Natasha Adams: Pioneering Female Off-Road Racer’s Unique Lexus LS400 Build
Pioneering Female Off-Road Racing
If you go searching on off-road forums for articles about how to build a lifted Lexus sedan, you likely won’t find much. That’s what’s so unique about Natasha Adams’ 1990 Lexus LS400 — it’s absolutely one of a kind, just like its driver.
While the typical route for those wanting to customize their Lexus sedan is lowering or “stancing out” the car, Natasha wanted to take a different route. Over the past four years, after purchasing the car for only $600, Natasha has been fabricating and wrenching to build the most unique rally race car she could imagine. “It has been a long process of research, trial and error, and a whole lot of fun,” she tells us.
“The first ever female mechanic at Icon4x4, Natasha takes being a woman who works and plays in the male-dominated off-road world seriously.”
Natasha’s 31-inch BFGoodrich tires give her the traction she needs to rip spins in the dirt.
Girl Power
The first-ever female mechanic at Icon4x4, Natasha takes being a woman who works and plays in the male-dominated off-road world seriously. Since she could drive, she’s been working on her own cars and establishing herself as a talented off-road racer.
“The car is literally going places it was never meant to go,” Natasha explains. “It is a female-driven, lifted, luxury sedan with a V8 and a whole lot of custom parts that no other car has.” By paving her own path and thinking outside the box, Natasha has set an example for tons of other female off-roaders: Anything is possible with the right amount of grit.
How exactly is Natasha using her story and her rig to inspire female off-roaders? With her all-girls off-road group, Hardline Ladies Offroad. She leads off-roading trips every two months that are open to drivers of all skill levels to prove that just about anyone can off-road if they know what they’re doing.
Midland Radios keep Natasha in communication with the rest of the crew.
On these trips, female drivers work together to learn critical off-roading skills and strategies, recovery tactics, and to just have fun together in the dirt. Natasha works to foster an open learning environment and awesome collaboration, so every driver leaves feeling more confident than when she showed up. Recently, they’ve been camping out in Calico and Big Bear, testing out suspensions and kicking up dust in the desert.
Natasha is an optimal driver to have leading the pack. “The LS400 plays a big part in showing that anyone can go off-roading, no matter what kind of ‘rig’ you have,” she explains. After all, there’s no reason for a newbie driver in a pavement princess 4Runner to be intimidated by a crawl if Natasha can handle it in her Lexus. Plus, she’s a shining example that you don’t even need a 4Runner to have fun in the desert; you just need some driving skills, determination, and a sense of humor. And probably a bit of a repair budget.
A KC HiLites PRO6 lightbar is ready to go for late-night drives.
Unique and Original
“Despite all the modifications I’ve done, I’ve tried my best to keep the car recognizable as a classic 1990 LS400,” Natasha shares. “The hood, headlights, and taillights will always be recognizable, and I have no plan to change them. The interior has a lot of custom work, but the dash and ‘luxuries’ I have kept the same” And, yes, if you were wondering, that means it still has a cassette player.
Natasha’s Lexus is an homage to the off-road ralliers of the ‘80s and ‘90s, specifically Ivan “Ironman” Stewart, the famed thrasher whose red, orange, and yellow livery still decorates rigs of all shapes and sizes today. A solo driver herself, she’s a fan of his approach to being a one-man team.
This Lexus has no problem catching air.
By using a car that not many people would try to make into an off-road vehicle, Natasha broke the mold. “I was able to open new doors for myself and learn so much by doing something no one else has done,” she says, explaining that, with the build, she was able to take a hands-on approach to each individual aspect of the car.
Dangerous, but Fun
There are always risks that come with off-roading, especially as a solo driver, but safety is another thing Natasha takes seriously. Her roll cage is one of the most important parts of the vehicle, because, as she says, “I can always make another LS400 but most important is keeping myself safe.”
About two years ago, on a trip out in Johnson Valley, California, Natasha took the Lexus off one too many jumps and whoops, breaking one of her front coilovers in half, right above the eyelet of the shock. Nowhere near camp, or any kind of road, Natasha was glad to have friends with her that day.
“…you don’t even need a 4Runner to have fun in the desert; you just need some driving skills, determination, and a sense of humor. And probably a bit of a repair budget.”
With Natasha in the driver’s seat, the Lexus can squeeze its way out of tough spots.
