1500kW of power, with a top speed of 370km/h? Woah.
When you think of a Toyota Land Cruiser, we reckon your imagination would see one of these bulletproof off-roaders going through a muddy field, or kicking up dust on an unsealed outback road. Or maybe you’d imagine one slinking its way through town, shiny and spotless, with some UN dignitary in the back.
But would you imagine one hurtling toward the horizon at speeds north of 350km/h? Probably not.
The Toyota Land Cruiser you see here is the brainchild of Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Centre in Cologne, Germany for last years’ SEMA motor show in Las Vegas. The 5.7-litre V8 from the standard Land Cruiser powers the thing, albeit with the addition of two Garett turbochargers the size of volleyballs. With retired NASCAR driver Carl Edwards behind the wheel, this 1500kW Land Speed Cruiser managed to top out at a scarcely-believable 370.18km/h, or 230.02mph.
Of course, if you were to go out in your V8 Land Cruiser, you’re not going to hit speeds like that. This particular unit has had all but its dashboard ripped out, with a sole bucket seat for the driver left inside. The Land Cruiser’s also been brought much (much) closer to the ground to improve high-speed stability, while the frame of the thing was actually narrowed by a certain degree to make way for the super-slick, wider Michelin tyres.
Check out the video below to watch this Land Cruiser speed across the Mojave Air and Space Port in California.
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