Limited - Edition Toyota Land Cruiser Marks Nameplate's 70th Birthday
Toyota is celebrating the Land Cruiser's 70th birthday by releasing a limited-edition version of the 37-year-old 70-Series model on the Australian market. Offered in several body styles, the aptly-named 70th Anniversary truck gains a handful of visual tweaks, an interior that's nicer than the standard model's, and a little bit more tech.
Buyers can order the special Land Cruiser as a pickup with a single or double cab, or as a wagon. Available in French Vanilla, Merlot Red, or Sandy Taupe, the 70th Anniversary gains a specific grille with "TOYOTA" lettering instead of the firm's oval emblem, tinted headlights, black paint on the front bumper and on the fender flares, plus 16-inch wheels with a dark gray finish. The front fog lights and the daytime running lights gain LED bulbs.
Inside, drivers expecting an old-school rudimentary cabin are in for a major surprise because Toyota made several upmarket features available on a 70-Series for the first time. The list of standard equipment includes black leather upholstery, imitation wood trim on the dashboard, silver accents, and a newly-designed center console with cupholders and a pair of USB ports. Edition-specific logos inside and out add a finishing touch to the look.
Toyota is not making any mechanical modifications to the 70th Anniversary model. It's powered by a stout, 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 engine rated at 202 horsepower and 317 pound-feet of torque. It spins the four wheels via a five-speed manual transmission (you're out of luck if you want an automatic). Every commemorative Land Cruiser will offer users a snorkel, low-range gearing, locking front and rear differentials, plus a 7,700-pound towing capacity.
Only 600 units of the Land Cruiser 70th Anniversary will be made, a figure that includes 320 double-cabs, 200 single-cabs, and 80 wagons. All of them will be sold in Australia. Pricing starts at AU$82,600 for the double-cab, AU$80,050 for the single-cab, and AU$78,500 for the wagon, figures that represent approximately $61,000, $59,100, and $57,900, respectively, at the current conversion rate. Deliveries will begin in September 2021.
Nothing suggests Toyota will celebrate the Land Cruiser's 70th birthday with a limited-edition model in the United States. The next-generation 300-Series model reportedly won't even be sold on our shores, though we might get its Lexus-branded sibling. However, the Japanese firm marked the milestone by announcing plans to re-release a selection of hard-to-find parts for the 40-Series Land Cruiser (also called FJ40) built between 1960 and 1984.