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http://www.worldcrunch.com/tech-sci...ployment-robots-takumi/c4s16867/#.VX-tBWbGszZ
Takumi, Toyota's Secret Weapons To Train The Robots
TAKAOKA — In an isolated area of this 520,000-square-meter Toyota production site in central Japan's Takaoka — where 25 million vehicles have been produced since it opened in 1966 — Hisao Harada is using spray gun to paint the radiator grill of an iQ, a small city car. His movement is fast, fluid, precise.
Harada has been working here for 27 years and is a Toyota takumi, one of the company's 400 to 500 in-house experts who master to perfection a single technique and whose missions are very specific. One woman, for example, specializes in electronic circuit welding.
"We can send them anywhere in the world to train others, improve, fix problems," explains Toshitami Nagase, deputy head of Takaoka's painting workshop, where the Japanese company tests new techniques.
The takumis and their extreme specialization are essential to the success of Toyota, which became the world's largest car manufacturer three years ago. Between January and June 2014, the company sold 5.1 million vehicles globally. Sales rose 2% in the second quarter over the same period the previous year, to $62 billion.
The manufacturer had never sold so many cars in a single quarter, despite a 4% drop in Japan, the consequence of an April 1 hike in the value-added tax.
When the experts age out
Toyota plans to sell more than 10 million cars in 2014, which would be a first for any manufacturer. To reach this goal, the group relies on its takumis, though this source of expert wealth is being depleted.
"Most takumis are nearing retirement age," says senior technical executive Mitsuru Kawai. "We realized how important it was to pass on their knowledge."
First, the firm spots the best young workers in training. The selected ones then follow a three-year course, which includes one year in one of the company's Global Production Centers, before going to several factories to develop a form of companionship.
The project was developed after the severe recall crisis of the late 2000s that left Toyota badly shaken. In 2009 and 2010, the company had to recall close to nine million vehicles, most of them in the United States, for design flaws. This ended a reign of exceptional sales growth, which saw Toyota sell 500,000 extra cars every year.
The Japanese carmaker was the target of a strong media campaign. After taking the lead in June 2009, Akio Toyoda, the founder's grandson, had to testify before the U.S. Congress during a high-profile 2010 hearing. Toyoda later admitted that the company's development "may have been too quick."
"That was the worst crisis I saw in my 51 years at Toyota," Mitsuru Kawai remembers. Now 66, he grew up in Koromo, the central Japanese town that is the manufacturer's fiefdom and was renamed Toyota City in 1959. Kawai went through Toyota Academy as an apprentice. He climbed the ladder little by little and now leads the takumi project. "The previous crises, the oil or the financial crisis, were external problems," he says. "But with the recalls, it was about products that were our responsibility."
The whole affair forced Toyota to rethink and reorganize its quality control. At the urging of Akio Toyoda, the carmaker created an independent service in charge of these issues and delegated more power to regional subsidiaries to deal with incidents. Having spent 25 years in different positions and in different markets, this automobile fan knows the company's culture well. For him, the conception of a new model is similar to "the painstaking work of rebuilding a Shinto shrine." He decided they had to go back to the core values of the "Toyota way."
The promotion of new takumis is supposed to keep Toyota know-how alive, a principle that is not unlike monozukuri — literally "to make things" — itself deeply rooted in Japan's industrial culture. By doing so, the company is demonstrating its willingness to change the relationship between humans and the robots that are integral in car manufacturing.
"Don't believe that robots do better quality work than humans," explains Shinichi Kato, who is in charge of the painting workshop at the Takaoka factory. "Sure, a robot can repeat a task at a high-level. But somebody needs to teach it how to do it." And only someone who is an expert in his field can do that.
On the painting line, an endless flow of cars passes, and robots paint them. Sometimes, a human — a worker must be able to replace a machine that is stopped — takes over. That's when the similarity of the movements is striking. The robots at Takaoka are not jerky but instead are a perfect copy of the smooth workers' gestures. "Improvement after improvement, we've managed to optimize the robots' procedures and the quantity of paint we use," Kato says. Humans then control the work with a naked eye.
This all allows Toyota to reduce the number of employees in charge of one task, and as a result, to lower production costs. Thanks to robot improvement, the carmaker reduced the number of workers on a painting line from 16 to just six. "But we don't reduce the number of employees," says Mitsuru Kawai. "Those liberated are appointed elsewhere."
Improvements in the installation of car door seals allowed the company to save 39 cents in production costs per vehicle. Put together, these efforts have led to spectacular results. Since 2008, Toyota has reduced its costs by $14.4 billion.
Takumi, Toyota's Secret Weapons To Train The Robots
TAKAOKA — In an isolated area of this 520,000-square-meter Toyota production site in central Japan's Takaoka — where 25 million vehicles have been produced since it opened in 1966 — Hisao Harada is using spray gun to paint the radiator grill of an iQ, a small city car. His movement is fast, fluid, precise.
Harada has been working here for 27 years and is a Toyota takumi, one of the company's 400 to 500 in-house experts who master to perfection a single technique and whose missions are very specific. One woman, for example, specializes in electronic circuit welding.
"We can send them anywhere in the world to train others, improve, fix problems," explains Toshitami Nagase, deputy head of Takaoka's painting workshop, where the Japanese company tests new techniques.
The takumis and their extreme specialization are essential to the success of Toyota, which became the world's largest car manufacturer three years ago. Between January and June 2014, the company sold 5.1 million vehicles globally. Sales rose 2% in the second quarter over the same period the previous year, to $62 billion.
The manufacturer had never sold so many cars in a single quarter, despite a 4% drop in Japan, the consequence of an April 1 hike in the value-added tax.
When the experts age out
Toyota plans to sell more than 10 million cars in 2014, which would be a first for any manufacturer. To reach this goal, the group relies on its takumis, though this source of expert wealth is being depleted.
"Most takumis are nearing retirement age," says senior technical executive Mitsuru Kawai. "We realized how important it was to pass on their knowledge."
First, the firm spots the best young workers in training. The selected ones then follow a three-year course, which includes one year in one of the company's Global Production Centers, before going to several factories to develop a form of companionship.
The project was developed after the severe recall crisis of the late 2000s that left Toyota badly shaken. In 2009 and 2010, the company had to recall close to nine million vehicles, most of them in the United States, for design flaws. This ended a reign of exceptional sales growth, which saw Toyota sell 500,000 extra cars every year.
The Japanese carmaker was the target of a strong media campaign. After taking the lead in June 2009, Akio Toyoda, the founder's grandson, had to testify before the U.S. Congress during a high-profile 2010 hearing. Toyoda later admitted that the company's development "may have been too quick."
"That was the worst crisis I saw in my 51 years at Toyota," Mitsuru Kawai remembers. Now 66, he grew up in Koromo, the central Japanese town that is the manufacturer's fiefdom and was renamed Toyota City in 1959. Kawai went through Toyota Academy as an apprentice. He climbed the ladder little by little and now leads the takumi project. "The previous crises, the oil or the financial crisis, were external problems," he says. "But with the recalls, it was about products that were our responsibility."
The whole affair forced Toyota to rethink and reorganize its quality control. At the urging of Akio Toyoda, the carmaker created an independent service in charge of these issues and delegated more power to regional subsidiaries to deal with incidents. Having spent 25 years in different positions and in different markets, this automobile fan knows the company's culture well. For him, the conception of a new model is similar to "the painstaking work of rebuilding a Shinto shrine." He decided they had to go back to the core values of the "Toyota way."
The promotion of new takumis is supposed to keep Toyota know-how alive, a principle that is not unlike monozukuri — literally "to make things" — itself deeply rooted in Japan's industrial culture. By doing so, the company is demonstrating its willingness to change the relationship between humans and the robots that are integral in car manufacturing.
"Don't believe that robots do better quality work than humans," explains Shinichi Kato, who is in charge of the painting workshop at the Takaoka factory. "Sure, a robot can repeat a task at a high-level. But somebody needs to teach it how to do it." And only someone who is an expert in his field can do that.
On the painting line, an endless flow of cars passes, and robots paint them. Sometimes, a human — a worker must be able to replace a machine that is stopped — takes over. That's when the similarity of the movements is striking. The robots at Takaoka are not jerky but instead are a perfect copy of the smooth workers' gestures. "Improvement after improvement, we've managed to optimize the robots' procedures and the quantity of paint we use," Kato says. Humans then control the work with a naked eye.
This all allows Toyota to reduce the number of employees in charge of one task, and as a result, to lower production costs. Thanks to robot improvement, the carmaker reduced the number of workers on a painting line from 16 to just six. "But we don't reduce the number of employees," says Mitsuru Kawai. "Those liberated are appointed elsewhere."
Improvements in the installation of car door seals allowed the company to save 39 cents in production costs per vehicle. Put together, these efforts have led to spectacular results. Since 2008, Toyota has reduced its costs by $14.4 billion.
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- #3
UZJ100.
A tougher chassis and independent front suspension boost off-road prowess and improve road manners in this Toyota sport-ute. But mass is up by 500 pounds.
When I approached him, the Ford executive was leaning against his company's recent source of pride and profits, the mammoth Expedition sport-utility. We were attending a media test drive at the company's Dearborn proving grounds, and I wanted to ask the honcho his views on Expedition's competitors.
How about Toyota's fabled Land Cruiser, I asked? The Ford man laughed, hurling a spread of saliva buckshot at my left shoulder "Hell, we drop more Expeditions off the truck in a month than Toyota sells those things in a year!" he snorted And what of the new Cruiser on its way, rumored to be packing a Lexus 4-cam V-8, an even more rugged chassis and greater refinement? "We're not really concerned," he scoffed. "They can't compete with us on price or volume -- and nobody really goes off road anyway."
Such classic Detroit blather attempts to mask the significance of the 1998 Land Cruiser. Now entering its fifth generation and 44th year of production, it stays true to its roots with full-time 4wd, a low-range transfer case, center and rear locking differentials, and a whopping 9.8 inches of ground clearance. The Cruiser's global status as a genuine 4x4 icon is rivaled only by Jeep and Land Rover Annual world wide Cruiser sales, in 130 countries, totaled 85,000 units last year. Roughly 20,000 of them were in the U.S. market, including 8,000 super-luxo Lexus LX450s.
With the new Cruiser and its LX470 sibling (see LEXUS LX470 FEATURES VARIABLE SUSPENSION, HEIGHT CONTROL) Toyota division boss Dave Ilingworth predicts sales will limb to over 14,000 Cruisers and 9,000 LXs by the '99 model year. He notes that Land Cruiser's customer base is heavily repeat buyers, and most own another Toyota product.
Design/Engineering: Chassis
Design of UZJ100, as the '98 Cruiser program is coded, was frozen in mid-1994, says veteran chief engineer Takeo Kondo. At that point, the previous FJ80 model was three years old. And as on every previous Cruiser, UZJ100 has body-on-frame construction.
"There was never any consideration of unibody design," Kondo tells AI. "Long-term durability has always been the number one goal of the Land Cruiser program," he explains, "and we expect these vehicles to be on the road for at least 25 years." Range Rover was the program's primary benchmark, particularly for suspension articulation, chassis stiffness and interior appointments.
Kondo's team completely re-engineered the FJ80's ladder frame, adding three extra crossmembers (now nine) and beefing up the side rail structure. Each crossmember is set into the rails using new bracketry, which Toyota calls a flared-flange-type joint (see Illustration). Frame rail wall thickness has been increased to 3.2mm, and the boxed rails include internal stiffening plates welded within their front 48 inches. Kondo claims this helps maintain frame integrity during a frontal impact, keeping the front end from "folding up" into the passenger compartment.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Kondo says none of the Cruiser's frame components is hydroformed nor does any Toyota program currently use this increasingly popular method of metalforming (see June '97 AI, p. 57 and Dec. '97, p. 40). The new frame surpassed the benchmark Range Rover frame in bending and torsional rigidity, claims Kondo (he did not reveal actual frequencies), while boosting overall rigidity by 5096 versus the old FJ80's frame. The stiffer frame allows more compliant suspension bushings and body mounts, helping to improve the new Cruiser's ride comfort. Two types of body mounts are used: compression and lateral-restriction.
The '98 Cruiser switches to an independent front suspension (IFS), based on upper and lower control arms and longitudinal torsion bars. The latter mount to a frame crossmember via a floating member designed to control fore/aft stability of the EFS and limit road-induced NVH. For the vehicle to match its go-anywhere image, all critical running gear, including suspension lower control arms, mounts high. The rack-and-pinion steering gear mounts above the front crossmember, which also protects the engine oil pan and radiator. Both torsion bars are protected by a large skid plate. Minimum ground clearance is nearly 10 inches, and the Cruiser's suspension stroke is among the industry's longest: 200mm front, 240mm rear.
The new Cruiser's Aisin-supplied ABS operates even in 4-wheel low while the center diff is locked. The system is able to "read" road conditions and vehicle dynamics, decreasing the amount of anti-lock applied according to suspension travel, road gradient and abrupt changes in vehicle speed. Foundation brakes feature 4-piston calipers and 12.2-inch ventilated rotors in front, and huge 12.9-inch rear rotors.
