What happens when the chairman of Toyota, a racing enthusiast and master driver, commissions a car that feels “natural and rewarding to drive while being as comfortable as a favourite pair of sneakers?”
It turns out the answer is to take the pint-sized Lexus LBX, shoehorn the whole catalogue of GR Yaris go-fast bits underneath and slap that same chairman’s racing moniker on the rear tailgate.
It’s only fitting that Akio Toyoda’s racing handle Morizo is also accompanied by RR, short for Rookie Racing; the name of the Toyota-owned sister team to Gazoo Racing, which focuses on tarmac racing genres such as Super Formula and Super GT.
The result is the latest example of the Japanese brand’s return to its racing roots; and motoring fans, this one included, couldn’t be happier. The LBX is both the smallest Lexus to ever be marketed in Australia and the entry level offering.
It shares a platform with the Yaris Cross. This makes the Frankenstein conversion far less a stretch of the imagination, but not before application of a liberal dose of refinement befitting of the Lexus badge.
It certainly doesn’t disappoint, with an extraordinary standard of fit and finish inside and out, with a feature list that belies its size. A glance at the exterior reveals a pleasing mix of elegance and aggression.
The pearlescent White Nova on our example contrasted perfectly against the gloss blackouts of the roof and grille. The latter is specific to the Morizo RR and does its best to hide an array of radiators for various cooling functions.
Body-coloured fenders are flared to accommodate a track increase of 10mm up front and 15mm in the rear, while 19-inch concave charcoal wheels fill them out. They’re wrapped in impressive Continental Sport Contact 7 235/45 rubber.
The duo hide oversized 4-pot red callipers. The first time in the driver’s seat felt like a contradiction considering the aggression outside. There’s nothing in this cabin that isn’t soft to touch, with all the refinement typical of Lexus’ Takumi craftmanship.
The seats themselves are supportive and comfortable, with electric adjustment for the driver. We were particularly impressed with how deep they will sit in the cabin but would’ve liked to see a little more pizazz in the design.
The steering wheel sits upright and is perfectly positioned, but like the seats, the design is a missed opportunity. It’s made up for in part by the lovely suede with red stitching across the dash, centre console, doors and centre bin.
It’s a sensible layout too, with enough buttons for tactility and a 9.8-inch infotainment screen for remaining functions. Wired and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are available, along with three USB ports and a wireless charger.
While it’s a 5-door SUV, even the youngest of our brood required the passenger seat slid forward to allow enough space. It’s as comfortable as one would expect back there, with a couple of USB ports to keep devices topped up.
Ultimately though, this was the first time in a long time that the press car was left behind when going for a family drive. And while the rear hatch can be opened with the wave of a foot under the bumper, the space is commensurate to size.
There’s 266-litres that can extend to 880-litres with the rear row folded down. But to harp on these issues is to ignore the purpose behind the Morizo RR. Hitting the starter fires up the exact same 3-cylinder bee-hive-on-steroids that we loved in the GR Yaris and Corolla.
It wasn’t that long ago when the Japanese manufacturers gentleman’s agreement limiting power outputs reflected the 206kW that this little 3-pot musters. It’s even more mind bending that the vehicles pertaining to that agreement are legends.
The list includes the RB26 powered Nissan R32 GTR and 2JZ Toyota Supra, each with twice the cylinder and turbocharger count of the Morizo RR. Peak torque of 390Nm starts at a lofty 3250rpm, pushed through all four wheels via a torque converter 8-speed automatic.
That’s paired with a trick all-wheel drive system. While it can send drive to the axle that needs it the most, a click of a button can lock a 50:50 split, and a Torsen LSD is thrown into the rear axle for good measure.
What surprised us most was the cornering attitude. When pottering it can be a little crashy through Sydney’s well-maintained roadways (ha!), but it all makes sense when driving in any type of anger.
The beefier shocks and springs, combined with increased structural rigidity in the form of 213 extra spot welds, thicker rear beaver panel, and multiple underfloor braces mean this chassis just doesn’t roll like an SUV should.
Sprinkle in a short ratio steering rack and bake at 180-degrees for 45 minutes and you soon get a car that’s direct, confident and an absolute hoot to push out to the 7500rpm redline.
Sport mode opens valving in the exhaust, which can provide a satisfying but not over-the-top “crackle and pop” on over-run and an angry barking crescendo at wide-open-throttle.
The shift program for the gearbox hunts optimal points in the rev range before changing up or down at speeds one would expect from a DSG, with a satisfying throttle-blip for good measure. The calibrations are both fast and intelligent even in automatic mode.
If you’re a control freak like us, manual mode through the steering wheel mounted pedals will see you bouncing off the limiter when not concentrating. The trade-off of this mayhem, if you could call it that, is a healthy thirst for Premium dinosaur juice.
Our average figures for a week with a 75 per cent slant toward urban and enthusiastic driving was 10.7-litres/100km, but we did see peaks of up to 16-litres/100km. Sadly, a manual won’t be offered locally, and that’s a shame.
That’s particularly so because one of the few real complaints we had revolved around take-off. To be clear, launch control is available and really helps, but the combination of the convertor box paired with a big-boost small-capacity motor is a slight let down.
Once on the boil however, those thoughts are replaced by the need to focus on setting up for the next bend. It’s also just as happy out on the open road with a surprising 950rpm give or take at 110km/h.
Perhaps our only complaint in these conditions was the tyre roar on course chip bitumen despite the acoustic front glass and active noise control, which we put that down to the sticky rubber.
All is not lost though, as it presents good reason to up the volume of the sensational 13-speaker Mark and Levinson sound system. You can also be assured that you’ll get to your destination safely, with the full gamut of driver assist functions too.
We were particularly impressed by polished lane keep assist function, and the obvious inclusion of the intelligent cruise control function we loved in the LS 500. Which leads us to $76.490 plus on-roads entry fee.
For full disclosure, we may have been a little flippant about how this vehicle was named. The truth is, Toyoda allowed the use of the Morizo moniker on this pint-sized rocket based on his approval, so it’s far from a marketing ploy.
When you consider the performance and utility of the Morizo RR, along with the intimate relationship shared with Toyoda himself, it almost certainly guarantees this car will be a future collector’s piece. Now to stick around until 2060 to utter the words “I told you so”.
You can find out more from the Lexus Australia website, or by talking to your local dealership. To get a low rate finance quote, talk to Australia’s best reviewed car finance broker; Credit One. To see a great range of vehicles for sale, check out OnlyCars.com.au.
Our test vehicle was provided by Lexus Australia Limited for independent review purposes. Exhaust Notes Australia has not been paid to review this vehicle.
