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Compared to many automakers, Toyota has taken its time before fully shifting to electrification. So much so that company ex-CEO and Chairman Akio Toyoda, also known as Morizo, announced that combustion engines would stay in Toyota's portfolio amid the EV era.
While the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon is home to several insane custom builds like the Liberty Walk Lamborghini Countach, a Toyota-badged sports car with an understated yet familiar design has appeared at the show. For the uninitiated, the build is a nod to the Toyota S-FR concept unveiled at the 2015 Tokyo Motor Show, a roadster we wished had reached production status as the perfect Mazda MX-5 Miata fighter.
The Tokyo Auto Salon includes a side event called the Tokyo Outdoor Show, a magnet for products that love some fresh air rough-and-tumble. Last year, Lexus took a trio of vehicles under the «Overtrail» banner, that word a mix of «overland» and «trail.» There was another take on the hydrogen-powered side-by-side Lexus has had on show since 2021, as well as an RX Outdoor Concept based on the Lexus RX 450+ PHEV and a GX Outdoor Concept for more serious overlanding. This year, Lexus applied the Overtrail moniker directly to its Tokyo Auto Salon ride, the 2024 GX 550 Overtrail created with Japan 4x4 parts company JAOS. The automaker has worked with JAOS on race rigs built on the LX 600, competing in the Baja 1000 for at least the last two years.
You know what’s great about gearheads being at the helm of a car company instead of dour bedwetting accountants? Entertaining product tends to crop up, that’s what. And while the machine shown here is not intended for the North American market, we think there could be a case for it on this side of the pond.
If you want the performance of a GR Yaris or GR Corolla wrapped up in something more upmarket, may we present you with the Lexus LBX Morizo RR Concept.
Lexus has unveiled the LBX Morizo RR Concept at the Tokyo Auto Salon, showcasing a potential production powerhouse.
► The Lexus LBX gets a dose of fun ► Thanks to Akio Toyoda ► And a turbocharged three-cylinder engine
Lexus has revealed a high performance concept version of its LBX SUV. Called the LBX Morizo RR Concept, its moniker is in reference to Toyota Chairman Akio Toyoda’s nickname, who personally oversaw and signed off the concept’s development leading up to the 2024 Tokyo Auto Salon show.