Design/Engineering: Body
Also improving the overall structure, and the body's dimensional accuracy, are new one-piece bodysides, claimed by Toyota to be the largest on any light vehicle. The large panels replace the FJ80's two-piece welded bodysides. High-strength steel reinforces all pillars and door sills. Door and rear liftgate jambs are wider for improved ingress/egress and cargo loading.
Dynamically, the UJZ100's structural changes have wrought a vehicle devoid of any body flex or squeaks when flung over the roughest terrain we could find at Borrego Springs, a California desert off-road park that's far more amenable to motocross bikes and extreme dune buggies than luxury SUVs. Driven back-to-back versus a '97 FJ80 over washboard dirt roads, the '98 Cruiser's NVH attenuation is noticeably better. Toyota has added more melt-on asphalt sheeting to the floorpan, and has increased the amount of sound-deading urethane foam and pads injected into pillars and roof rails. On the highway, wind noise is lower due to faster (by three degrees) A-pillars, and new flush-mount windshield and rear quarter window glass.
The extra stiffness and refined manners come at a price, however--mass. The new, all-steel-bodied Cruiser weighs nearly 500 pounds more than its predecessor, mostly due to the chassis and body upgrades. Kondo says there was no plan to offset the added mass with lighter weight components, such as aluminum body panels. At nearly 6,500 pounds GVWR, the Cruiser is actually a medium-duty vehicle.
Powertrain: New V-8
Land Cruiser finally gets a V-8 (a first for any Toyota-badged vehicle), but the new 4.7L engine does not contribute to the new model's extra heft. Even with its cast-iron cylinder block, the dohc, 32-valve V-8 weighs 66 pounds less than the FJ80s 4.5L inline six.
Program boss Kondo admits he wasn't initially sold on the V-8. "We evaluated the (Lexus) aluminum-block car V-8 early on, but it did not have enough low- and midrange torque for our vehicle," he recalls.
So he chose displacement. The UJZ100 design spec required an iron block, with extensive ribbing for bulletproof durability. Manufacturing efficiency called for the Cruiser's block to be machined on the same Tahara plant line as the 4.0L Lexus car V-8. Thus both blocks share common bore centers, but the Cruiser's has the maximum displacement permitted by the Tahara line. The 94mm bore is 6.4mm larger and stroke, at 83.5mm, is 1mm longer than on the car V-8. Besides its iron block and more displacement, Toyota's new "truck V-8" also differs from its car cousins in combustion chamber shape (though valve angles are the same as the 4.0L), cam profiles, and intake manifold geometry. It has a stouter crankshaft, and the con rod big-end bearing shells are aluminum. Package efficiency was also critical; the V8's designers placed the water pump and starter motor inside the block's "vee" to save space.
Powerful 32-bit engine control and effective catalysis, plus Denso top-feed injectors and coil-on-plug ignition, help certify the new Cruiser as a Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) in California. Claimed output is 230 hp at 4,800 rpm, and 320 lb-ft of torque at 3,400. That's a boost of 18 hp and 45 lb-ft over the old inline 6. At presstime, city/highway fuel economy was estimated at 14/16 mpg, more frugal than with the six This basic V-8 will also power the '99 T100 pickup, although rumors persist that the T100 engine will have sohc cylinder heads.
As fits a true 4A, the '98 Cruiser retains a 2-speed Aisin transfer case (and 2.48:1 low range). U.S. market models only offer a 4-speed electronic automatic transmission, sourced by Aisin A-W, While the center and rear differentials are still (optional) "lockers," the Cruiser's new IFS with torsion bars forced the elimination of the FJ80's locking front diff.
Interior
A slightly wider and longer cabin features a subtly refined IP, and an increased array of storage areas overhead, in consoles and cubbies, and in the door panels. Rear seat legroom is up by nearly three inches, and front seats have almost two extra inches of fore/aft slide. There is also an engine immobilizer, a trio of 12-volt power outlets, and power swing-out rear windows.
Manufacturing
Land Cruisers are made the old-fashioned way. Chassis are fully assembled at Toyota's Honsha plant in Toyota City, then trucked across town to Araco, a Toyota kieretsu affiliate. Araco, which produces the company's Coaster minibus, stamps the massive one-piece bodysides on the largest press in Toyota's inventory. It also builds the Cruiser's body and assembles the vehicle.
Should Ford be concerned? Maybe not volume-wise. But this new Land Cruiser gives the Expedition and Navigator a run for their money in image and performance.
While the '98 Lexus LX470 shares its drivetrain and structure with the Toyota Land Cruiser, two chassis systems are exclusive to the Lexus. A variable height feature and adaptive suspension combine to give the luxury SUV an excellent combination of off-road ability and highway comfort.
The Automatic Height Control system consists of an electric pump, pressure accumulator and four frame-mounted gas reservoirs linked to the gas-filled shock absorbers. AHC uses a complicated set of tubes to connect all the hydraulic components. The system features a central accumulator that supplies pressurized gas to the four satellite gas chambers. Each chamber is connected to one of the shock absorbers. The LX470 rises and falls as the pressurized gas is channeled to and from the gas shocks.
A dashboard switch allows the choice of three heights: "Low," which means 8.7 inches ground clearance for the rear axle; "High" raises the LX470 two inches; "Super High" cranks it up another two inches. The suspension defaults to the low setting when the SUV is stationary and whenever the speed exceeds 19 mph. The system will neither raise nor lower the LX470 if any door is open.
The gas shocks also adjust continually to road input. Using the Active Variable Suspension system that bowed on the '97 ES300 sedan, each shock absorber adjusts individually through a range of 16 settings. The LX470's body controller can change the shock setting in as little as 2.5 milliseconds.
A tougher chassis and independent front suspension boost off-road prowess and improve road manners in this Toyota sport-ute. But mass is up by 500 pounds.
When I approached him, the Ford executive was leaning against his company's recent source of pride and profits, the mammoth Expedition sport-utility. We were attending a media test drive at the company's Dearborn proving grounds, and I wanted to ask the honcho his views on Expedition's competitors.
How about Toyota's fabled Land Cruiser, I asked? The Ford man laughed, hurling a spread of saliva buckshot at my left shoulder "Hell, we drop more Expeditions off the truck in a month than Toyota sells those things in a year!" he snorted And what of the new Cruiser on its way, rumored to be packing a Lexus 4-cam V-8, an even more rugged chassis and greater refinement? "We're not really concerned," he scoffed. "They can't compete with us on price or volume -- and nobody really goes off road anyway."
Such classic Detroit blather attempts to mask the significance of the 1998 Land Cruiser. Now entering its fifth generation and 44th year of production, it stays true to its roots with full-time 4wd, a low-range transfer case, center and rear locking differentials, and a whopping 9.8 inches of ground clearance. The Cruiser's global status as a genuine 4x4 icon is rivaled only by Jeep and Land Rover Annual world wide Cruiser sales, in 130 countries, totaled 85,000 units last year. Roughly 20,000 of them were in the U.S. market, including 8,000 super-luxo Lexus LX450s.
With the new Cruiser and its LX470 sibling (see LEXUS LX470 FEATURES VARIABLE SUSPENSION, HEIGHT CONTROL) Toyota division boss Dave Ilingworth predicts sales will limb to over 14,000 Cruisers and 9,000 LXs by the '99 model year. He notes that Land Cruiser's customer base is heavily repeat buyers, and most own another Toyota product.
Design/Engineering: Chassis
Design of UZJ100, as the '98 Cruiser program is coded, was frozen in mid-1994, says veteran chief engineer Takeo Kondo. At that point, the previous FJ80 model was three years old. And as on every previous Cruiser, UZJ100 has body-on-frame construction.
"There was never any consideration of unibody design," Kondo tells AI. "Long-term durability has always been the number one goal of the Land Cruiser program," he explains, "and we expect these vehicles to be on the road for at least 25 years." Range Rover was the program's primary benchmark, particularly for suspension articulation, chassis stiffness and interior appointments.
Kondo's team completely re-engineered the FJ80's ladder frame, adding three extra crossmembers (now nine) and beefing up the side rail structure. Each crossmember is set into the rails using new bracketry, which Toyota calls a flared-flange-type joint (see Illustration). Frame rail wall thickness has been increased to 3.2mm, and the boxed rails include internal stiffening plates welded within their front 48 inches. Kondo claims this helps maintain frame integrity during a frontal impact, keeping the front end from "folding up" into the passenger compartment.
[ILLUSTRATION OMITTED]
Kondo says none of the Cruiser's frame components is hydroformed nor does any Toyota program currently use this increasingly popular method of metalforming (see June '97 AI, p. 57 and Dec. '97, p. 40). The new frame surpassed the benchmark Range Rover frame in bending and torsional rigidity, claims Kondo (he did not reveal actual frequencies), while boosting overall rigidity by 5096 versus the old FJ80's frame. The stiffer frame allows more compliant suspension bushings and body mounts, helping to improve the new Cruiser's ride comfort. Two types of body mounts are used: compression and lateral-restriction.
The '98 Cruiser switches to an independent front suspension (IFS), based on upper and lower control arms and longitudinal torsion bars. The latter mount to a frame crossmember via a floating member designed to control fore/aft stability of the EFS and limit road-induced NVH. For the vehicle to match its go-anywhere image, all critical running gear, including suspension lower control arms, mounts high. The rack-and-pinion steering gear mounts above the front crossmember, which also protects the engine oil pan and radiator. Both torsion bars are protected by a large skid plate. Minimum ground clearance is nearly 10 inches, and the Cruiser's suspension stroke is among the industry's longest: 200mm front, 240mm rear.
The new Cruiser's Aisin-supplied ABS operates even in 4-wheel low while the center diff is locked. The system is able to "read" road conditions and vehicle dynamics, decreasing the amount of anti-lock applied according to suspension travel, road gradient and abrupt changes in vehicle speed. Foundation brakes feature 4-piston calipers and 12.2-inch ventilated rotors in front, and huge 12.9-inch rear rotors.
Design/Engineering: Body
Also improving the overall structure, and the body's dimensional accuracy, are new one-piece bodysides, claimed by Toyota to be the largest on any light vehicle. The large panels replace the FJ80's two-piece welded bodysides. High-strength steel reinforces all pillars and door sills. Door and rear liftgate jambs are wider for improved ingress/egress and cargo loading.
Dynamically, the UJZ100's structural changes have wrought a vehicle devoid of any body flex or squeaks when flung over the roughest terrain we could find at Borrego Springs, a California desert off-road park that's far more amenable to motocross bikes and extreme dune buggies than luxury SUVs. Driven back-to-back versus a '97 FJ80 over washboard dirt roads, the '98 Cruiser's NVH attenuation is noticeably better. Toyota has added more melt-on asphalt sheeting to the floorpan, and has increased the amount of sound-deading urethane foam and pads injected into pillars and roof rails. On the highway, wind noise is lower due to faster (by three degrees) A-pillars, and new flush-mount windshield and rear quarter window glass.
The extra stiffness and refined manners come at a price, however--mass. The new, all-steel-bodied Cruiser weighs nearly 500 pounds more than its predecessor, mostly due to the chassis and body upgrades. Kondo says there was no plan to offset the added mass with lighter weight components, such as aluminum body panels. At nearly 6,500 pounds GVWR, the Cruiser is actually a medium-duty vehicle.
Powertrain: New V-8
Land Cruiser finally gets a V-8 (a first for any Toyota-badged vehicle), but the new 4.7L engine does not contribute to the new model's extra heft. Even with its cast-iron cylinder block, the dohc, 32-valve V-8 weighs 66 pounds less than the FJ80s 4.5L inline six.
Program boss Kondo admits he wasn't initially sold on the V-8. "We evaluated the (Lexus) aluminum-block car V-8 early on, but it did not have enough low- and midrange torque for our vehicle," he recalls.
So he chose displacement. The UJZ100 design spec required an iron block, with extensive ribbing for bulletproof durability. Manufacturing efficiency called for the Cruiser's block to be machined on the same Tahara plant line as the 4.0L Lexus car V-8. Thus both blocks share common bore centers, but the Cruiser's has the maximum displacement permitted by the Tahara line. The 94mm bore is 6.4mm larger and stroke, at 83.5mm, is 1mm longer than on the car V-8. Besides its iron block and more displacement, Toyota's new "truck V-8" also differs from its car cousins in combustion chamber shape (though valve angles are the same as the 4.0L), cam profiles, and intake manifold geometry. It has a stouter crankshaft, and the con rod big-end bearing shells are aluminum. Package efficiency was also critical; the V8's designers placed the water pump and starter motor inside the block's "vee" to save space.