“We ended up jacking up the car, stuffing a big rock between the body and upper control arm and limping it back to camp… on that rock,” she recounts. “The next day, I got back up to speed on the lakebed, did a few donuts and hauled back to the road… on that same rock.” Natasha remembers waiting for AAA on the side of the road, but after a long 4 hours, she decided to drive over 100 miles home… on that same rock.
At the end of the day, it was a successful trip…on that same rock.
Interior Add-Ons
On the inside of the car, Natasha has seamlessly integrated rally race tech with the classic look of a ‘90s Lexus. She chose Hunsaker Off Road bucket seats that matched the stock tan interior of the car and Proarmor harnesses for added safety. Alongside the cassette player in the original instrument panel are a Midland hard-mounted radio and Antigravity battery. A Rally Wink rearview mirror gives her optimal view of the trail behind, and her custom half cage is also painted to match the Lexus’ exterior livery.
In place of the back seat, Natasha installed a 31-inch spare tire mount, using a 3-point Speed Strap to keep everything held down through high-speed turns and hard launches. And, like all smart off-roaders, she keeps a tool bag, shovel, and recovery gear in the trunk at all times.
Her own mechanic since she could drive, Natasha’s trained eye keeps the Lexus in prime condition.
Custom Suspension
While Natasha deems her 1990 1UZFE 4.0 V8 engine, “Too dependable to touch,” she’s customized the Lexus’ suspension to handle anything she throws at it. In the front, custom coilovers by Flat-Out Suspension are modified with tubular upper control arms, Heim joints, and a uniball. Tubular lower control arms along with Flat-Out Suspension shocks and Swift springs round out the front suspension. Custom-built coilovers from Flat-Out Suspension increase the travel on the rear suspension as well.
“And, yes, if you were wondering, that means it still has a cassette player.”
Natasha speeds past, kicking up dust through a turn.
Fully protected with custom skid and belly plates.
Exterior Modifications
Just about everything about the exterior of Natasha’s Lexus was custom-built specifically for her vehicle. The only exceptions are her American Racing Wheels, 31-inch BFGoodrich KO2 tires, and KC HiLites PRO6 lightbar.
Her taillights and chase lights are retrofitted All Terrain Concepts lights. For storage, she’s customized the trunk with x-braces and sheet metal, which gives her space to anchor down her Pro-Eagle jack and other tools. She’s well-armored, with custom tubular bumpers made specifically for her car, a fully custom skid plate as well as a belly plate, giving her coverage from the radiator to behind the transmission.
“As the build developed over time and proved itself on many a desert run, she realized its potential and just how much it could do.”
Toyota badging gives a nod to the manufacturers.
Built Different
Though originally intended to be a Gambler500 race rig, “The dream I’ve had for this car ever since I started building it is to someday fabricate links and long travel for it,” Natasha says. As the build developed over time and proved itself on many a desert run, she realized its potential and just how much it could do. “Its sole purpose was fun,” she claims, “and it will always serve that purpose,” no matter how capable (and popular) it gets.
Be sure to follow Natasha Adams’ adventures on Instagram @natashaaddams and keep up with Hardline Ladies Offroad events @hardlineladies.
“Over the past four years…Natasha has been fabricating and wrenching to build the most unique rally race car she could imagine.”
Proud of all her hard work.
UPGRADES
1990 Lexus LS400
Engine: 1990 Lexus 1UZFE 4.0 V8
Suspension: Custom Flat-out Suspension Coilovers; Tubular upper control arms with Heim joints and uniball; Tubular lower control arms; Flat-out Suspension shocks and Swift Springs
Wheels & Tires: American Racing Wheels; BFGoodrich KO2 Tires 31×10.5/15
Interior Accessories: Custom rear seat delete and conversion to 3-point Speed Strap hold down for 31-inch spare tire; Hunsaker Off-Road bucket seats; ProArmor harnesses; Midland hand-mounted radio; Antigravity battery; Rally Wink rear view mirror
Exterior Accessories: All Terrain Concepts reverse retrofitted taillights and chase lights; KC HiLites PRO6 Lightbar; Custom x-braced and flat sheet metal trunk; Pro-Eagle jack; Custom tubular bumpers; Custom skid plate and belly plate; Custom half cage, painted to match livery; Custom light bar brackets
