Interviewing Lexus GX Chief Engineer, Koji Tsukasaki: Building the Ultimate Off-Roader

GX Chief Engineer, Koji Tsukasak, set out to define the all-new GX as the “ultimate Lexus off-roader” with a host of improvements over the GX 460. 

ClubLexus recently flew to Arizona to spend a day with the all-new 2024 Lexus GX 550. (Lexus USA provided travel and accommodations.) GX 550 driving impressions, plus a GX 550 vs GX460 comparison, will go live tomorrow (Feb 1).  In this post, I’m excited to share a video interview I conducted with Koji Tsukasaki, Lexus GX Chief Engineer.

In this video, you’ll learn about the GX’s new body design, improved driver sightlines, new engine and transmission, upgraded suspension components, how the Overtrail seats differ from Premium & Luxury seats, and about the main differences between the standard 10-speaker and upgraded 21-speaker Mark Levinson system (Luxury+ & Overtrail+).

Click HERE to join our Lexus GX 550 discussion in our forums!

Aside from what we learn in this quick video. I was also fortunate enough to share dinner and drinks with Koji Tsukasaki and his team. Make no mistake, this whole event was designed to market and sell SUVs. And, yet, the passion Lexus engineers exude is nothing short of infectious. These are car, truck, and SUV enthusiasts who are driven to innovate vehicles for a variety of world markets.

Tsukasaki, who owns a Lexus RX and Toyota GR Yaris, came from the van/truck side of the company and has been effectively working on the new GX since 2015. Why did it take so long? First, the team needed to develop the new GA-F platform, which also underpins the Lexus LX as well as the Toyota Land Cruiser 250 and 300, Tacoma, Tundra, and Sequoia. Only then could Tsukasaki pursue creating the ultimate company off-roader (a title he admits he’ll have to share with the new Land Cruiser 250).

Everything these executives do appears grounded in a mix of poetic aspirations and design realities. Tsukasaki’s team didn’t want the third generation GX to be another luxury (or luxury-adjacent) SUV that is iconic in the off-roading and overlanding communities after the fact. They wanted to deliver a vehicle that could drive off the showroom floor and into a weekend adventure, which lead to the first ever Overtrail and Overtrail+ grades.

One last note, this interview was conducted with the help of Lexus executive Toshi Hayama, who in addition to being an excellent translator, once upon a time served as a technical consultant on Fast & Furious Tokyo Drift. The original interview took place over roughly 20 minutes, which I’ve compressed into a little over nine by layering Hayama’s translations over longer sections of Tsukasaki’s replies and answers.

To build and configure a 2024 Lexus GX 550, please head here to the Lexus GX Configurator.

Michael S. Palmer

Michael S. Palmer began his career assisting and developing content for Academy Award-winning and studio-based film and television producers. He has been a professional writer since 2008, when he joined the Writers Guild of America West (WGAw). As a journalist and Content Editor/Manager, he has covered numerous emerging imaging, theatrical exhibition, home entertainment, and automotive technologies. He currently spends his days creating original content at the Internet Brands Automotive Group for some of the world's largest online automotive communities, including Ford Truck Enthusiasts, CorvetteForum, ClubLexus, AudiWorld, and LS1Tech. He still owns his first car, a 1987 Mercury Cougar; adores driving his Boss 302 Mustang; and recently teamed with Chevrolet Performance, Holley, Magnaflow, Eaton, Wilwood, Michelin, Chemical Guys, Summit Racing to build his first project car. Installing an LS3 E-ROD Connect & Cruise system into a 1992 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon made his eight-passenger wagon faster than a C5 Corvette to 60mph and 50 state emissions legal. His wife and daughter are very patient.