Powerful 32-bit engine control and effective catalysis, plus Denso top-feed injectors and coil-on-plug ignition, help certify the new Cruiser as a Low Emission Vehicle (LEV) in California. Claimed output is 230 hp at 4,800 rpm, and 320 lb-ft of torque at 3,400. That's a boost of 18 hp and 45 lb-ft over the old inline 6. At presstime, city/highway fuel economy was estimated at 14/16 mpg, more frugal than with the six This basic V-8 will also power the '99 T100 pickup, although rumors persist that the T100 engine will have sohc cylinder heads.
As fits a true 4A, the '98 Cruiser retains a 2-speed Aisin transfer case (and 2.48:1 low range). U.S. market models only offer a 4-speed electronic automatic transmission, sourced by Aisin A-W, While the center and rear differentials are still (optional) "lockers," the Cruiser's new IFS with torsion bars forced the elimination of the FJ80's locking front diff.
Interior
A slightly wider and longer cabin features a subtly refined IP, and an increased array of storage areas overhead, in consoles and cubbies, and in the door panels. Rear seat legroom is up by nearly three inches, and front seats have almost two extra inches of fore/aft slide. There is also an engine immobilizer, a trio of 12-volt power outlets, and power swing-out rear windows.
Manufacturing
Land Cruisers are made the old-fashioned way. Chassis are fully assembled at Toyota's Honsha plant in Toyota City, then trucked across town to Araco, a Toyota kieretsu affiliate. Araco, which produces the company's Coaster minibus, stamps the massive one-piece bodysides on the largest press in Toyota's inventory. It also builds the Cruiser's body and assembles the vehicle.
Should Ford be concerned? Maybe not volume-wise. But this new Land Cruiser gives the Expedition and Navigator a run for their money in image and performance.
While the '98 Lexus LX470 shares its drivetrain and structure with the Toyota Land Cruiser, two chassis systems are exclusive to the Lexus. A variable height feature and adaptive suspension combine to give the luxury SUV an excellent combination of off-road ability and highway comfort.
The Automatic Height Control system consists of an electric pump, pressure accumulator and four frame-mounted gas reservoirs linked to the gas-filled shock absorbers. AHC uses a complicated set of tubes to connect all the hydraulic components. The system features a central accumulator that supplies pressurized gas to the four satellite gas chambers. Each chamber is connected to one of the shock absorbers. The LX470 rises and falls as the pressurized gas is channeled to and from the gas shocks.
A dashboard switch allows the choice of three heights: "Low," which means 8.7 inches ground clearance for the rear axle; "High" raises the LX470 two inches; "Super High" cranks it up another two inches. The suspension defaults to the low setting when the SUV is stationary and whenever the speed exceeds 19 mph. The system will neither raise nor lower the LX470 if any door is open.
The gas shocks also adjust continually to road input. Using the Active Variable Suspension system that bowed on the '97 ES300 sedan, each shock absorber adjusts individually through a range of 16 settings. The LX470's body controller can change the shock setting in as little as 2.5 milliseconds.
- Thread starter
- #4
http://www.toyota-global.com/showroom/vehicle_heritage/landcruiser/origin/
Birth of The Toyota Jeep BJ
The history of the Land Cruiser began just after World War II in 1950. The drastic rise in inflation in Japan after World War II resulted in enormous living difficulty for citizens and thus resulted in the implementation of the "Dodge line" economic stabilization policy in Japan by the U.S.A. in 1949. The extremely strict austerity measures of this financial and monetary contraction policy at last brought inflation under control. However, the drastic change in policies had a dampening effect on industrial production activities, and Japanese industries faced an even more serious period of difficult times.
The resulting recession had a direct impact on the automotive industry, making it difficult to obtain funds and requiring companies to revise production plans and cut back staff. This resulted in regular conflicts with labor unions, and in April of 1950 Toyota suffered a large-scale strike. The dispute was eventually resolved in June, after a major management shuffle. However, production levels dropped during the strike, and the monthly production during that time was only a few hundred units per month. This period was truly one of the most difficult periods for Toyota as a company. On June 25 of 1950 the North Korean (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) suddenly invaded the South Korean (Republic of Korea), and the Korean War had begun.
At that time Japan was still under the influence of America, centering on the occupation forces of the United States military, for which Japan played a role as a supply base, and with the Korean War all military production went into full time operation. Orders were issued by the headquarters of the occupying forces for large numbers of military trucks. This was a special demand tied directly to the Korean War.
When the National Police Reserve Forces (now called the Japan Self-Defense Forces) was first established it depended entirely on the U.S. Military for all of its equipment, however very quickly it was urged that domestic sources of supply be developed. Part of the motivation was to create a base in Japan through which the U.S. Military could procure military vehicles for use throughout the Asia region, but Japanese automakers were asked to produce prototypes for compact 4x4 trucks and other vehicles.
In response Toyota began designing such vehicles in August of the same year, and by January of 1951 had produced a prototype. The prototype was a truck with a B-type gasoline powered water-cooled in-line 6-cylinder 3,386cc engine, installed on a SB-type 1-ton truck chassis.
At the time there were many Jeeps being driven in Japan, which had been brought in by the occupying forces, and the Jeep came to be the symbol of the 4x4. For this reason Toyota called its prototype the Toyota Jeep, and by combining a B-type engine with a Jeep model it was known as the BJ.
However, the vehicle which was ultimately selected for procurement by the National Police Reserve Forces was the Willys Jeep. The Toyota Jeep BJ had been rejected on this project, but in July of the same year test driver Ichiro Taira did a test run under the supervision of officials from the National Police Agency, and performed brilliantly, climbing by car all the way up to the No. 6 checkpoint on Mt. Fuji. The test run was viewed favorably, and in August this model was officially adopted as the patrol car for the National Police Agency.
However, large-scale production of the Toyota Jeep did not begin until August of 1953. It took 2 years from the decision to adopt the prototype to get ready for full-scale production, most of the time being required for detailed decisions on the specs and on price negotiations. But orders were placed in blocks covering the fiscal year, as one would expect from a government agency. In the first year 298 Toyota Jeep BJs rolled off the production line. Later, in addition to the patrol car for the National Police Agency, Toyota also received orders from the Forestry and Agricultural Agency and from Electric Power companies.
The next year in June of 1954, responding to claims of trademark violation by the Willys Company that produced the original Jeep, then Director of Technology Hanji Umehara renamed this 4-wheeled vehicle as the Land Cruiser. The rest as they say is history, as the Land Cruiser demonstrated global competitiveness with its rival models, and its success proved it to be truly worthy of its name.
Sakichi Toyoda founded the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd., to which he dedicated his entire career. Successor to the intelligence and active spirit of his father, Kiichiro Toyoda established the company in the automotive industry. His dream was to produce an automobile that could gain acceptance throughout the world, and certainly Toyota has taken that major step.
Model AK10, Specification
Overall, Length 3,390mm
Overall, Width 1,570mm
Overall, Height 1,800 (1,370)mm
Wheel Base 2,300mm
Tread, Front/Rear 1,300mm/1,300mm
Minimum Turning Radius 6.0m
Vehicle Weight 1,100kg
Payload 500kg
Seating Capacity 2 Passengers
Gross Vehicle Weight 1,800kg
Engine Type Gasoline engine, 4-cycle, OHV
Number of Cylinders 4
Bore and Stroke 84.14mm x 101.6mm
Displacement 2,258cc
Compression Ratio 6.0
Maximum B.H.P. 43HP at 2,800 rpm
Maximum Torque 17.0kg-m at 1,400 rpm
Maximum Speed 80km/h
Gasoline Tank Capacity 50L
Kiichiro Toyoda's dream
The founder of Toyota Motor Corp. was Kiichiro Toyoda, who wrote in the July 1941 issue of the magazine Hanjidosha, "Era of the complete domestically-built car" subtitled "When will Japan produce one?" in which he expressed his dream and determination to produce a car fully made in Japan, just as Ford and Chevrolet did in America. As criteria for a car for the people he listed low price, high-performance, and economy, and discussed the technical issues behind these. The car that first fulfilled the dream like the established world automakers was the Land Cruiser. Moreover, the Land Cruiser led Toyota's drive into world markets, taking the all-important first step.
The Man Who Named It
The late Mr. HANJI UMEHARA
Former Managing Director of Toyota Motor Corporation
Amid all this confusion one vehicle made itself very conspicuous, the Jeep. Before this encounter I had never heard of or seen a Jeep. I somehow came to associate it with the fantasy animals that Seeger, the American cartoonist used to draw. This agile little beast captured the popular interest in America around 1938.
Later, when I was a technical director at Toyota we were conducting tests of a future competitor to the Jeep. After the tests, our test driver, Ichiro Taira, insisted on taking the car up the steps of Mt. Atago (Tokyo). Heikuro Magaki had climbed these same steps on horseback three centuries earlier. Once we got there, we saw there was a pillar in the middle of the steps and were forced to give it up as impossible. Instead we rode up the steps (no longer existing) leading to the Fudo temple in Okazaki city. Much like Heikuro might have done, Ichiro Taira went up the steps zigzag-fashion and reached the top without any difficulty. An incredible feat! This if nothing else convinced us of the worth of our new product.
In England we had another competitor; Land Rovers and Jeeps! I had to come up with a name for our car that would not sound less dignified than those of our competitors. That is why I decided to call it "Land Cruiser".
Now the Land Cruiser has become a major success in more than 30 countries throughout the world. Unlike an ordinary passenger vehicle the Land Cruiser is a strong, silent workhorse that does not usually get talked about. As most Land Cruisers are exported, they are still not a familiar sight in Japan.
A Chinese table tennis team that visited our factory some time ago took a keen interest in the Land Cruiser. A thought struck me. Maybe the day will come when the Land Cruiser will travel across the vast area of Mainland China. One day I happened to visit the Arakawa Auto Body Co, Ltd (now Toyota Auto Body Co, Ltd). I found myself stroking the bonnet of a Land Cruiser saying "There's a good girl", "There's a good girl, you have been easier to bring up than any other car".
The 20-series that went under the name of Land Cruiser.
After the test drive on Mt. Fuji. (July,1951)
Time-line of Land Cruiser History
This is a graph of the Land Cruiser model lineup. Only the domestic lineup is listed until 2000.
The overseas lineup is included from 2001.
*Please note that it does not include all overseas exported or produced models of its over 50-year history.
Birth of The Toyota Jeep BJ
The resulting recession had a direct impact on the automotive industry, making it difficult to obtain funds and requiring companies to revise production plans and cut back staff. This resulted in regular conflicts with labor unions, and in April of 1950 Toyota suffered a large-scale strike. The dispute was eventually resolved in June, after a major management shuffle. However, production levels dropped during the strike, and the monthly production during that time was only a few hundred units per month. This period was truly one of the most difficult periods for Toyota as a company. On June 25 of 1950 the North Korean (Democratic People's Republic of Korea) suddenly invaded the South Korean (Republic of Korea), and the Korean War had begun.
At that time Japan was still under the influence of America, centering on the occupation forces of the United States military, for which Japan played a role as a supply base, and with the Korean War all military production went into full time operation. Orders were issued by the headquarters of the occupying forces for large numbers of military trucks. This was a special demand tied directly to the Korean War.
When the National Police Reserve Forces (now called the Japan Self-Defense Forces) was first established it depended entirely on the U.S. Military for all of its equipment, however very quickly it was urged that domestic sources of supply be developed. Part of the motivation was to create a base in Japan through which the U.S. Military could procure military vehicles for use throughout the Asia region, but Japanese automakers were asked to produce prototypes for compact 4x4 trucks and other vehicles.
In response Toyota began designing such vehicles in August of the same year, and by January of 1951 had produced a prototype. The prototype was a truck with a B-type gasoline powered water-cooled in-line 6-cylinder 3,386cc engine, installed on a SB-type 1-ton truck chassis.
At the time there were many Jeeps being driven in Japan, which had been brought in by the occupying forces, and the Jeep came to be the symbol of the 4x4. For this reason Toyota called its prototype the Toyota Jeep, and by combining a B-type engine with a Jeep model it was known as the BJ.
However, the vehicle which was ultimately selected for procurement by the National Police Reserve Forces was the Willys Jeep. The Toyota Jeep BJ had been rejected on this project, but in July of the same year test driver Ichiro Taira did a test run under the supervision of officials from the National Police Agency, and performed brilliantly, climbing by car all the way up to the No. 6 checkpoint on Mt. Fuji. The test run was viewed favorably, and in August this model was officially adopted as the patrol car for the National Police Agency.
However, large-scale production of the Toyota Jeep did not begin until August of 1953. It took 2 years from the decision to adopt the prototype to get ready for full-scale production, most of the time being required for detailed decisions on the specs and on price negotiations. But orders were placed in blocks covering the fiscal year, as one would expect from a government agency. In the first year 298 Toyota Jeep BJs rolled off the production line. Later, in addition to the patrol car for the National Police Agency, Toyota also received orders from the Forestry and Agricultural Agency and from Electric Power companies.
The next year in June of 1954, responding to claims of trademark violation by the Willys Company that produced the original Jeep, then Director of Technology Hanji Umehara renamed this 4-wheeled vehicle as the Land Cruiser. The rest as they say is history, as the Land Cruiser demonstrated global competitiveness with its rival models, and its success proved it to be truly worthy of its name.
