Review: 2025 Lexus LX700h Overtrail
A 4WD That Is Highly Capable, Moderately Practical
The 2025 Lexus LX 700h Overtrail is an enigma. It’s the Japanese luxury brand’s flagship SUV, yet for every positive, there seems to be a negative. Driving on Southeastern Wisconsin freeways and country roads, the LX 700h demonstrates many strengths. It’s powerful, supremely comfortable, loaded with easy-to-use technology, and its ride is buttery smooth. However, I spot the shortcomings, too. The Lexus LX 700h has a hybrid powertrain, but it’s not that efficient, it lacks interior space for its massive size, and it handles poorly.
To get the most out of it, I should tap into its greatest strength by venturing off the beaten path. Instead, I’m driving it like most buyers will – to get from Point A to Point B. The 2025 Overtrail represents two firsts. The hybrid powertrain and the Overtrail trim are both new for the LX this year, and both contribute to advanced off-road prowess.
The hybrid system consists of a twin-turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 from the LX 600 with an electric motor mounted between the engine and 10-speed automatic transmission. The engine spins up 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque, and the electric motor increases total output to 457 horsepower and a stump-pulling 583 pound-feet of torque.
Unlike other Toyota/Lexus hybrid systems, the LX 700h has a traditional starter and alternator rather than using the electric motor for their functions. That’s to keep the powertrain working should the hybrid system somehow fail while the Overtrail is off-roading. The precise power delivery offered by the hybrid system can also be a boon when off-roading in situations when a slight tip of the throttle might get you onto solid footing.
More than that, though, the hybrid system makes the LX quicker and more efficient, but not by much in either case. The 0-60 mph time drops from 6.9 to 6.4 seconds, and fuel economy improves by 2 mpg, to 19 mpg city, 22 highway, and 20 combined – all for an additional $9,000 over the price of the LX 600. You won’t recoup that cost any time soon.
Every LX comes standard with a full-time four-wheel-drive system with low-range gearing, a locking center differential, and a hydraulic suspension that can raise the ground clearance by two inches from the standard 8.3 inches for off-roading. The Overtrail trim goes further by adding 33-inch all-terrain tires on 18-inch wheels and front and rear locking differentials.
A big footprint, a tall ride height, mushy tires, and an off-road-tuned suspension hurt the LX’s handling, but the 265/70R18 Toyo Open Country A/T III tires that roll over during sharp changes of direction also work in concert with the double-wishbone front suspension, multi-link independent rear suspension, and standard adaptive dampers to soak up even sharp bumps. The LX’s TNGA-F ladder frame platform causes only modest pickup truck-like jiggle on broken pavement.
The hydraulic suspension is not as advanced as the air suspensions of several rivals, lacking the ability to react to road conditions in real time and doing nothing to fight the LX 700h’s copious body lean through corners. The LX drives bigger than its considerable size, with slow steering that has a little play on center and more body lean than you’d get in the even larger Cadillac Escalade or Lincoln Navigator.
The last generation of the LX offered the Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System of hydraulic-linked active anti-roll bars that fought body lean and provided greater wheel articulation for off-roading. The new generation would benefit from KDSS as well. How about it, Lexus? The tradeoff for the poor handling is amazing off-road prowess. Few vehicles on the market have front and rear lockers, which can be deployed to lock the wheels on an axle should one wheel slip to find traction with the other. That’ll get you out of tough situations that other adventure vehicles can’t.
The hybrid system’s nickel-metal hydride battery is located in the rear floor area and sealed within a box to keep it dry as the vehicle fords up to 27.5 inches of water. Lexus provides a front skid plate and two additional protective plates to protect the underbody from off-road hazards.
The LX 700h also has a two-speed transfer case for low-range gearing, and each of the H4 (High 4) and L4 (Low 4) ranges has its own drive modes. Auto, Sand, and Mud modes are common to both ranges, while H4 adds Deep Snow and L4 adds Rock mode. Those modes are in addition to the standard on-road drive modes that consist of Normal, Eco, Comfort, Sport S, Sport S+, and programmable Custom.
Beyond that, the LX 700h offers five settings of Crawl Control that set the vehicle speed to get through tricky off-road situations. This system comes with Turn Assist that brakes the inside rear wheel to shorten turns. A standard Multi-Terrain Monitor uses four cameras to provide a panoramic view, as well as underfloor, front, and rearview images on the 12.3-inch infotainment touchscreen. A smaller 7.0-inch touchscreen below that screen offers such off-road data as brake and accelerator percentage, vehicle height, differential lock status, and Crawl Control setting. This screen also handles the climate and ambient lighting controls.
Inside, the LX 700h Overtrail combines technology with unmistakable luxury. Tech features run the gamut from 12.3-inch screens for infotainment and the gauge cluster to a rear camera mirror to a 4G wi-fi hotspot to a digital key. High-quality materials include soft semi-aniline leather upholstery and black open-pore wood trim. The LX 700h Overtrail also comes loaded with amenities, including heated and ventilated first- and second-row seats, massaging front seats, a heated steering wheel, and a cool box.
