with some drawers that include built-in dog bowls. On top of the draws sit some aluminum roller bags, which, if I am honest, don’t really feel appropriate for either Rebelle or overlanding. Clearly, someone in the Lexus marketing or design studios decided they needed to make an addition to the build.
This is one super cool truck and one that will likely be as capable as it is comfortable. I just wish Lexus was a little more supportive of overland equipment from its showrooms. I’d love to see Lexus offer some of these additions at the dealership rather than just in concept form.
You can keep up with Croft and Pawley, as well as the rest of the Rebelle Rally, on the event’s website.
Header image: Lexus