Sakichi Toyoda founded the Toyoda Automatic Loom Works, Ltd., to which he dedicated his entire career. Successor to the intelligence and active spirit of his father, Kiichiro Toyoda established the company in the automotive industry. His dream was to produce an automobile that could gain acceptance throughout the world, and certainly Toyota has taken that major step.
Model AK10, Specification
Overall, Length 3,390mm
Overall, Width 1,570mm
Overall, Height 1,800 (1,370)mm
Wheel Base 2,300mm
Tread, Front/Rear 1,300mm/1,300mm
Minimum Turning Radius 6.0m
Vehicle Weight 1,100kg
Payload 500kg
Seating Capacity 2 Passengers
Gross Vehicle Weight 1,800kg
Engine Type Gasoline engine, 4-cycle, OHV
Number of Cylinders 4
Bore and Stroke 84.14mm x 101.6mm
Displacement 2,258cc
Compression Ratio 6.0
Maximum B.H.P. 43HP at 2,800 rpm
Maximum Torque 17.0kg-m at 1,400 rpm
Maximum Speed 80km/h
Gasoline Tank Capacity 50L
Kiichiro Toyoda's dream
The founder of Toyota Motor Corp. was Kiichiro Toyoda, who wrote in the July 1941 issue of the magazine Hanjidosha, "Era of the complete domestically-built car" subtitled "When will Japan produce one?" in which he expressed his dream and determination to produce a car fully made in Japan, just as Ford and Chevrolet did in America. As criteria for a car for the people he listed low price, high-performance, and economy, and discussed the technical issues behind these. The car that first fulfilled the dream like the established world automakers was the Land Cruiser. Moreover, the Land Cruiser led Toyota's drive into world markets, taking the all-important first step.
The Man Who Named It
The late Mr. HANJI UMEHARA
Former Managing Director of Toyota Motor Corporation
Amid all this confusion one vehicle made itself very conspicuous, the Jeep. Before this encounter I had never heard of or seen a Jeep. I somehow came to associate it with the fantasy animals that Seeger, the American cartoonist used to draw. This agile little beast captured the popular interest in America around 1938.
Later, when I was a technical director at Toyota we were conducting tests of a future competitor to the Jeep. After the tests, our test driver, Ichiro Taira, insisted on taking the car up the steps of Mt. Atago (Tokyo). Heikuro Magaki had climbed these same steps on horseback three centuries earlier. Once we got there, we saw there was a pillar in the middle of the steps and were forced to give it up as impossible. Instead we rode up the steps (no longer existing) leading to the Fudo temple in Okazaki city. Much like Heikuro might have done, Ichiro Taira went up the steps zigzag-fashion and reached the top without any difficulty. An incredible feat! This if nothing else convinced us of the worth of our new product.
In England we had another competitor; Land Rovers and Jeeps! I had to come up with a name for our car that would not sound less dignified than those of our competitors. That is why I decided to call it "Land Cruiser".
Now the Land Cruiser has become a major success in more than 30 countries throughout the world. Unlike an ordinary passenger vehicle the Land Cruiser is a strong, silent workhorse that does not usually get talked about. As most Land Cruisers are exported, they are still not a familiar sight in Japan.
A Chinese table tennis team that visited our factory some time ago took a keen interest in the Land Cruiser. A thought struck me. Maybe the day will come when the Land Cruiser will travel across the vast area of Mainland China. One day I happened to visit the Arakawa Auto Body Co, Ltd (now Toyota Auto Body Co, Ltd). I found myself stroking the bonnet of a Land Cruiser saying "There's a good girl", "There's a good girl, you have been easier to bring up than any other car".
The 20-series that went under the name of Land Cruiser.
After the test drive on Mt. Fuji. (July,1951)
Time-line of Land Cruiser History
This is a graph of the Land Cruiser model lineup. Only the domestic lineup is listed until 2000.
The overseas lineup is included from 2001.
*Please note that it does not include all overseas exported or produced models of its over 50-year history.
- Thread starter
- #5
http://www.worldcrunch.com/tech-sci...ployment-robots-takumi/c4s16867/#.VX-tBWbGszZ
Takumi, Toyota's Secret Weapons To Train The Robots
"Don't believe that robots do better quality work than humans," explains Shinichi Kato, who is in charge of the painting workshop at the Takaoka factory. "Sure, a robot can repeat a task at a high-level. But somebody needs to teach it how to do it." And only someone who is an expert in his field can do that.
Yup, definitely.
- Thread starter
- #7
http://oppositelock.kinja.com/why-the-toyota-land-cruiser-is-so-expensive-1715003811
Why The Toyota Land Cruiser Is So Expensive
The Land Cruiser 200 series gets a lot of hate:
“It looks like a bloated highlander.”
“Its not a “real” Land Cruiser.”
“Its so old! Look at it, its so...old!”
But most of all, this one:
“Its WAY too expensive, I can get X for so much less!”
Okay, its not my favorite Land Cruiser either, for looks or for the fact that in the US you can’t get one thats not fluffed up like the huggie bear on rogaine but its still a Land Cruiser and that name carries with it a certain weight. I’ll spare you the history of the Land Cruiser except to say that the Land Cruiser name today is more than it was in the iconic FJ40 era. Around the 1970’s the Land Cruiser family tree branched out and several offspring were birthed from the hearty root of the original BJ (“B” engine Jeep) and included the heavy duty line, called the 70 series, which is badass and kicking to this day, the light duty line called “Prado” and the J wagons, including the us market 60/62, 80, 100 and now 200 series.
Around the time of the 80 series, considered by some to be the best vehicle Toyota ever made, Toyota began to notice that the people who bought Land Cruisers weren’t rough and tumble types (does that mean they like to roll around in rocks? I don’t know) but were more likely dentists, surgeons, basketball players and so on. These people had 60 series Land Cruisers and loved them, but were starting to demand things like comfort, speed, convenience etc. As such the basic and simple FJ80 of the early 90’s with one foot firmly in the outback and reeking of that Land Cruiser charm slowly morphed into a vehicle that could only be had with leather, power everything, speakers galore with CD changer (!) and generally anything else Toyota could think to stuff in to keep those well heeled customers happy and sales were good.
Ever since then the Land Cruiser J wagon in the US has been on an ever pampering, cosseting trajectory and in 2008 a new model, the J200, was born. Even still, in chasing the money of the well-to-do US buyer by adding luxury the J wagon still retained its authentic roots; After all even though the US market isn’t in a mood to explore, its still sold in many countries that are, whether you want or even need to and you count on the legendary toughness of what is affectionately called the “bush taxi”. The 100 series, for example, even in US spec is often cited as the best used overland vehicle you can buy. The 200 is much the same story, with rugged and bare bones version being used all around in the world in places and in roles where luxury is defined as getting there...and back.
But as you can guess, this isn’t the version we we get in the US, not even close. Toyota, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that Americans only want a fully dressed 200 and so that’s what we get. Its 80 grand+ and although that sounds like a lot of money, as your resident Land Cruiser nuttist, I’m here to try and explain where all that money goes.
1. 2.5% import tariff (built in Japan and imported).
Any passenger vehicle imported from Japan (and other places as well) is subject to a 2.5% import tariff. All Land Cruisers are built in a plant in Japan and shipped overseas. This is the kind of plant that they fire you if you can’t demonstrate high levels of dexterity and worker competence.
2. It starts at 80 grand...and ends there; It has no options and comes fully loaded.
3. Off road stuff.
Full underbody armor package, KDSS, rated recovery hooks, beefy ball joints, control arms, bump stops, bushings and shocks.
4. Built with parts unique to the land cruiser that are designed for 25 year service life.
All Land Cruisers are built around the concept of a 25 year service life and that means more expensive and durable components. For example, the windshield is 2mm thicker than standard Toyota and the entire exhaust is stainless steel and double thick for corrosion protection and no warping/cracking when you dunk it in water hot.
1
5. Its a low volume niche model.
Toyota knows full well that the 200 series isn’t for everyone, nor do they care. The Land Cruiser brand sells in high enough volume around the world that the US market is meaningless except to maintain a Land Cruiser presence and to keep the very wealthy conservative clientele that are extremely fond of the reliability and its nondescript nature. What that means is that Toyota must charge more for it to make up for volume sales and to keep the types of clients they want. The US Land Cruiser buyer is many things but the 2 most important for Toyota is:
a. Wealthy - They don’t mind dropping 80 grand cash on a car, in fact, if it were less money...they might begin to wonder if its lost the luxury goods air.
B. Brand loyal - They will be back to buy a Lexus RX for their spouse, a Corolla for their daughter and a 4Runner for their son.
Contrary to popular opinion, most people in this crowd don’t care if its not up to the minute design or stacked with the latest features. Most US Land Cruiser buyers want: QDR - Quality, Dependability, Reliability. It also has to be super safe and hold its value. All things the Land Cruiser does better than just about anything else you can buy. Is it dated? yeah...no one who buys one cares.
6. Minimal commonality with other vehicles.
I know people say that its the same as the 45 grand Sequoia but 2 things:
A. No
B. Nope
Seriously, although the engine and trans are the same, more or less, (and the T-case on some models) the J200 is a unique chassis as are many of the components in and on the truck. Also, if you want to compare apples to apples, you cant compare it to the 2 wheel drive SR5, you must compare it to the 4x4 platinum which is 65 large. Don’t forget to add on $1600 (2.5% of 65000) for the Tariff if you want to compare straight across. So no, its not twice as much, its 16% more. (19% minus the tariff equalizing)
7. They’ve earned their reputation that “luxury” can still mean insanely well made cars.
People used to think that a car built to a higher standard was worth paying extra for, but not now I guess? In any case, the Land Cruiser has 100% earned that reputation of being a long lasting, well built vehicle. I think its telling that all the explorers I know that have been doing it a long time either bought a Land Cruiser early on and stayed, or switched from Land/Range Rover to a Land Cruiser. A Land Rover is a wonderful thing, but even the Land Rover faithful will attest to the fact that the Cruiser is the more reliable choice. Just check out this score from the Trade In Quality Index which is a survey of actual cars at trade in and not some “initial quality” nonsense.
So yes, 80 large is a lot for a Toyota but shop around in the Ford camp, or in Chevy town and you can get their large SUV’s up into the low to mid 70’s and that’s without the import tariff, or the additional off road hardware, or extended lifetime hardening, etc.
If I had to sum it up into a formula I would say its 95% because its expensive to make, 5% because they can. The truth of the matter is that the Land Cruiser just isn’t for everyone, it never has been and never will be. For those that know, its not a rip, its money well spent.
Why The Toyota Land Cruiser Is So Expensive
The Land Cruiser 200 series gets a lot of hate:
“It looks like a bloated highlander.”
“Its not a “real” Land Cruiser.”
“Its so old! Look at it, its so...old!”
But most of all, this one:
“Its WAY too expensive, I can get X for so much less!”
Okay, its not my favorite Land Cruiser either, for looks or for the fact that in the US you can’t get one thats not fluffed up like the huggie bear on rogaine but its still a Land Cruiser and that name carries with it a certain weight. I’ll spare you the history of the Land Cruiser except to say that the Land Cruiser name today is more than it was in the iconic FJ40 era. Around the 1970’s the Land Cruiser family tree branched out and several offspring were birthed from the hearty root of the original BJ (“B” engine Jeep) and included the heavy duty line, called the 70 series, which is badass and kicking to this day, the light duty line called “Prado” and the J wagons, including the us market 60/62, 80, 100 and now 200 series.
Around the time of the 80 series, considered by some to be the best vehicle Toyota ever made, Toyota began to notice that the people who bought Land Cruisers weren’t rough and tumble types (does that mean they like to roll around in rocks? I don’t know) but were more likely dentists, surgeons, basketball players and so on. These people had 60 series Land Cruisers and loved them, but were starting to demand things like comfort, speed, convenience etc. As such the basic and simple FJ80 of the early 90’s with one foot firmly in the outback and reeking of that Land Cruiser charm slowly morphed into a vehicle that could only be had with leather, power everything, speakers galore with CD changer (!) and generally anything else Toyota could think to stuff in to keep those well heeled customers happy and sales were good.
Ever since then the Land Cruiser J wagon in the US has been on an ever pampering, cosseting trajectory and in 2008 a new model, the J200, was born. Even still, in chasing the money of the well-to-do US buyer by adding luxury the J wagon still retained its authentic roots; After all even though the US market isn’t in a mood to explore, its still sold in many countries that are, whether you want or even need to and you count on the legendary toughness of what is affectionately called the “bush taxi”. The 100 series, for example, even in US spec is often cited as the best used overland vehicle you can buy. The 200 is much the same story, with rugged and bare bones version being used all around in the world in places and in roles where luxury is defined as getting there...and back.
