In March of 2017 Brad Meyers, Founder of B.E. Meyers & Co., passed away after an amazing life. He was an innovator, inventor, and was always looking to create something new and exciting. This Lexus LX570 was his daily driver, and he drove it to work every day with his dog Shadow always in the back seat. After his passing, Brad’s car sat in the B.E. Meyers & Co. warehouse for over a year, but it wasn’t ready to retire just yet.
In memory of Brad’s adventurous spirit, B.E. Meyers & Co. and Defconbrix are transforming his Lexus LX570 into a purpose-built overland vehicle dubbed the “MAWLR” to travel with them as they showcase their Modular Advanced Weapon Laser, the MAWL®.
The overall vision for this build out would follow suite with my previous Overland Tacoma Build. The Lexus LX570 does not have very many aftermarket products available with very few Toyota Land Cruiser products working with the AHC system and other fancy features this was going to be a bit of a struggle with more custom products having to be created.
The completed MAWLR build would be unveiled in the Toyo Tires Treadpass area at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas, Nevada October 30 – November 2, 2018.
TruckVault was an obvious choice when considering secure storage solutions. Being local to B.E. Meyers & Co. was an added benefit and was the first stop after picking up the rig. We had this unit built with a power supply, TrekPak dividers for better organization, slide-out tray and tie-downs on top.
Next up on the list was a roof rack so I drove the rig down from Washington to California to see the team at Front Runner Outfitters where they dialed in the Lexus LX570 with numerous accessories and an under rack stainless table kit.
Parts started rolling in at this point and this 200 series Lexus LX570 was starting to come to life. 35″ Toyo Tires R/T, Hutchinson beadlocks, Slee mounts and more. Factory Toyota LandCruiser rocker panels were purchased to replace the factory Lexus LX570 running boards in order to make room for custom CBI Offroad Rock Sliders.
One of the best feelings is seeing a vision take shape. Flying into Idaho and picking up the MAWLR after all the hard custom work had been done was one of the best feelings. The drive back to Arizona was filled with smiles.
The front and rear bumpers were loaded up with Baja Designs LED lights and a Warn Zeon winch.
One of the great things about having the TrekPak in the TruckVault is the ability to quickly change what you’re loading up based on what you are out doing or getting into. I would typically leave some basic recovery tools on one side despite what ever else might be loaded up.
It was finally time for its Satin Black paint job. Disassembly is always nerve racking. The interior was also updated by Scottsdale Auto Upholstery with custom leather and suede with the logo embroidered into the headrest.
After all the SEMA commotion I was able to take a couple of dirt roads and finally grab a few photographs of the complete new look before the sun went down. It has come a long way in a short time and is anything but average now.
On its way back home to the B.E. Meyers & Co. family. I can’t express how much of an honor it was to work with the B.E. Meyers team and help bring their vision for this Lexus LX570 to life. I’m excited to see what adventures they take this on and what else they have in store for it.
You can follow the MAWLR build on Instagram (@the.mawlr) and Facebook (@mawlr).
THE MAWLR BUILD SHEET
Exterior:
Satin Black paint
Factory Toyota LandCruiser Rocker Panels
CBI Offroad Front Bumper
CBI Offroad Rear Swing-out Bumper
CBI Offroad Rock Sliders
CBI Offroad Full Skid Plates
Baja Designs LED lightbar, foglights and rear backup lights
Warn Zeon winch with Factor 55 Fairlead
Front Runner Outfitters roof rack
ARB Safari Snorkel
17″ Hutchinson Beadlocks
35×12.5r17 Toyo Tires R/T
Interior:
Woodgrain Delete
Custom Leather & Suede Upholstery
TruckVault Secure Storage
Switch Pro
Misc:
Dual Odyssey Batteries
Slee Offroad battery and compressor mounts
ARB Air Compressor
1″ factory adjusted lift