Does every off-road vehicle need portal axles? Not exactly, but they are nice to have
The Lexus GX 550 is big, brutish, and bold, combining on-road comfort and presence with strong off-road abilities. For this year's SEMA Show, Mountain Yotas has leaned into the GX's rugged side and built the MTN 550 Recon. It makes a regular GX 550 look tame and appears capable of easily traversing even the most difficult of terrain.
Arguably the most significant modification is the fitment of custom black anodized 74Weld portal axles. The Mercedes-Benz G 63 AMG 6x6 of 2013 was one of the first high-end off-roaders with portal axles, and they help to significantly boost ground clearance – a key objective of this build. Other upgrades include Fox Live Valve shocks, billet upper control arms, billet rear links, and Fox Live Valve shocks at all four corners.
Mountain Yotas has then bolted on a set of forged beadlock wheels with huge 40-inch Mickey Thompson tires and fitted a Hardblock 4x4 front locker, combined with the standard center and rear locking differentials. Helping to keep all the SUV's important mechanical components safe from rock strikes are steel skid plates running along the length of the underside. A set of custom front and rear bumpers both revamps the look of the GX and maximizes approach and departure angles.
A Lexus GX with Rolls-Royce luxuries
The upgrades don't stop here. The MTN 550 Recon boasts rock sliders, a Warn EVO winch, and stainless steel fender flares, unlike the cheap plastic fenders most off-road-focused SUVs and pickups use. It also has loads of new LED driving lights, including in the front brush bar and on the roof. Speaking of the roof, it includes a custom steel rack. A pair of stainless steel snorkels also help this GX 550's twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 breathe during deep water crossings. The upgrades are so comprehensive that they even installed thermal cameras alongside ballistic-armored door panels.
Mountain Yotas opted not to mess with the GX's fabulous V6 engine, though they did craft a side-exit stainless steel exhaust system. As we discovered while driving the GX last year, it sounds fabulous in standard guise, so this one must sound absolutely insane.
The interior has been altered quite significantly. The seats and door panels are now trimmed in high-end Italian leather with genuine Alcantara accents found throughout. Mountain Yotas has added color with red contrast stitching and red Alcantara door trims, and installed a custom roof dash console to control all the auxiliary lights and the Starlink attached to the roof. A Rolls-Royce-inspired Starlight headliner boosts the GX's sense of luxury.