But as you can guess, this isn’t the version we we get in the US, not even close. Toyota, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that Americans only want a fully dressed 200 and so that’s what we get. Its 80 grand+ and although that sounds like a lot of money, as your resident Land Cruiser nuttist, I’m here to try and explain where all that money goes.
1. 2.5% import tariff (built in Japan and imported).
Any passenger vehicle imported from Japan (and other places as well) is subject to a 2.5% import tariff. All Land Cruisers are built in a plant in Japan and shipped overseas. This is the kind of plant that they fire you if you can’t demonstrate high levels of dexterity and worker competence.
2. It starts at 80 grand...and ends there; It has no options and comes fully loaded.
- heated steering wheel
- heated/cooled leather seats
- Center consol fridge
- 4 zone climate
- rear seat DVD
- premium 14 speaker sound with crappy but feature rich deck and Nav
- radar cruise control with pre-collision
- electric fold rear seats
- electric rear hatch
- parking assist
- tow package
- Etc.
3. Off road stuff.
Full underbody armor package, KDSS, rated recovery hooks, beefy ball joints, control arms, bump stops, bushings and shocks.
4. Built with parts unique to the land cruiser that are designed for 25 year service life.
All Land Cruisers are built around the concept of a 25 year service life and that means more expensive and durable components. For example, the windshield is 2mm thicker than standard Toyota and the entire exhaust is stainless steel and double thick for corrosion protection and no warping/cracking when you dunk it in water hot.
5. Its a low volume niche model.
Toyota knows full well that the 200 series isn’t for everyone, nor do they care. The Land Cruiser brand sells in high enough volume around the world that the US market is meaningless except to maintain a Land Cruiser presence and to keep the very wealthy conservative clientele that are extremely fond of the reliability and its nondescript nature. What that means is that Toyota must charge more for it to make up for volume sales and to keep the types of clients they want. The US Land Cruiser buyer is many things but the 2 most important for Toyota is:
a. Wealthy - They don’t mind dropping 80 grand cash on a car, in fact, if it were less money...they might begin to wonder if its lost the luxury goods air.
B. Brand loyal - They will be back to buy a Lexus RX for their spouse, a Corolla for their daughter and a 4Runner for their son.
Contrary to popular opinion, most people in this crowd don’t care if its not up to the minute design or stacked with the latest features. Most US Land Cruiser buyers want: QDR - Quality, Dependability, Reliability. It also has to be super safe and hold its value. All things the Land Cruiser does better than just about anything else you can buy. Is it dated? yeah...no one who buys one cares.
6. Minimal commonality with other vehicles.
I know people say that its the same as the 45 grand Sequoia but 2 things:
A. No
B. Nope
Seriously, although the engine and trans are the same, more or less, (and the T-case on some models) the J200 is a unique chassis as are many of the components in and on the truck. Also, if you want to compare apples to apples, you cant compare it to the 2 wheel drive SR5, you must compare it to the 4x4 platinum which is 65 large. Don’t forget to add on $1600 (2.5% of 65000) for the Tariff if you want to compare straight across. So no, its not twice as much, its 16% more. (19% minus the tariff equalizing)
7. They’ve earned their reputation that “luxury” can still mean insanely well made cars.
People used to think that a car built to a higher standard was worth paying extra for, but not now I guess? In any case, the Land Cruiser has 100% earned that reputation of being a long lasting, well built vehicle. I think its telling that all the explorers I know that have been doing it a long time either bought a Land Cruiser early on and stayed, or switched from Land/Range Rover to a Land Cruiser. A Land Rover is a wonderful thing, but even the Land Rover faithful will attest to the fact that the Cruiser is the more reliable choice. Just check out this score from the Trade In Quality Index which is a survey of actual cars at trade in and not some “initial quality” nonsense.
So yes, 80 large is a lot for a Toyota but shop around in the Ford camp, or in Chevy town and you can get their large SUV’s up into the low to mid 70’s and that’s without the import tariff, or the additional off road hardware, or extended lifetime hardening, etc.
If I had to sum it up into a formula I would say its 95% because its expensive to make, 5% because they can. The truth of the matter is that the Land Cruiser just isn’t for everyone, it never has been and never will be. For those that know, its not a rip, its money well spent.
- Thread starter
- #8
More History, cool pics.
How do you sum up in one word a car that has achieved the status of legend the world over – durable, rugged, reliable, unbreakable? The Land Cruiser is all of these and more, but somehow these statements still fail to convey how, for over 60 years, it has set the benchmark for impenetrable quality – a car built to survive the most testing places in the world.
Like a hardened soldier, the Land Cruiser was born in the unforgiving environment of war. When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, the United Nations and United States came to the aid of the South, and Japan played the role of supply base, it being a U.S-occupied country.
Soon after, Japanese auto manufacturers were commissioned to supply a compact four-wheel drive to the U.S military, and with its prior experience of building trucks for Japan’s own military during the 1940s, Toyota was well placed to respond and would go on to receive a large number of orders from the allied forces.
The original
By January 1951, five months after design began, Toyota had produced its first prototype. Utilising existing Toyota hardware, the prototype consisted of the chassis from the Type SB one-ton truck and power from the large 3.4-litre Type B petrol engine. Due to the popularity at the time of the Willys Jeep (a favourite of the occupying forces), Toyota chose to call its new prototype the Jeep BJ (B for Type B engine, J after the leading Jeep 4x4).
In July of that year, test driver Ichiro Taira completed a test run (under the supervision of officials from the National Police Agency) that saw him navigate a BJ all the way up to the No. 6 checkpoint of Mount Fuji – a feat only achieved previously on horseback!
In July of that year, test driver Ichiro Taira completed a test run (under the supervision of officials from the National Police Agency) that saw him navigate a BJ all the way up to the No. 6 checkpoint of Mount Fuji – a feat only achieved previously on horseback! The test run proved the ability of the BJ, and the car was adopted as a patrol car for Japan’s National Police Agency in August of that year.
It took a further two years for the BJ to be declared ready for full-scale production, by which time other government agencies and energy companies had already placed orders. It was after its first full year of production, in 1954, following claims of trademark violation from the Willys Company, that the BJ was renamed. The 4x4 would now aptly be known as the Toyota Land Cruiser…
A civilised change
Four years after the first prototype was shown, the second Land Cruiser (Series 20) was readied in November 1955. A slight evolution on the outside, under the skin there were big changes as it morphed from utilitarian military machine to comfortable civilian carriage.
With still recognisable ‘BJ’ roots, the Series 20 proudly showed off softer body-lines that incorporated integrated headlamps and a more spacious cabin. Ride comfort also improved with new front and rear leaf springs soaking up the bumps, while vibration in the cabin was reduced by new rubber suspension bushings.
The short wheelbase was made shorter again for improved manoeuvrability, while a new long wheelbase derivative, with its higher loading capacity, allowed for an array of distinct body styles that included multi-seat cabins and pick-ups.
Under the bonnet, a new cast iron F-series engine was introduced that offered the driver 23% more power than the outgoing model. A development of the B-series engine that was first seen in 1948, this power unit would be fitted to Toyotas until it discontinued in 1992 – an incredible engineering achievement that goes down as the longest-serving of all our engines.
As a result of continued military acquisitions from around the world, the Series 20 would make an impression for many as the first Toyota to arrive in their country. The sales success of the Land Cruiser in export sales was clear to see in 1957, as 32.8% of all Japanese vehicle exports were the rugged 4x4.
Life starts at ‘Forty’
The third-generation model, the Series 40, entered the market in 1960 and this iconic model would go on to traverse rivers and navigate rock-strewn roads for 24 years, and garner the nickname of ‘The Forty’.
With a reputation flying high following the success of the Series 20, the priority for Toyota engineers at the time was to ensure The Forty maintained the winning formula while making noticeable improvements and clever refinements all round.
Like the previous model change, revisions to the exterior styling were subtle to say the least. Features included more rectangular wheel arches and indicators positioned on the front wings, but the most memorable change was the addition of a lozenge-shaped surround that framed the headlamps and radiator grille.
One of the biggest changes came with the offering of three final drive ratios – Full, Economy and Moderate – depending on the type of terrain owners encountered. A three-speed manual transmission was carried over but now included a transfer case that reduced the overall ratios to provide a total of six forward gears; three for the road and three for off-road.
In 1967, the ever-increasing demand for the carrying capacity of station wagons led to the introduction of the new FJ55 derivative with its increased (2,700mm) wheelbase, fresh styling and car-like comfort.
In addition to its load-lugging ability, one standout feature of this model was its choice of bottom-hinged tailgate (which could be pulled open when its glass window was rolled down) or out-swinging double doors – offering a solution for everyone’s tastes.
Latterly, in 1980, the 55 model would be replaced by the bigger and more spacious Series 60. In a now hotly-contested segment of the market, the engineers focused on improvements in ride quality and a more luxurious interior with its soft touch interior fittings and split front seating (instead of a bench).
A new era
After 24 extremely successful years (29 years if you count the original Series 20) of the largely unchanged Series 40, 1984 heralded the arrival of a new Land Cruiser – the Series 70 – a car ready for the modern world.
The engineers felt a clean-sheet approach was needed with the new model, a car that was entering a vastly more competitive arena, where the demand for recreational vehicles was on the increase.
The decision was taken to offer the new Land Cruiser in two formats: Heavy Duty providing a robust, workhorse for those that needed toughness at the expense of creature comforts; and Light Duty for more comfortable motoring with friends and family over long distances.
Still recognisably a Land Cruiser, Heavy Duty models were characterised by square, heavy-gauge steel bodies with an angular windscreen sitting on top of five wheelbase configurations and a wide array of engines.
Although not widely different to look at for the casual observer, the Light Duty models had a slightly softer look to the front with more rounded wheel arch extensions and grill and bumper styling. Three wheelbases were offered along with an engine line-up consisting solely of four-cylinder power-plants.
In 1990, to counter strong competition from the likes of Mitsubishi’s Shogun model, the Light Duty was clearly separated from its tougher brother with a new identity: the Land Cruiser Prado. It would continue in production until it was replaced by a new iteration – the Series 90. However, the Series 70 (Heavy Duty) would continue as it was, receiving its first major change in 2007, an incredible 23 years after the first one rolled off the production line.
There are countless stories of epic journeys that people have undertaken in their Land Cruisers. One that stands out involves husband and wife Paul and Brigitta Bohlen Jüni who took their Series 70 on an globe-trotting adventure, circumnavigating the world covering 63 countries and 280,000km. Read more about why there was only one car for them that was up to the challenge.
Comfort is key
In 1996, the new Series 90 was launched to provide the Land Cruiser range with a clear distinction for customers who wanted the high-driving authority of a 4x4, but without impacting comfort and driver enjoyment.
An eye-catching new look featuring a rising belt-line, large plastic bumpers and a choice of three-door and five-door body shells maintained the Land Cruiser ‘go-anywhere’ attitude but in more rounded and modern attire.
A new rack and pinion steering gave the Series 90 a more car-like feel, while new independent front suspension provided a ride casual drivers now expected, without sacrificing any off-road ability.
Meanwhile the Station Wagon, or Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV)-derived model that started with the Series 50 in 1967 and evolved through 60 and 80, was now being updated with the Series 100 in 1998.
Very much the luxury offering within the Land Cruiser family, the new car offered improved 4x4 performance and state-of-the-art active suspension all the while cocooning its occupants in a sumptuous interior of wood trim and leather upholstery. The perfect choice for those customers who wanted the comfort of an executive car but with a commanding perspective – the Land Cruiser 100 offered the perfect perch to view the road ahead.
Cruising into a new century
Despite a relatively short and successful six-year period where the Series 90 notched up over 760,000 sales, in 2002 it was time for a Land Cruiser for the new century: the Series 120.
Launched under the spotlights at that year’s Paris Motor Show, the new model was packed full of technology. Featuring the world’s first electronic hill start assist system (for maximum traction on slopes) and a downhill assist system (to maintain control descending a steep slope) along with improved structural rigidity for improved manoeuvrability, stability and quietness – having been dubbed internally the New Traditional 4x4 – the new Land Cruiser was ready for anything.
For the first time in its history, this new model’s exterior styling was penned outside of Japan at Toyota’s ED2 design centre in southern France. Maintaining the Land Cruiser’s long-standing functional and rugged DNA, the new look was leaner and less prone to ageing than any model seen before, its flowing headlamps and vertical grille giving it a clean but strong stance.
While still feeling tough and robust as you would expect, inside things were equally smooth with an organically shaped dashboard that flowed from the climate control and audio screen into an S-bend in the centre-console.
In 2007, the larger Series 100 SUV was replaced with an even longer and wider Series 200 that, with its redesigned separate frame structure, offered drivers increased comfort, durability and collision safety. Fitted with the world’s first Crawl Control feature, the Series 200 could automatically maintain a low speed as it traversed rocks and sand.
Since the event’s first staging in 1979, the Dakar Rally (formerly the Paris-Dakar Rally) – a race that pits man and machine across some of the most demanding terrain in the world – has proved to be a challenge the Land Cruiser relishes: more Toyota Prados have been entered into the rally by private competitors than any other car since the rally’s inception, a clear indicator of the vehicle’s unwavering dependability.