However, the cabin offers only modest utility. At 200.6 inches long, the LX is about a foot shorter than the standard wheelbase version of the Cadillac Escalade, or about as long as the Dodge Durango. My Overtrail tester has the third-row delete option, which is just as well because the underfloor battery cuts into both cargo space and third-row passenger space. The LX 700h has only 7.2 cubic feet of cargo space with the rear row up and 62.8 cubic feet with the second and third rows folded flat. The latter figure is about nine cubic feet less than the LX 600. It’s even less space than the compact Toyota RAV4.
The Overtrail may sit atop the LX lineup for off-road capability, but it’s the least expensive LX. It’s priced at $115,350, including a $1,350 destination fee. For that money, buyers get the smoothest riding LX and the most capable off-roader in the Lexus lineup, though they have to give up handling and pay more for a marginal efficiency gain. Even flagship models don’t have it all.
Images Source: Lexus
Tags: Featured
2025 McLaren Artura Spider Review: Droptop With A Split Personality
by Kirk Bell
in McLaren News, Reviews
Image Source: McLaren Automotive
“Twenty, twenty, TWENTY,” my mom screams, as I approach a 90-degree bend preceded by a 20 mph sign on a country road near her home in Bumpkinville, Wisconsin. I’m doing plenty in the McLaren Artura Spider, and slow to about 40 mph for the turn, which the car handles with ease.
“Are you trying to kill your mother?” she asks.
“No, mom, that would kill me too,” I reply. “This car has a lot of capability.”
That’s the engaging supercar side of the Artura Spider’s multifaceted personality. As a plug-in hybrid, it can also be an electric economy car or an everyday driver.
The Artura is McLaren’s entry-level supercar, and the Spider fills the droptop role. It features a power-operated hardtop that opens or closes in just 11 seconds at speeds up to 30 mph. Carbon-composite construction means the top adds just 136 pounds versus the coupe.
Electric Economy Car
McLaren also limits the weight added by its plug-in hybrid powertrain, which consists of an axial-flux motor in the eight-speed dual-clutch automatic transmission, a twin-turbocharged V6, and a 7.4-kWh battery. The hybrid system adds just 287 pounds, which keeps the curb weight down to a reasonable 3,439 pounds.
The V6’s 120-degree V makes it spread wider and sit lower than the typical 60-degree V6s in mainstream cars. A dry sump oiling system lets it sit even lower, and the 94 horsepower and 117 pound-feet of the electric motor contribute to a total system output of 690 horsepower and 531 pound-feet of torque.
Start the Artura and it defaults to the Electric mode, which can be used up to 81 mph and effectively gives this sleek supercar silent propulsion and the power of a Smart ForTwo. The small battery enables a modest 11 miles of electric range, so Electric mode is best used to save fuel in heavy traffic or when driving in emissions-free city zones.
Everyday driver
Click the powertrain controller on the right side of the instrument panel to Comfort and do the same for the suspension on the left side of the IP, and the Artura Spider becomes a comfortable everyday driver.
The car can run on electricity in Comfort mode, but step hard on the throttle and the V6 fires up with a pleasing “whum.” In Comfort, the exhaust note doesn’t drown out conversation, and the transmission and engine are relaxed. A deep stab of the throttle will unleash all 690 horses, but it’s just as happy to chill. Comfort also maintains a five-percent charge in the battery, which is important because reverse gear only runs on electricity.
The Artura Spider is made from pretty exotic stuff. It’s built around a new mid-engine carbon-fiber tub called the McLaren Carbon Lightweight Architecture (MCLA), and it’s set on sticky 235/35R19 front and 295/35R20 rear Pirelli P Zero Corsa tires. That’s all aimed at performance, but the Artura manages to ride well enough to make it comfortable for regular duty. In their softest setting, the adaptive dampers absorb most bumps like a sport sedan.
City and highway driving give me time to check out the interior. My test car is equipped with the heated, power-adjustable comfort seats that have big bolsters to keep me situated in the corners but leave room for wider backsides. The $9,400 Performance Spec includes high-quality Alcantara upholstery with orange piping, and a $1,600 black package adds gloss-black plastic trim.
Engaging supercar
The Mr. Hyde side of the Artura’s multiple personalities is accessed through the Sport and especially the Track settings for both the suspension and powertrain.
My tester has the $5,100 sport exhaust system, which adds active exhaust valves and a symposer to pipe the exhaust note into the cabin. Sport mode opens the valves and activates the symposer, turning up the exhaust note’s volume so it becomes the entertainment rather than what’s playing on the radio. Track mode makes it even louder, which is great when dicing up the corners, but fatiguing when it drones on at highway speeds.
Sport and Track also unlock the powertrain’s supercar rambunctiousness. The throttle gets touchier, and the transmission hangs on to gears longer.
