RE: New (old) Land Cruiser revealed

RE: New (old) Land Cruiser revealed

Wednesday 27th August 2014

New (old) Land Cruiser revealed

Even Toyota can't kill the old Land Cruiser as old-school 70 series returns to Japanese market



If you're looking elsewhere on t'interweb you'll probably notice that details of a new school-run friendly SUV have been released today. Some sort of Volvo, apparently.

You can almost smell the grey plastic from here
You can almost smell the grey plastic from here
But we're far more interested in news from Japan that the Land Cruiser 70 Series - a model that officially retired there 10 years ago - is being brought back into limited production. The '70 is still sold in utilitarian spec in other parts of the world - Australia has a V8 diesel version - but the more luxurious Japanese versions look like they've come straight from 1984.

To say the '70 is considered an icon in many parts of the world would be a woeful understatement. In its heyday it had some of the rougher parts of Africa and Australia pretty much to itself, and a large part of Toyota's reputation for mechanical durability rests on its proven ability to take abuse (and to knock out damage to its ladder-frame chassis with a big hammer.)

Even press shots look straight from mid 80s
Even press shots look straight from mid 80s
The relaunched model will be sold in Japan for a year in both five-door estate and pick-up variants. Toyota expects around 200 orders a month. It's powered by a 228bhp 4.0-litre V6 with an old-fashioned switchable four-wheel drive system and an optional electronic differential lock. A five-speed manual gearbox is the only transmission option and, yes, the rear axle does still ride on cart springs. It will cost 3.6-million Yen in five-door form, or a bargain £20,900 at current exchange rates.

Sadly, and predictably, it won't be coming here.

"It's a Japan-only thing I'm afraid," a Toyota spokesman told us, "there are no plans to bring it to the UK or Europe."

Anybody interested will therefore need to wait eight years to bring one in as a grey import.

A quick vid here

[Sources: Toyota global, Toyota Australia]

Author
Discussion

Kozy

Original Poster:

3,169 posts

217 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Since when did cars need to be 8 years old to import them?

996TT02

3,308 posts

139 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Still on cart (leaf) springs?

Mine is on coils.

crispyshark

1,261 posts

144 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
a Jap 'G Wagon'....I'm in! smile

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Don't call it a comeback...feels like Back to the Future film. hehe



griffsomething

233 posts

160 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
First Jaguar with the new Aluminium E-Type, now Toyota with this. I hope resurrecting old models becomes a common occurrence!

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
griffsomething said:
First Jaguar with the new Aluminium E-Type, now Toyota with this. I hope resurrecting old models becomes a common occurrence!
Porsche needs to do this! yes

ecs0set

2,470 posts

283 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Is it still running on the original 1980s engine? Because if so, it's a bit crap (both in terms of emissions and power output) and if not, surely the legendary reliability will suffer when faced with today's DMFs and particulate filters?

DonkeyApple

54,921 posts

168 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
griffsomething said:
First Jaguar with the new Aluminium E-Type, now Toyota with this. I hope resurrecting old models becomes a common occurrence!
Yup.

Recreations are a fantastic way to make manufacturing old parts a bit more cost effective and also to ensure your heritage stays on the roads. I'd love to see more.

It's just a shame that many old British models had their tooling destroyed as opposed to the Germans and Japs who stored it!!!

The Moose

22,821 posts

208 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Cool car.

Is it modern underneath or all 70s tech?

Triumph Man

8,670 posts

167 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Wow this is brilliant. There's a guy around here who has a 70 series flat bed ute (presumably an Australian import) and it looks brilliant.

Eviltad

1,320 posts

178 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
hora said:
I was 'in' with the 'new' imported Lada Riva until they published the price. Then I fell over laughing.
How much was that?

Prawnboy

1,326 posts

146 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
great work toyota, love these things. worked for 6 months in namibia and the land cruiser is the weapon of choice.

pSyCoSiS

3,581 posts

204 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Something rather cool and reassuring about and old Landcruiser.

smaybury

87 posts

148 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
soad said:
Porsche needs to do this! yes
How would anyone be able to tell if they did?

powerstroke

10,283 posts

159 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
ecs0set said:
Is it still running on the original 1980s engine? Because if so, it's a bit crap (both in terms of emissions and power output) and if not, surely the legendary reliability will suffer when faced with today's DMFs and particulate filters?
No its a current model in the middle east and austurlsia reintroduced into the jappanesse home market
the engines are same as the 80 and 100 series ie base is a 4.2 injected straight six petrol or NA diesel 4.2 then a v8 common rail turbo diesel.
Possibly the best 4x4 if your life depends on it. Or Just proper bit of kit
If you want the real deal not some fragile toy with a transit engine thumbup

Chris-R

756 posts

186 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Does the Oz version still come with a hand-throttle?

soad

32,825 posts

175 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
smaybury said:
How would anyone be able to tell if they did?
This year's number plates? hehe

KTF

9,788 posts

149 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
At just under £21k before they are imported here, you would have to be a very big fan to bring one over yourself.

irish boy

3,520 posts

235 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Excellent, right up my street. The v8 one must be fantastic.

petop

2,135 posts

165 months

Wednesday 27th August 2014
quotequote all
Most of the armoured Land Cruisers that go around Kabul today are 70 series ones.