‘Fast Lane Truck’ Tests 2015 GX 460 On Cliffhanger 2.0
Host Roman Mica convinces a 2015 GX 460 owner to take his Lexus off-road on one of Colorado’s toughest off-road trails.
As part of our Off-Road Wednesday series, we decided that showing off this 2015 Lexus GX 460 would be a great way to start things off. The 2015 Lexus GX 460 is one of the more iconic multi-purpose off-roaders on the market. It’s the right size, with the right amount of off-road friendly features and options. On the inside, it’s a perfect blend of luxury and familiarity. The GX 460 is an SUV that’s consistent with its ability to amaze – both on and off-road. More and more, the GX’s have been transformed into overland builds that dreams are made of. They’re Toyota 4Runners in a tuxedo – always dapper, but always ready.
A few years ago, Roman Mica with The Fast Lane Truck met with Nathan, an off-road enthusiast who just so happened to own a GX 460. When the chance to take it off-road with Mica as the passenger seat presented itself, Nathan couldn’t help but take it. However, Nathan’s Lexus isn’t just any GX 460. Well, before meeting Mica to tackle the Cliffhanger 2.0, he’d spent a pretty penny on some modifications.
The trusty 4.6 liter V8 was left alone — but Nathan figured the stock height wasn’t enough to suit his off-road needs. So, he lifted the Lexus by a good three inches by way of an Old Man Emu BP51 desert racing setup with accommodating upper control arms. Having taken the Lexus to Moab before meeting up with Mica, the OME set up was well worth it. Additionally, the stock tires were swapped out for beefier all-terrain tires. Aside from that, Nathan felt confident the Lexus could handle anything the world threw at it. Including the Cliffhanger 2.0. The duo aired down the tires to 21 psi, and headed up the mountain.
“Many of you may be wondering why I’m not driving,” Mica said to the dash-mounted camera. “So, I’m going to answer that with another question.” He turns to Nathan to ask him how much the Lexus cost him. Upon finding the GX 460 cost a little more than $50,000, Mica said to Nathan: “So, this is your baby. Your very expensive baby, and I don’t want to damage it. I’ll leave that to you.”
Heading up the mountain, the mood was friendly. Mica and Nathan would express their excitement and confidence they had in the vehicle. That was, until the terrain became more challenging. As the difficulty of the trail increased, so did the tension in the vehicle.
“So far so good,” said Nathan. “It’s kind of interesting with the loose rock here… It’ll be a good challenge for the A-track system to make sure it doesn’t get overwhelmed.”
Nathan drove the Lexus confidently up the hill. The Lexus happily climbed up the loose rocks and silty dust, thanks to the upgraded tires and increased ground clearance. At the top, the two took a moment to appreciate the vehicle and the feat it had accomplished. Despite it not necessarily being stylistically designed for tough trails with the unfavorable departure and approach angles, the lack of damage from the trail surprised Mica. Not Nathan, though, having collected some trail damage on his rear bumper from his previous trip to Moab.
“This is meant to be a Swiss Army Knife,” notes Nathan. “It can kind of do everything, but I don’t know that it does anything best of breed, necessarily.”
Hopefully, we’ll get to see him transform it into something that could tackle even harder trails. His confidence in his Lexus is admirable – and we sincerely hope to see more on trails like the Cliffhanger 2.0.
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