To celebrate the Land Cruiser's 60th anniversary, Toyota's UK arm has announced two special edition models based on the standard five-door Land Cruiser and the flagship Land Cruiser V8. Both off-roaders come with discrete exterior appointments and extra equipment as standard including leather upholstery, 18-inch alloy wheels, premium audio system and special 60th Anniversary badges and carpet mats.
Additionally, the Land Cruiser’s 3.0-liter D-4D diesel engine has been revised for the 2011MY and is now capable of 188bhp (+11bhp) and 420 Nm (310 lb-ft) of torque (+10 Nm/+7 lb-ft), while achieving the same fuel economy. A diesel particulate filter (DPF) is also available, making the oil-burning powerplant Euro 5 compliant.
The base price for the Land Cruiser 60th Anniversary is £49,950, while the Land Cruiser V8 60th Anniversary carries a price sticker of £61,950. The anniversary models are available now.
Last but not least, Toyota is once again selling a three-door version of the Land Cruiser, available in a single trim level (LC3) and with a manual transmission only. The standard equipment list includes 17-inch alloy wheels, Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) with Active Traction Control (A-TRC), climate control, smart entry and start system, Bluetooth, six-speaker audio system and front fog lamps. The “on the road” price is £30,395.
The Land Cruiser’s history began in 1951, when Toyota launched the truck-derived BJ, initially for military service. It was the first vehicle to reach the sixth hill station on Mount Fuji, located at an altitude of 2,500 meters. Impressed by its off-road capabilities, the Japanese police added it to its fleet, practically jumpstarting the model’s long-term success.
The Land Cruiser nameplate was first used in 1954, as a generic designation for the new Type 25 BJ, while the forerunner of the Land Cruiser V8 was the 1966 Land Cruiser Station Wagon, introduced in the U.S. as more refined version of the standard model.
Since then, Toyota has continuously improved the Land Cruiser “recipe”, selling more the five million units worldwide.
By Csaba Daradics
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