Driver Julian Johan will compete in the Asia Cross Country Rally 2023 (AXCR) event in Thailand in August 2023. He was even desperate to turn a luxury SUV into a racing car worth IDR 1.6 billion.
It is known that the AXCR event is a very prestigious rally race in the Southeast Asian region. The rally race is even called the Dakar Rally of Southeast Asia. The reason is that the distance traveled by the rally participants reaches thousands of kilometers.
The luxury SUV used is the second generation Lexus LX 570. When it was first released in 2016, the car was priced at IDR 3.015 billion.
“I bought it second at that time at IDR 600 million,” said Julian Johan.
The car was chosen by Julian Johan because of its excellent reputation in offroad racing. Including in the world famous offroad racing event, the Dakar Rally.
It was from there that he then attempted to modify the Lexus LX 570 to compete in the AXCR 2023 race. The modifications were made not only to boost the car’s capabilities but also to meet regulatory standards set by the race committee.
“The total modification costs spent reached IDR 1 billion,” explained the man who was born on August 1, 1986.
The changes made are visible to the eye. Because the exterior does not experience many radical changes.
The changes made are visible to the eye. Because the exterior does not experience many radical changes.
However, in terms of new materials, the difference is felt because the car body already uses carbon fiber and polycarbonate. This was done to cut the weight of more than 150 kilograms from its original weight.
As for the interior, several components such as the rear seats, door trim panels, and several other accessories have been eliminated and replaced with a roll bar that extends from front to rear, 2 spare tires and the addition of a special rally navigation device.
The front seats have also undergone a change using a racing model with FIA standards to provide comfort and safety for drivers and co-drivers during competitions.
The Land Cruiser 200 engine specifications use a 5700cc V8 3UR-FE mechanical heart that uses Motul 300V oil, has a forged internal material with a full exhaust system. It should be noted that the 3UR-FE engine is the highest engine type in the 200 series and is the standard engine for the American version of the Land Cruiser 200 and the Lexus LX570 engine which is the twin brother of the Land Cruiser 200.
Likewise the legs sector which is the main foundation for hitting all terrain in the AXCR 2023 competition, Julian Johan explained that to support his performance, he has replaced parts so that his abilities are more optimal.
The car is now equipped with a suspension system, the Toyota Tundra with the Total Chaos Fabrication arm mated to the King Shocks shockbreaker. Regarding the use of tires, seeing that the terrain that he will pass is so extreme, he entrusts the capabilities of the BFGoodrich K02 & KM3 tires with a size of 285/70 ring 17 and Braid Wheels Dakar wheels measuring 17×8.
For the Class followed by Julian Johan in the Asia Cross Country Rally 2023, he will compete with several participants from the Asian Region, at T1G. According to him, this class is very prestigious because it is followed by gasoline-engined cars with a 4×4 propulsion system.
“I hope to be able to fly the Indonesian flag in that event. But the most important thing is to finish in very good condition,” said Julian Johan.
