Body Shop Mechanic Brings Crashed Lexus NX Back from the Brink

The wreckage must have been sitting for at least a couple of months because the pillar and front fender show rust where the paint was stripped away by the crash. And it's not like California is a very rust-prone state.

After watching so many of his videos, we have no doubt that Arthur can bring the NX back to life. Last time, he beat a couple of BMW panels into submission instead of installing new ones. But with the NX, most are replaced. Maybe the customer is a big spender, or perhaps Lexus wings are cheaper than BMW ones.

The frame of the car looks pretty good. Only the front piece needs pulling back into shape. The Russian mechanic has a few high-tech tools, like laser alignment winch or an arc spot welder. But without his wits, nothing would get done. Still, the old-fashioned blankets that are used to protect the interior give the videos a sort of "indie" feel.

The skins for the damaged pillars and door frames are brand new, but most of the bodywork is sourced from a donor car. You can tell because the doors are already painted bright blue while the front bumper is a different shade of silver.

The good news is that since production started in August 2014, all NX models were made at the same factory in Miyawaka, Japan.

We've learned something interesting while researching this article, though. It clearly says "Turbo" on the engine cover, so this is an NX 200t, which is perfectly normal in America. But the Russians have something called the NX 200, which features a naturally aspirated 2.0-liter that packs just 150 horsepower. If you lived there, would you have the cheaper, less powerful car, or try to get one of these U.S. imports?