A big and black Lexus GX470, seen in the far northeast of Beijing. The ‘GX’ name stands for Grand Crossover, according to Lexus marketing speak. That’s fine with me, but I see an off-road capable SUV based on the Land cruiser Prado, a car that nobody would call a crossover.
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The first generation J120 Lexus GX was manufactured from 2004 until 2009. The GX470 was powered by a 4.7 liter V8 with 235 hp and 434 Nm. It was seriously capable off road, equipped with permanent four wheel drive, a center locking Torsen differential, and low-range gearing. Gearbox was a five-speed automatic.
The interior with beige leather sears and lots of classy wood, and an infotainment system that was rather advanced for its day.
It was very expensive in China. Import taxes on engines of over 4.0 liter can be as high as 40%, and the new price of a GX470 in 2004 was a truly massive 810.000 yuan. No wonder that they are very rare…
The license plate is from faraway Ningxia Province, a rough place where a car like the GX470 makes sense. The sequence 333555 is almost too good to be true, but the plate appeared to be real.
Have you seen a similar Lexus in China? Show us! You can upload images in the comments below.