The Lexus GX is an SUV with real off-road heritage. It’s closely related to the American Toyota Land Cruiser, which is known in other markets as the Land Cruiser Prado. It uses body-on-frame construction, and it has a four-wheel-drive system with a low range in the transfer case. It’s just that it takes all that and adds an even more powerful twin-turbo V6, and a luxurious cabin. Naturally, aftermarket companies (and even Lexus itself) have set about enhancing that capability.
Truthfully, though, most Lexus GX models will rarely, if ever, see dirt, so a Japanese tuner called Novel decided to restyle the SUV with an eye toward street use.
Novel Lexus GX 550 from the front three-quarter angleNovel
The Kit Comes From Lexus Specialists
You may not have heard about Novel, but if you’re into Lexus cars, you’ll want to know the company’s name. It’s a company based in Gifu, Japan, and it only works with Lexus vehicles. Depending on the model, Novel offers body kits, braking components, adjustable suspension, and exhaust systems. Not only that, but Novel has campaigned cars at the Nürburgring 24 Hours endurance race.
Novel’s body kit is the first product for the GX, and that means it doesn’t have any parts to upgrade the GX’s performance, at least not at the moment. Still, the kit does give the SUV a sportier look thanks to front and rear bumper extensions, plus some faux vents. The bumper extensions make the biggest difference to the look of the GX, making it look lower, even at stock ride height.
Novel Lexus GX 550 from the rear three-quarter angleNovel
The vents leave us a bit conflicted. We wish they were real, but they fit the body impressively well. We particularly like the way the rear vents connect the tops of the taillights to the lower edge of the tailgate and the reflectors. We also noticed that Novel seems to have made the rear bumper extension such that a tow hitch should still fit.
How Much Does It Cost?
The complete kit from Novel costs 461,000 yen, which comes to $2,909. The parts are all fiberglass, and will likely need to be painted to match your SUV. If you don’t like parts of the kit, say the vents, you can skip them, since all the components are available individually. The bumper extensions are the most expensive, with the front one at 147,000 yen ($928) and the rear at 140,000 yen ($884). The vents are comparably cheap at 87,000 yen ($549) for either the front or rear set.
Novel Lexus GX 550 from the sideNovel
CarBuzz Insight – Why This Matters:
If you were to turn any of Toyota’s traditional SUVs into something sporty, the GX would be one of the better ones to pick. It has a healthy twin-turbo V6 to start with, and since it’s not hybridized, it should be easy to tune. It also has a cool, chiseled shape that’s ripe for accenting.
Novel may be on to something with upgrading the GX for more than tackling dirt trails, and hopefully they go beyond looks to give it some extra performance to go with the styling.
Source: Novel via Carscoops
