Toyota Rethinks Its Classic Land Cruiser As Massive, ‘Boulder-Crushing’ Beast
Toyota has unveiled a rugged off-road beast known as the FJ Bruiser, paying homage to the automaker’s Land Cruiser roots. This vehicle recently made its debut at the Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) show in Las Vegas.
To bring this beast to life, Toyota Racing Development (TRD) was enlisted to provide the muscle. Under the hood, drivers will find a modified version of the brand’s current TRD 358-cubic-inch V8 NASCAR Cup Car engine, boasting a staggering 725 horsepower.
A MagnaFlow exhaust system ensures the car roars with an intimidating exhaust note while power is efficiently transferred through a 3-speed automatic race-built Rancho Drivetrain Engineering transmission.
Despite modern enhancements, the FJ Bruiser stays true to old-school brawn, featuring a solid axle setup. This formidable build includes front and rear Currie differentials and an Advanced Adapter Atlas transfer case, offering multiple 2WD and 4WD speeds.
This versatility enables the FJ Bruiser to crawl at a snail’s pace of 12 mph in the lowest gear while reaching a blistering 165 mph at the highest gear—all while maintaining an engine speed of 7,000 rpm.
In case ground clearance becomes an issue, the FJ Bruiser is equipped with a tank-like track system. This system allows it to power its way out of high-centered situations with ease, all controlled from the driver’s seat.
Inside, the gargantuan vehicle received a tasteful upgrade from Complete Customs.
MOMO Daytona EVO seats feature plaid reskinning, paying homage to the FJ’s original plaid bench seat. A vintage 1968 Jackie Stewart championship steering wheel adds a touch of nostalgia.
“With the return of the Land Cruiser to the US Market, it only made sense to build a rock crawler, so this is our take on a 1966 Toyota FJ45 Pickup Truck,” said Marty Schwerter, Toyota Motorsports garage team manager.
“At first, it was referred to loosely as ‘The Unstoppable FJ,’ but by the time it was done, it was a beastly vehicle, and so the team started referring to it as the ‘FJ Bruiser.’”
[via Robb Report and Car and Driver, images via Toyota]
This article was crafted with assistance from an AI engine, and has been manually reviewed & edited.
