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’20 LEXUS LX 570-BASED J201 CONCEPT

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Rachelle Croft and Taylor Pawley of Team The X Elles #100 aren’t new to the Rebelle Rally either. Croft, based in Montana, came into the automotive scene full time in 2011 when she first rallied in Morocco. She has since competed in the Rebelle Rally multiple times. Last year she conquered the 4x4 class with navigator Pawley. This year they placed Second in the same class with the Lexus LX 570 concept vehicle.

Every vehicle has a purpose. What do you think your vehicle’s was as you completed the rally with it?

Rachelle Croft: Our vehicle's purpose was to prove that you can have luxury and comfort, yet still take on any obstacle an off-road-focused vehicle can—and do it all with style!

Taylor Pawley: The comfort and luxury of this vehicle, combined with its flawless performanc­e, gave us incredible confidence that we could do anything we needed and get anywhere we needed to go this rally.

What is the most memorable experience you had with your vehicle during the rally?

RC: Driving up a very steep, 4WD track to the top of a hill for a blue checkpoint. I put it in 4-Lo, engaged the rear locker, and climbed up smoothly without issue over loose and sharp rocks. After we reached the top, we then had to go down the other side, which took concentrat­ed tire placement and a slow descent to keep control. We reached the bottom and the Lexus didn't even have to think about what we just climbed up and descended.

TP: Well, I would say by no fault of the Lexus, the most memorable experience for me was the afternoon where we were running short on time, short on fuel, and then took a wrong turn leading to a treacherou­s and rocky track that resulted in a flat tire. After the tire change, the fuel light came on with still about 50 km left to go and, amazingly, we were able to get the vehicle to every checkpoint and make it to base camp on time.

Were there any challenges with it? Please explain.

RC: It was one of the heavier vehicles, which required lower tire pressure in the dunes and a little more care over the whoops of Johnson Valley. I also tried my best to keep the pinstripes at a minimum due to the larger size of the vehicle. I'd say the LX faired pretty well, but definitely has some good battle wounds that tell a story.

TP: Our only challenges came in the sand dunes where the incredibly hot temperatur­es of the last few days (105-plus degrees F) meant the sand was super soft. That combined with our heavier rig meant we weren’t able to choose all the lines that we wanted to.

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