The latest chapter
As total sales of the Land Cruiser approached six million, it was time for Toyota to re-energise the Series 120 to stay ahead of the competition. The important new Series 150 was launched in 2009 and would be available in over 178 different markets around the world – how things have changed from those early days of Land Cruiser sales.
ED2 in France led the design update and the end result gave the smaller model a family resemblance with design traits from its recently launched bigger brother (Series 200) being successfully incorporated. The more muscular look also comprised a right-hinged rear door, for the first time, that contained a top hinged window that could be opened independently.
Inside, the curves introduced in the previous model’s interior were replaced with a more angular and robust design. In addition to the functional new dashboard with its improved quality and feel, came a new Pre-Collision-System that would warn the driver of an impending collision before braking the car to avoid contact.
Other new features included the Crawl Control from the Series 200 and a new Multi-Terrain Select System that gave drivers the facility to match the vehicle’s settings to the terrain – if you were crossing a beach you would select Sand, or Rock for more treacherous and technical terrain.
And so there we have it, nearly 65 years of history and over 6.5m sales and the Land Cruiser is still going strong. From its humble beginnings as a warzone necessity to a multi-purpose SUV that can handle the dangers of any shopping mall, as the Land Cruiser powers it way through yet another decade it maintains all the attributes which it became known for in the first place – perhaps the reason why so many people hold it so dear. Sometimes the only word that will do it justice is simply… quality.
How do you sum up in one word a car that has achieved the status of legend the world over – durable, rugged, reliable, unbreakable? The Land Cruiser is all of these and more, but somehow these statements still fail to convey how, for over 60 years, it has set the benchmark for impenetrable quality – a car built to survive the most testing places in the world.
Like a hardened soldier, the Land Cruiser was born in the unforgiving environment of war. When North Korea invaded South Korea in 1950, the United Nations and United States came to the aid of the South, and Japan played the role of supply base, it being a U.S-occupied country.
Soon after, Japanese auto manufacturers were commissioned to supply a compact four-wheel drive to the U.S military, and with its prior experience of building trucks for Japan’s own military during the 1940s, Toyota was well placed to respond and would go on to receive a large number of orders from the allied forces.
The original
By January 1951, five months after design began, Toyota had produced its first prototype. Utilising existing Toyota hardware, the prototype consisted of the chassis from the Type SB one-ton truck and power from the large 3.4-litre Type B petrol engine. Due to the popularity at the time of the Willys Jeep (a favourite of the occupying forces), Toyota chose to call its new prototype the Jeep BJ (B for Type B engine, J after the leading Jeep 4x4).
In July of that year, test driver Ichiro Taira completed a test run (under the supervision of officials from the National Police Agency) that saw him navigate a BJ all the way up to the No. 6 checkpoint of Mount Fuji – a feat only achieved previously on horseback!
In July of that year, test driver Ichiro Taira completed a test run (under the supervision of officials from the National Police Agency) that saw him navigate a BJ all the way up to the No. 6 checkpoint of Mount Fuji – a feat only achieved previously on horseback! The test run proved the ability of the BJ, and the car was adopted as a patrol car for Japan’s National Police Agency in August of that year.
It took a further two years for the BJ to be declared ready for full-scale production, by which time other government agencies and energy companies had already placed orders. It was after its first full year of production, in 1954, following claims of trademark violation from the Willys Company, that the BJ was renamed. The 4x4 would now aptly be known as the Toyota Land Cruiser…
A civilised change
Four years after the first prototype was shown, the second Land Cruiser (Series 20) was readied in November 1955. A slight evolution on the outside, under the skin there were big changes as it morphed from utilitarian military machine to comfortable civilian carriage.
With still recognisable ‘BJ’ roots, the Series 20 proudly showed off softer body-lines that incorporated integrated headlamps and a more spacious cabin. Ride comfort also improved with new front and rear leaf springs soaking up the bumps, while vibration in the cabin was reduced by new rubber suspension bushings.
The short wheelbase was made shorter again for improved manoeuvrability, while a new long wheelbase derivative, with its higher loading capacity, allowed for an array of distinct body styles that included multi-seat cabins and pick-ups.
Under the bonnet, a new cast iron F-series engine was introduced that offered the driver 23% more power than the outgoing model. A development of the B-series engine that was first seen in 1948, this power unit would be fitted to Toyotas until it discontinued in 1992 – an incredible engineering achievement that goes down as the longest-serving of all our engines.
As a result of continued military acquisitions from around the world, the Series 20 would make an impression for many as the first Toyota to arrive in their country. The sales success of the Land Cruiser in export sales was clear to see in 1957, as 32.8% of all Japanese vehicle exports were the rugged 4x4.
Life starts at ‘Forty’
The third-generation model, the Series 40, entered the market in 1960 and this iconic model would go on to traverse rivers and navigate rock-strewn roads for 24 years, and garner the nickname of ‘The Forty’.
With a reputation flying high following the success of the Series 20, the priority for Toyota engineers at the time was to ensure The Forty maintained the winning formula while making noticeable improvements and clever refinements all round.
Like the previous model change, revisions to the exterior styling were subtle to say the least. Features included more rectangular wheel arches and indicators positioned on the front wings, but the most memorable change was the addition of a lozenge-shaped surround that framed the headlamps and radiator grille.
One of the biggest changes came with the offering of three final drive ratios – Full, Economy and Moderate – depending on the type of terrain owners encountered. A three-speed manual transmission was carried over but now included a transfer case that reduced the overall ratios to provide a total of six forward gears; three for the road and three for off-road.
In 1967, the ever-increasing demand for the carrying capacity of station wagons led to the introduction of the new FJ55 derivative with its increased (2,700mm) wheelbase, fresh styling and car-like comfort.
In addition to its load-lugging ability, one standout feature of this model was its choice of bottom-hinged tailgate (which could be pulled open when its glass window was rolled down) or out-swinging double doors – offering a solution for everyone’s tastes.
Latterly, in 1980, the 55 model would be replaced by the bigger and more spacious Series 60. In a now hotly-contested segment of the market, the engineers focused on improvements in ride quality and a more luxurious interior with its soft touch interior fittings and split front seating (instead of a bench).
A new era
After 24 extremely successful years (29 years if you count the original Series 20) of the largely unchanged Series 40, 1984 heralded the arrival of a new Land Cruiser – the Series 70 – a car ready for the modern world.
The engineers felt a clean-sheet approach was needed with the new model, a car that was entering a vastly more competitive arena, where the demand for recreational vehicles was on the increase.
The decision was taken to offer the new Land Cruiser in two formats: Heavy Duty providing a robust, workhorse for those that needed toughness at the expense of creature comforts; and Light Duty for more comfortable motoring with friends and family over long distances.
Still recognisably a Land Cruiser, Heavy Duty models were characterised by square, heavy-gauge steel bodies with an angular windscreen sitting on top of five wheelbase configurations and a wide array of engines.
Although not widely different to look at for the casual observer, the Light Duty models had a slightly softer look to the front with more rounded wheel arch extensions and grill and bumper styling. Three wheelbases were offered along with an engine line-up consisting solely of four-cylinder power-plants.
In 1990, to counter strong competition from the likes of Mitsubishi’s Shogun model, the Light Duty was clearly separated from its tougher brother with a new identity: the Land Cruiser Prado. It would continue in production until it was replaced by a new iteration – the Series 90. However, the Series 70 (Heavy Duty) would continue as it was, receiving its first major change in 2007, an incredible 23 years after the first one rolled off the production line.
There are countless stories of epic journeys that people have undertaken in their Land Cruisers. One that stands out involves husband and wife Paul and Brigitta Bohlen Jüni who took their Series 70 on an globe-trotting adventure, circumnavigating the world covering 63 countries and 280,000km. Read more about why there was only one car for them that was up to the challenge.
Comfort is key
In 1996, the new Series 90 was launched to provide the Land Cruiser range with a clear distinction for customers who wanted the high-driving authority of a 4x4, but without impacting comfort and driver enjoyment.
An eye-catching new look featuring a rising belt-line, large plastic bumpers and a choice of three-door and five-door body shells maintained the Land Cruiser ‘go-anywhere’ attitude but in more rounded and modern attire.
A new rack and pinion steering gave the Series 90 a more car-like feel, while new independent front suspension provided a ride casual drivers now expected, without sacrificing any off-road ability.
Meanwhile the Station Wagon, or Sports Utility Vehicle (SUV)-derived model that started with the Series 50 in 1967 and evolved through 60 and 80, was now being updated with the Series 100 in 1998.
Very much the luxury offering within the Land Cruiser family, the new car offered improved 4x4 performance and state-of-the-art active suspension all the while cocooning its occupants in a sumptuous interior of wood trim and leather upholstery. The perfect choice for those customers who wanted the comfort of an executive car but with a commanding perspective – the Land Cruiser 100 offered the perfect perch to view the road ahead.
Cruising into a new century
Despite a relatively short and successful six-year period where the Series 90 notched up over 760,000 sales, in 2002 it was time for a Land Cruiser for the new century: the Series 120.
Launched under the spotlights at that year’s Paris Motor Show, the new model was packed full of technology. Featuring the world’s first electronic hill start assist system (for maximum traction on slopes) and a downhill assist system (to maintain control descending a steep slope) along with improved structural rigidity for improved manoeuvrability, stability and quietness – having been dubbed internally the New Traditional 4x4 – the new Land Cruiser was ready for anything.
For the first time in its history, this new model’s exterior styling was penned outside of Japan at Toyota’s ED2 design centre in southern France. Maintaining the Land Cruiser’s long-standing functional and rugged DNA, the new look was leaner and less prone to ageing than any model seen before, its flowing headlamps and vertical grille giving it a clean but strong stance.
While still feeling tough and robust as you would expect, inside things were equally smooth with an organically shaped dashboard that flowed from the climate control and audio screen into an S-bend in the centre-console.
In 2007, the larger Series 100 SUV was replaced with an even longer and wider Series 200 that, with its redesigned separate frame structure, offered drivers increased comfort, durability and collision safety. Fitted with the world’s first Crawl Control feature, the Series 200 could automatically maintain a low speed as it traversed rocks and sand.
Since the event’s first staging in 1979, the Dakar Rally (formerly the Paris-Dakar Rally) – a race that pits man and machine across some of the most demanding terrain in the world – has proved to be a challenge the Land Cruiser relishes: more Toyota Prados have been entered into the rally by private competitors than any other car since the rally’s inception, a clear indicator of the vehicle’s unwavering dependability.
The latest chapter
As total sales of the Land Cruiser approached six million, it was time for Toyota to re-energise the Series 120 to stay ahead of the competition. The important new Series 150 was launched in 2009 and would be available in over 178 different markets around the world – how things have changed from those early days of Land Cruiser sales.
ED2 in France led the design update and the end result gave the smaller model a family resemblance with design traits from its recently launched bigger brother (Series 200) being successfully incorporated. The more muscular look also comprised a right-hinged rear door, for the first time, that contained a top hinged window that could be opened independently.
Inside, the curves introduced in the previous model’s interior were replaced with a more angular and robust design. In addition to the functional new dashboard with its improved quality and feel, came a new Pre-Collision-System that would warn the driver of an impending collision before braking the car to avoid contact.
Other new features included the Crawl Control from the Series 200 and a new Multi-Terrain Select System that gave drivers the facility to match the vehicle’s settings to the terrain – if you were crossing a beach you would select Sand, or Rock for more treacherous and technical terrain.
And so there we have it, nearly 65 years of history and over 6.5m sales and the Land Cruiser is still going strong. From its humble beginnings as a warzone necessity to a multi-purpose SUV that can handle the dangers of any shopping mall, as the Land Cruiser powers it way through yet another decade it maintains all the attributes which it became known for in the first place – perhaps the reason why so many people hold it so dear. Sometimes the only word that will do it justice is simply… quality.
murf
Lifer
I'll take one of each please
- Thread starter
- #10
Tackling Cleghorn - The ARB-Equipped StanceWorks FJ62s Hit The Trail
- MAY 12 , 2016 -
TACKLING CLEGHORN – THE ARB-EQUIPPED STANCEWORKS FJ62S TAKE TO THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS
MIKE BURROUGHS
It's been several months since our last off-road excursion, with most of our attention focused on preparing Rusty Slammington for SEMA and the Essen Motor Show. However, we made a promise to ourselves some time ago that on the first available weekend, we'd hit the dirt, and on Sunday afternoon, we did just that. With Josh Dahlstrom's recent FJ62 purchase, as well as his and Cory Hutchison's recent move to California, the stage was set for a perfect day spent perched on the mountain side. Better yet, with the recent install of ARB's Old Man Emu 3" lift kit on my own truck, the day would prove to be a perfect compare-and-contrast against the capabilities of Josh's stock Land Cruiser.
