Autoblog Drives Lexus GXOR Concept, Immediately Falls in Love

Lust Worthy

When we first laid eyes on Lexus' bonkers GXOR Concept, it was love at first sight. We've always known that the GX is an off-roader at heart, underneath all those luxury appointments, so we were happy to see Lexus embrace that fact. Autoblog was lucky enough to get to drive this lust-worthy machine recently, and now, we just want one even worse than before. 

Photos: Autoblog

Growing Trend

We've always known that the body-on-frame, Toyota Land Cruiser-in-a-business-suit was quite capable of going just about anywhere. But ultimately, that's not something that most GX owners are willing to do. But as Autoblog points out, it was a small but growing group of enthusiasts that prompted Lexus to build the GXOR in the first place. 

Photos: Autoblog

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Still Civilized

The reviewer was able to drive the GXOR alongside a regular GX460 on a variety of surfaces, which provided the perfect opportunity to compare and contrast the two. Right off the bat, the reviewer notes that the concept's off-road tires and other mods don't affect the GX's on-road manners too badly. "Other than some expected road noise from the knobby tires, the cabin is as isolated from the outside world as that of any other Lexus." 

Photos: Autoblog

>>Join the conversation about the GXOR Concept right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Surprising Improvement

In fact, they note that "in some ways, the modified truck is posher than it was the day it left the factory." This can be attributed to the GXOR's custom Icon Stage 6 suspension setup, which actually improves ride quality on paved surfaces, thanks to its ability to soak up bumps and other imperfections. Pretty impressive for a purpose-built vehicle. 

Photos: Autoblog

>>Join the conversation about the GXOR Concept right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Slight Suffering

Despite the addition of a performance exhaust and 4.56 gears, the GXOR doesn't quite accelerate as fast as a GX460. This is likely due to all the extra equipment on board, which obviously adds weight. Regardless, fuel economy didn't suffer too badly, as the reviewer saw 16-17 mpg on the road over the course of their trip. 

Photos: Autoblog

>>Join the conversation about the GXOR Concept right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Rough Stuff

Of course, the GXOR truly shines once the pavement ends. It's equipped with ARB lockers, and yet our reviewer only had to engage them just once on a training course. And that's only because the traction control was having a bit of a fit over some rough surfaces, even after it was shut off. After the lockers were engaged, the GXOR drove out with zero drama. 

Photos: Autoblog

>>Join the conversation about the GXOR Concept right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

Leaving an Impression

In the end, Autoblog came away seriously impressed with the GXOR. "Lexus reps report that they were completely blindsided by the massive interest the GXOR concept has been generating—and from driving it for a week, we have to agree," our reviewer concluded. So perhaps there's a chance we'll see a production version of the GXOR Concept after all? For now, we can only hope. 

Photos: Autoblog

>>Join the conversation about the GXOR Concept right here in the Club Lexus Forum!

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