Old 4x4s are cool - they just are. From Land Rover to Land Cruiser, there's a utilitarian chic to so many that's only becoming more desirable as road-focused SUVs carry the aesthetic whilst offering precious little to back it up. The old ones are simple, honest and brimming with the charm that comes from a lack of pretence.
The problem comes in actually using them. Even the very last Defenders forced you to drive along with the window open and make progress with a rattly old Transit engine, and it's surely the case with many others. They look great, but such is the effort of getting them to go anywhere that they can't be used as regularly as you might like.
Legacy Overland might have a solution. It is now taking FJ40 Land Cruisers, cars that went into production 60 years ago, and kitting them out with some amenities to make the old Cruisers more usable everyday: you know, Bluetooth, USB charging, air-con, a leather retrim, a 5.7-litre V8...
Yep, crammed in some part of this tiny Toyota is a GM-sourced 350 cubic-inch V8, as well as a four-speed auto also from the General Motors catalogue. So there's the classic look, with contemporary performance - and all the joy of V8 power. Moreover, the FJ40 chassis has been upgraded to (hopefully) cope with the power and torque increases, this Desert Storm Tan FJ now boasting disc brakes, Terrain Tamer dampers and Old Man Emu springs. There's even power steering to make things easier, and LED headlights so you can explore after dark.
Legacy Overland describes its work as "improving on a great thing" to make "an excellent thing", which is a statement we'd struggle to disagree with. Because for everything the FJ has lost in originality it has gained usability, capability and V8 cool. After all, if companies can reimagine old 911s, Minis and whatever else, why not 4x4s? Finally, if an FJ40 isn't to your taste, Legacy Overland has also completed G-Wagen, Range Rover and Defender builds. All you need is a donor car - this red FJ ought to do the trick - quite a lot of cash and, er, the ability to get a Land Cruiser to Connecticut. Or the European outpost in Portugal. What a drive back that promises to be...
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