In my excitement for my Land Cruiser, I've been eager to modify it and make changes. Following the Nitto Tera Grapplers, I got in touch with the folks at ARB, to see what was right for my FJ62 build. After explaining my aspirations, we agreed that Heavy Duty springs for the front and Medium Duty springs for the rear should yield ideal results. Wanting to overhaul the suspension completely, we fitted the truck with all new Old Man Emu bushings, greasable anti-inversion shackles, and "OME" Nitrocharger shocks. After the impressively simple install, it was clear that the fit, feel, and finish of the parts was perhaps better than Toyota's OEM offerings. The comfort on the street was a vast improvement, but I've been eager since the start of Autumn to take the truck out to its natural habitat.
We set out for the San Bernardino mountains, and more specifically, Cleghorn Ridge, which seemed like a fitting trail for Josh's first time out on the rocks. Cleghorn Ridge is technically two trails, intertwined as they switch back-and-forth, with each segment offering a difficult side, and a modest side. Josh and Cory piloted Josh's Cruiser, while my girlfriend Emily and I set up shop in mine, with the heat on, of course. Despite the arid desert landscape, temps dropped well into the 40s, given the altitude.
At the first split in the trail, we staged the trucks side-by-side. Next to each other, their difference in height and clearance is very apparent. The Old Man Emu kit offers a considerable boost to the Land Cruiser's stature, and along with that, its ability to articulate. Wanting to test the waters, Josh and I took on the first trail combination, with my truck entrenched in the more challenging half of the path.
It's clear that disconnecting the swaybars is next on the list, but nevertheless, despite a bit of teetering, and after a bit of planning, the truck continued up and over the mounds. After making our way to the other side of the obstacles, we continued our climb up hill. Certain segments offered more challenge to Josh's cruiser, but we both prevailed in conquering the trails as we sought out the top of the ridge.
On our ascent, we passed a group of saddened souls, suffering from a broken tie rod. We offered a helping hand, hoping to drum up a workable solution to get the truck off the hillside, but in the end, we were short on materials to pull together a fix. Instead, the group was stuck, waiting for a rescue truck to arrive and haul the truck down the mountain. Despite the stranded group's lack of spirits, their red-haired companion, Frankie, was rather pleased with the quiet downtime.
During our final leg up the mountain, we began to encounter bits of snow - a rare sight in Southern California. When the snow last fell is anyone's guess, and the only remnants clung to the hillside in the bits of shade it was dispelled to. Shortly beyond the snow, we reached a plateau, where we stopped to eat our packed lunches. Our hopes of eating outside were quickly shot down: the freezing winds were picking up, whistling as it soared around and past our trucks. We consolidated to one truck for a short while, before heading down the far side of the mountain, towards Arrowhead Lake.
The difficult side of the trail heading down is far more difficult than uphill climb. The offset angles and tough mounds we had conquered before had become deep ravines, severe drop-offs, and a stage that was simply beyond our skill level. Unfortunately, it was a realization that occurred far too late into our journey. Josh's Land Cruiser was stuck attempting to enter one leg of the trail, and the steep incline behind him was prohibiting movement in either direction.
View attachment upload_2016-5-12_9-54-15.gif
- MAY 12 , 2016 -
TACKLING CLEGHORN – THE ARB-EQUIPPED STANCEWORKS FJ62S TAKE TO THE SAN BERNARDINO MOUNTAINS
MIKE BURROUGHS
It's been several months since our last off-road excursion, with most of our attention focused on preparing Rusty Slammington for SEMA and the Essen Motor Show. However, we made a promise to ourselves some time ago that on the first available weekend, we'd hit the dirt, and on Sunday afternoon, we did just that. With Josh Dahlstrom's recent FJ62 purchase, as well as his and Cory Hutchison's recent move to California, the stage was set for a perfect day spent perched on the mountain side. Better yet, with the recent install of ARB's Old Man Emu 3" lift kit on my own truck, the day would prove to be a perfect compare-and-contrast against the capabilities of Josh's stock Land Cruiser.
In my excitement for my Land Cruiser, I've been eager to modify it and make changes. Following the Nitto Tera Grapplers, I got in touch with the folks at ARB, to see what was right for my FJ62 build. After explaining my aspirations, we agreed that Heavy Duty springs for the front and Medium Duty springs for the rear should yield ideal results. Wanting to overhaul the suspension completely, we fitted the truck with all new Old Man Emu bushings, greasable anti-inversion shackles, and "OME" Nitrocharger shocks. After the impressively simple install, it was clear that the fit, feel, and finish of the parts was perhaps better than Toyota's OEM offerings. The comfort on the street was a vast improvement, but I've been eager since the start of Autumn to take the truck out to its natural habitat.
We set out for the San Bernardino mountains, and more specifically, Cleghorn Ridge, which seemed like a fitting trail for Josh's first time out on the rocks. Cleghorn Ridge is technically two trails, intertwined as they switch back-and-forth, with each segment offering a difficult side, and a modest side. Josh and Cory piloted Josh's Cruiser, while my girlfriend Emily and I set up shop in mine, with the heat on, of course. Despite the arid desert landscape, temps dropped well into the 40s, given the altitude.
At the first split in the trail, we staged the trucks side-by-side. Next to each other, their difference in height and clearance is very apparent. The Old Man Emu kit offers a considerable boost to the Land Cruiser's stature, and along with that, its ability to articulate. Wanting to test the waters, Josh and I took on the first trail combination, with my truck entrenched in the more challenging half of the path.
It's clear that disconnecting the swaybars is next on the list, but nevertheless, despite a bit of teetering, and after a bit of planning, the truck continued up and over the mounds. After making our way to the other side of the obstacles, we continued our climb up hill. Certain segments offered more challenge to Josh's cruiser, but we both prevailed in conquering the trails as we sought out the top of the ridge.
On our ascent, we passed a group of saddened souls, suffering from a broken tie rod. We offered a helping hand, hoping to drum up a workable solution to get the truck off the hillside, but in the end, we were short on materials to pull together a fix. Instead, the group was stuck, waiting for a rescue truck to arrive and haul the truck down the mountain. Despite the stranded group's lack of spirits, their red-haired companion, Frankie, was rather pleased with the quiet downtime.
During our final leg up the mountain, we began to encounter bits of snow - a rare sight in Southern California. When the snow last fell is anyone's guess, and the only remnants clung to the hillside in the bits of shade it was dispelled to. Shortly beyond the snow, we reached a plateau, where we stopped to eat our packed lunches. Our hopes of eating outside were quickly shot down: the freezing winds were picking up, whistling as it soared around and past our trucks. We consolidated to one truck for a short while, before heading down the far side of the mountain, towards Arrowhead Lake.
The difficult side of the trail heading down is far more difficult than uphill climb. The offset angles and tough mounds we had conquered before had become deep ravines, severe drop-offs, and a stage that was simply beyond our skill level. Unfortunately, it was a realization that occurred far too late into our journey. Josh's Land Cruiser was stuck attempting to enter one leg of the trail, and the steep incline behind him was prohibiting movement in either direction.
View attachment upload_2016-5-12_9-54-15.gif
- Thread starter
- #11
Luckily for us, a Jeep-owning trailgoer with a well-equipped truck was present to winch Josh out of the trench. We debated carrying on with my own FJ, but we swallowed our pride, knowing that despite my truck's willingness to go, we were likely to get ourselves into more trouble as the trail progressed. We backed up the hill, with the Old Man Emu lift giving us the needed clearance to climb out without a winch. After a dicey cliffside-turn-around, we managed our way back to the safer side of the trail, trucks intact.
The mishap offered a chance for us to get a bit wet behind the ears, noting that offroading isn't always a smooth, "as planned" endeavor. Nevertheless, our confidence was far from hindered, and we charged on, testing the limits of our trucks and our talents. On more than one occasion, toppling over seemed far too close for comfort, yet the trucks held on, showing that the 60-series was built to surpass our expectations. However, not making it through some of the tougher trails offered motivation to head back better prepared. After witnessing the benefits of the ARB lift kit first hand, the thought of ARB Air Lockers proves more enticing than before.
Our final descent was timely, as heavy cloud cover and even heavier winds blew in. A storm was brewing, and we escaped the mountain without a minute to spare. Fortunately, being just an hour from home has its benefits, and our drive to the comfort of our warm living rooms was expressly welcomed. The day and its challenges made for the kind of Sunday dreams are made of, and the pair of Land Cruisers happily took every hurdle we threw their way. Here's hoping that we spend as much time in our trucks for many weekends to follow.
The mishap offered a chance for us to get a bit wet behind the ears, noting that offroading isn't always a smooth, "as planned" endeavor. Nevertheless, our confidence was far from hindered, and we charged on, testing the limits of our trucks and our talents. On more than one occasion, toppling over seemed far too close for comfort, yet the trucks held on, showing that the 60-series was built to surpass our expectations. However, not making it through some of the tougher trails offered motivation to head back better prepared. After witnessing the benefits of the ARB lift kit first hand, the thought of ARB Air Lockers proves more enticing than before.
Our final descent was timely, as heavy cloud cover and even heavier winds blew in. A storm was brewing, and we escaped the mountain without a minute to spare. Fortunately, being just an hour from home has its benefits, and our drive to the comfort of our warm living rooms was expressly welcomed. The day and its challenges made for the kind of Sunday dreams are made of, and the pair of Land Cruisers happily took every hurdle we threw their way. Here's hoping that we spend as much time in our trucks for many weekends to follow.
murf
Lifer
new screen wallpaper!
murf
Lifer
ill be doing this for my dinner on this weekends run. Makes cooking a snap
http://jalopnik.com/how-to-cook-a-delicious-meal-with-your-car-1775720726
http://jalopnik.com/how-to-cook-a-delicious-meal-with-your-car-1775720726
- Thread starter
- #14
Here's another good read.
---------------------------------
Got this from jet pilot buddy:
This is a great SR-71 story from the pilot's view point by Jim Shadoff
In April 1986, following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin disco, President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps in Libya. My duty was to fly over Libya and take photos recording the damage our F-111s had inflicted. Qaddafi had established a "line of death," a territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra, swearing to shoot down any intruder that crossed the boundary. On the morning of April 15, I rocketed past the line at 2,125 mph.
I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane, the fastest jet, accompanied by Maj. Walter Watson, the aircraft's reconnaissance systems officer (RSO). We had crossed into Libya and were approaching our final turn over the bleak desert landscape when Walter informed me that he was receiving missile launch signals. I quickly increased our speed, calculating the time it would take for the weapons --most likely SA-2 and SA-4 surface-to-air missiles capable of Mach 5-- to reach our altitude. I estimated that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn and stayed our course, betting our lives on the plane's performance.
After several agonizingly long seconds, we made the turn and blasted toward the Mediterranean. "You might want to pull it back," Walter suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full forward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles to idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar.
Scores of significant aircraft have been produced in the 100 years of flight, following the achievements of the Wright brothers, which we celebrate in December. Aircraft such as the Boeing 707, the F-86 Saber Jet, and the P-51 Mustang are among the important machines that have flown our skies. But the SR-71, also known as the Blackbird, stands alone as a significant contributor to Cold War victory and as the fastest plane ever-and only 93 Air Force pilots ever steered the "sled," as we called our aircraft.
As inconceivable as it may sound, I once discarded the plane. Literally. My first encounter with the SR-71 came when I was 10 years old in the form of molded black plastic in a Revell kit. Cementing together the long fuselage parts proved tricky, and my finished product looked less than menacing. Glue, oozing from the seams, discolored the black plastic. It seemed ungainly alongside the fighter planes in my collection, and I threw it away.
Twenty-nine years later, I stood awe-struck in a Beale Air Force Base hangar, staring at the very real SR-71 before me. I had applied to fly the world's fastest jet and was receiving my first walk-around of our nation's most prestigious aircraft. In my previous 13 years as an Air Force fighter pilot, I had never seen an aircraft with such presence. At 107 feet long, it appeared big, but far from ungainly.
Ironically, the plane was dripping, much like the misshapen model I had assembled in my youth. Fuel was seeping through the joints, raining down on the hangar floor. At Mach 3, the plane would expand several inches because of the severe temperature, which could heat the leading edge of the wing to 1,100 degrees. To prevent cracking, expansion joints had been built into the plane. Sealant resembling rubber glue covered the seams, but when the plane was subsonic, fuel would leak through the joints.
The SR-71 was the brainchild of Kelly Johnson, the famed Lockheed designer who created the P-38, the F-104 Star fighter, and the U-2. After the Soviets shot down Gary Powers' U-2 in 1960, Johnson began to develop an aircraft that would fly three miles higher and five times faster than the spy plane-and still be capable of photographing your license plate. However, flying at 2,000 mph would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin. Lockheed engineers used a titanium alloy to construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71, creating special tools and manufacturing procedures to hand-build each of the 40 planes. Special heat-resistant fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluids that would function at 85,000 feet and higher also had to be developed.