Despite the torque fill of the electric motor, there is a touch of turbo lag from a stop, but after that, power delivery gets intense. I open it up on a country road and the Artura pins me back into my seat. The transmission fires through shifts as the V6 approaches its 8,500-rpm redline with a raspy crescendo. The 0-60 mph run takes just 3.0 seconds, extra-legal speeds arrive all too quickly, and the Artura Spider tops out at 205 mph.
Sport mode keeps the battery at about a 45-percent charge, while Track overrevs the engine to charge the battery. On a 45-mile cruise back home, Track mode charges the battery from 20 to 80 percent, though I could also charge it from 0-80 percent in 2.5 hours on a 240-volt home outlet.
Sport and Track modes also firm up the dampers to make the ride busy on broken pavement and harsh over sharp bumps. The track is so firm that I wouldn’t recommend using it on anything but smooth pavement. On a twisty but patchwork country road, I put the suspension in Comfort to keep the tires on the pavement as much as possible.
The low-slung Artura leans slightly in corners, which translates as feel from my perspective. It feels hunkered down and stable mid-corner, where I can control oversteer or understeer by adding or subtracting throttle. I don’t get the chance to drive the Artura Spider on a track, but track time in the Artura coupe revealed that the Pirellis have unrelenting grip, the car rotates willingly, and the standard carbon-ceramic brakes are strong but have a wooden feel after initial bite. In that extreme circumstance, the transmission didn’t always downshift to the right gear for the best power out of corners. I found I could do better with the large carbon-fiber shift paddles.
The Artura’s best dynamic trait is its electro-hydraulic steering. It’s pleasingly quick and direct with good weight, and road feel is plentiful through the small-diameter, flat-bottom steering wheel. The car reacts to steering inputs with scatback agility, too.
The 2025 McLaren Artura Spider starts at $281,008, including a hefty $5,000 delivery charge and a $2,208 fee for a few take-home goodies in the America’s Accessory Pack. That’s $24,700more than the coupe, and McLaren is happy to sell you as many expensive options as you like. With a smattering of options, my test car carries a substantial $332,348 price tag.
That’s obviously a lot of money to spend on a car, but McLaren Artura Spider can be seen as three cars in one. It’s quiet and efficient for short bursts as an electric economy car and comfortable as a daily driver, but it’s the most fun as an engaging supercar that can scare the hell out of your mom!
View All McLaren Arturas For Sale
Source: McLaren
Tags: Featured
This 6,500-Mile 1997 McLaren F1 Could Fetch $25M at RM Sotheby’s
in Auctions, F1, McLaren News
One of seven McLaren F1s exported new to the United States through Ameritech, chassis no. 062 has enjoyed just three private owners, including Oracle software CEO Larry Ellison who bought it new in 1997.
In the early ’90s, the McLaren F1 quietly reshaped what the world expected from a supercar, with its motorsport-derived design, central driving position, and a price tag north of $1 million. Owners like Rowan Atkinson and Elon Musk bought them new, recognizing a rare opportunity even then. What started as an ambitious, high-priced build has since evolved into one of the most sought-after collector cars on the planet, with some examples now selling for well over $20 million. RM Sotheby’s is proud to consider itself an expert curator of McLaren F1 sales, having sold a 1994 McLaren F1 LM (chassis 018) at its Monterey auction in August 2019 for $19.8 million. Lightning is striking twice for RM Sotheby’s as it gears up to showcase this 1997 McLaren F1 as part of its Sealed program.
Even among 106 McLaren F1s, chassis 062 stands out for its story. Delivered new in 1997 to Larry Ellison, it’s one of just seven F1s imported to the U.S. through Ameritech and one of very few that managed to stay road legal in California without going through the full federalization process. From day one, it’s lived in the San Francisco Bay Area, where each of its three owners, Ellison included, have kept it well-preserved and lightly driven. With just under 6,500 miles on the odometer, it’s one of the lower-mileage F1s around. That mileage is backed by a thorough service history and documentation dating back to its original invoice.
The F1 received thoughtful updates over the years through McLaren Special Operations. Things like improved air conditioning, upgraded radiators, an aluminum fuel tank, and a sports exhaust system have made it more livable without losing its originality. It even has its original magnesium wheels, with a spare set in matte black included. The car also recently went through a major round of service at McLaren Philadelphia, including a transmission rebuild, fresh tires, and attention to the gold foil heat shielding in the engine bay. All work was done by certified F1 technicians, and the car’s condition was recently documented in a detailed inspection report.
What makes 062 especially interesting is how consistent its history has been. It hasn’t bounced around the globe or seen drastic changes; it’s stayed in California its entire life. Unlike many F1s that were repainted or retrimmed at some point, this one still wears its original Magnesium Silver finish and black interior. It also comes with just about everything it left the factory with, books, tools, luggage, and even the McLaren-branded detailing kit. For a car that’s been called the best driver’s car of all time, 062 is about as complete and consistent as it gets. And while most people will focus on the $23 million+ valuation, what really sets this one apart is the quiet, well-documented life it’s lived.
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Source: RM Sotheby’s/Zach Brehl