In 1962, the first Blackbird successfully flew, and in 1966, the same year I graduated from high school, the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions. I came to the program in 1983 with a sterling record and a recommendation from my commander, completing the week-long interview and meeting Walter, my partner for the next four years. He would ride four feet behind me, working all the cameras, radios, and electronic jamming equipment. I joked that if we were ever captured, he was the spy and I was just the driver. He told me to keep the pointy end forward.
We trained for a year, flying out of Beale AFB in California , Kadena Airbase in Okinawa, and RAF Mildenhall in England. On a typical training mission, we would take off near Sacramento, refuel over Nevada, accelerate into Montana, obtain high Mach over Colorado, turn right over New Mexico, speed across the Los Angeles Basin, run up the West Coast, turn right at Seattle, then return to Beale. Total flight time: two hours and 40 minutes.
One day, high above Arizona , we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. "Ninety knots," ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. "One-twenty on the ground," was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was. "Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground," ATC responded.
The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, "Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground." We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.
The Blackbird always showed us something new, each aircraft possessing its own unique personality. In time, we realized we were flying a national treasure. When we taxied out of our revetments for takeoff, people took notice. Traffic congregated near the airfield fences, because everyone wanted to see and hear the mighty SR-71. You could not be a part of this program and not come to love the airplane. Slowly, she revealed her secrets to us as we earned her trust.
One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desire to see the sky overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again.
To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky.Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no sound.
I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with the cockpit lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to the tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent.
The SR-71 was an expensive aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support, and in 1990, confronted with budget cutbacks, the Air Force retired the SR-71. The Blackbird had outrun nearly 4,000 missiles, not once taking a scratch from enemy fire. On her final flight, the Blackbird, destined for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 64 minutes, averaging 2,145 mph and setting four speed records.
The SR-71 served six presidents, protecting America for a quarter of a century. Unbeknown to most of the country, the plane flew over North Vietnam, Red China, North Korea, the Middle East, South Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Libya, and the Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis, the SR-71 kept watch over every Soviet nuclear submarine and mobile missile site, and all of their troop movements. It was a key factor in winning the Cold War.
I am proud to say I flew about 500 hours in this aircraft. I knew her well. She gave way to no plane, proudly dragging her sonic boom through enemy backyards with great impunity. She defeated every missile, outran every MIG, and always brought us home. In the first 100 years of manned flight, no aircraft was more remarkable.
With the Libyan coast fast approaching now, Walt asks me for the third time, if I think the jet will get to the speed and altitude we want in time. I tell him yes. I know he is concerned. He is dealing with the data; that's what engineers do, and I am glad he is. But I have my hands on the stick and throttles and can feel the heart of a thoroughbred, running now with the power and perfection she was designed to possess. I also talk to her. Like the combat veteran she is, the jet senses the target area and seems to prepare herself.
For the first time in two days, the inlet door closes flush and all vibration is gone. We've become so used to the constant buzzing that the jet sounds quiet now in comparison. The Mach correspondingly increases slightly and the jet is flying in that confidently smooth and steady style we have so often seen at these speeds. We reach our target altitude and speed, with five miles to spare. Entering the target area, in response to the jet's new-found vitality, Walt says, "That's amazing" and with my left hand pushing two throttles farther forward, I think to myself that there is much they don't teach in engineering school.
Out my left window, Libya looks like one huge sandbox. A featureless brown terrain stretches all the way to the horizon. There is no sign of any activity. Then Walt tells me that he is getting lots of electronic signals, and they are not the friendly kind. The jet is performing perfectly now, flying better than she has in weeks. She seems to know where she is. She likes the high Mach, as we penetrate deeper into Libyan airspace. Leaving the footprint of our sonic boom across Benghazi , I sit motionless, with stilled hands on throttles and the pitch control, my eyes glued to the gauges.
Only the Mach indicator is moving, steadily increasing in hundredths, in a rhythmic consistency similar to the long distance runner who has caught his second wind and picked up the pace. The jet was made for this kind of performance and she wasn't about to let an errant inlet door make her miss the show. With the power of forty locomotives, we puncture the quiet African sky and continue farther south across a bleak landscape.
Walt continues to update me with numerous reactions he sees on the DEF panel. He is receiving missile tracking signals. With each mile we traverse, every two seconds, I become more uncomfortable driving deeper into this barren and hostile land. I am glad the DEF panel is not in the front seat. It would be a big distraction now, seeing the lights flashing. In contrast, my cockpit is "quiet" as the jet purrs and relishes her new-found strength, continuing to slowly accelerate.
The spikes are full aft now, tucked twenty-inches deep into the nacelles. With all inlet doors tightly shut, at 3.24 Mach, the J-58s are more like ramjets now, gulping 100,000 cubic feet of air per second. We are a roaring express now, and as we roll through the enemy's backyard, I hope our speed continues to defeat the missile radars below. We are approaching a turn, and this is good. It will only make it more difficult for any launched missile to solve the solution for hitting our aircraft.
I push the speed up at Walt's request. The jet does not skip a beat, nothing fluctuates, and the cameras have a rock steady platform. Walt received missile launch signals. Before he can say anything else, my left hand instinctively moves the throttles yet farther forward. My eyes are glued to temperature gauges now, as I know the jet will willingly go to speeds that can harm her. The temps are relatively cool and from all the warm temps we've encountered thus far, this surprises me but then, it really doesn't surprise me. Mach 3.31 and Walt is quiet for the moment.
I move my gloved finder across the small silver wheel on the autopilot panel which controls the aircraft's pitch. With the deft feel known to Swiss watchmakers, surgeons, and "dinosaurs" (old-time pilots who not only fly an airplane but "feel it"), I rotate the pitch wheel somewhere between one-sixteenth and one-eighth inch location, a position which yields the 500-foot-per-minute climb I desire. The jet raises her nose one-sixth of a degree and knows, I'll push her higher as she goes faster. The Mach continues to rise, but during this segment of our route, I am in no mood to pull throttles back.
Walt's voice pierces the quiet of my cockpit with the news of more missile launch signals. The gravity of Walter's voice tells me that he believes the signals to be a more valid threat than the others. Within seconds he tells me to "push it up" and I firmly press both throttles against their stops. For the next few seconds, I will let the jet go as fast as she wants. A final turn is coming up and we both know that if we can hit that turn at this speed, we most likely will defeat any missiles. We are not there yet, though, and I'm wondering if Walt will call for a defensive turn off our course.
With no words spoken, I sense Walter is thinking in concert with me about maintaining our programmed course. To keep from worrying, I glance outside, wondering if I'll be able to visually pick up a missile aimed at us. Odd are the thoughts that wander through one's mind in times like these. I found myself recalling the words of former SR-71 pilots who were fired upon while flying missions over North Vietnam . They said the few errant missile detonations they were able to observe from the cockpit looked like implosions rather than explosions. This was due to the great speed at which the jet was hurling away from the exploding missile.
I see nothing outside except the endless expanse of a steel blue sky and the broad patch of tan earth far below. I have only had my eyes out of the cockpit for seconds, but it seems like many minutes since I have last checked the gauges inside. Returning my attention inward, I glance first at the miles counter telling me how many more to go, until we can start our turn. Then I note the Mach, and passing beyond 3.45, I realize that Walter and I have attained new personal records. The Mach continues to increase. The ride is incredibly smooth.
There seems to be a confirmed trust now, between me and the jet; she will not hesitate to deliver whatever speed we need, and I can count on no problems with the inlets. Walt and I are ultimately depending on the jet now - more so than normal - and she seems to know it. The cooler outside temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago, when men dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well. With spikes and doors as tight as they can get, we are racing against the time it could take a missile to reach our altitude.
It is a race this jet will not let us lose. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest 80,000 feet. We are a bullet now - except faster. We hit the turn, and I feel some relief as our nose swings away from a country we have seen quite enough of. Screaming past Tripoli , our phenomenal speed continues to rise, and the screaming Sled pummels the enemy one more time, laying down a parting sonic boom. In seconds, we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the Mediterranean . I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner.
The TDI now shows us Mach numbers, not only new to our experience but flat out scary. Walt says the DEF panel is now quiet, and I know it is time to reduce our incredible speed. I pull the throttles to the min 'burner range and the jet still doesn't want to slow down. Normally the Mach would be affected immediately, when making such a large throttle movement. But for just a few moments old 960 just sat out there at the high Mach, she seemed to love and like the proud Sled she was, only began to slow when we were well out of danger. I loved that jet.
---------------------------------
Got this from jet pilot buddy:
This is a great SR-71 story from the pilot's view point by Jim Shadoff
In April 1986, following an attack on American soldiers in a Berlin disco, President Reagan ordered the bombing of Muammar Qaddafi's terrorist camps in Libya. My duty was to fly over Libya and take photos recording the damage our F-111s had inflicted. Qaddafi had established a "line of death," a territorial marking across the Gulf of Sidra, swearing to shoot down any intruder that crossed the boundary. On the morning of April 15, I rocketed past the line at 2,125 mph.
I was piloting the SR-71 spy plane, the fastest jet, accompanied by Maj. Walter Watson, the aircraft's reconnaissance systems officer (RSO). We had crossed into Libya and were approaching our final turn over the bleak desert landscape when Walter informed me that he was receiving missile launch signals. I quickly increased our speed, calculating the time it would take for the weapons --most likely SA-2 and SA-4 surface-to-air missiles capable of Mach 5-- to reach our altitude. I estimated that we could beat the rocket-powered missiles to the turn and stayed our course, betting our lives on the plane's performance.
After several agonizingly long seconds, we made the turn and blasted toward the Mediterranean. "You might want to pull it back," Walter suggested. It was then that I noticed I still had the throttles full forward. The plane was flying a mile every 1.6 seconds, well above our Mach 3.2 limit. It was the fastest we would ever fly. I pulled the throttles to idle just south of Sicily, but we still overran the refueling tanker awaiting us over Gibraltar.
Scores of significant aircraft have been produced in the 100 years of flight, following the achievements of the Wright brothers, which we celebrate in December. Aircraft such as the Boeing 707, the F-86 Saber Jet, and the P-51 Mustang are among the important machines that have flown our skies. But the SR-71, also known as the Blackbird, stands alone as a significant contributor to Cold War victory and as the fastest plane ever-and only 93 Air Force pilots ever steered the "sled," as we called our aircraft.
As inconceivable as it may sound, I once discarded the plane. Literally. My first encounter with the SR-71 came when I was 10 years old in the form of molded black plastic in a Revell kit. Cementing together the long fuselage parts proved tricky, and my finished product looked less than menacing. Glue, oozing from the seams, discolored the black plastic. It seemed ungainly alongside the fighter planes in my collection, and I threw it away.
Twenty-nine years later, I stood awe-struck in a Beale Air Force Base hangar, staring at the very real SR-71 before me. I had applied to fly the world's fastest jet and was receiving my first walk-around of our nation's most prestigious aircraft. In my previous 13 years as an Air Force fighter pilot, I had never seen an aircraft with such presence. At 107 feet long, it appeared big, but far from ungainly.
Ironically, the plane was dripping, much like the misshapen model I had assembled in my youth. Fuel was seeping through the joints, raining down on the hangar floor. At Mach 3, the plane would expand several inches because of the severe temperature, which could heat the leading edge of the wing to 1,100 degrees. To prevent cracking, expansion joints had been built into the plane. Sealant resembling rubber glue covered the seams, but when the plane was subsonic, fuel would leak through the joints.
The SR-71 was the brainchild of Kelly Johnson, the famed Lockheed designer who created the P-38, the F-104 Star fighter, and the U-2. After the Soviets shot down Gary Powers' U-2 in 1960, Johnson began to develop an aircraft that would fly three miles higher and five times faster than the spy plane-and still be capable of photographing your license plate. However, flying at 2,000 mph would create intense heat on the aircraft's skin. Lockheed engineers used a titanium alloy to construct more than 90 percent of the SR-71, creating special tools and manufacturing procedures to hand-build each of the 40 planes. Special heat-resistant fuel, oil, and hydraulic fluids that would function at 85,000 feet and higher also had to be developed.
In 1962, the first Blackbird successfully flew, and in 1966, the same year I graduated from high school, the Air Force began flying operational SR-71 missions. I came to the program in 1983 with a sterling record and a recommendation from my commander, completing the week-long interview and meeting Walter, my partner for the next four years. He would ride four feet behind me, working all the cameras, radios, and electronic jamming equipment. I joked that if we were ever captured, he was the spy and I was just the driver. He told me to keep the pointy end forward.
We trained for a year, flying out of Beale AFB in California , Kadena Airbase in Okinawa, and RAF Mildenhall in England. On a typical training mission, we would take off near Sacramento, refuel over Nevada, accelerate into Montana, obtain high Mach over Colorado, turn right over New Mexico, speed across the Los Angeles Basin, run up the West Coast, turn right at Seattle, then return to Beale. Total flight time: two hours and 40 minutes.
One day, high above Arizona , we were monitoring the radio traffic of all the mortal airplanes below us. First, a Cessna pilot asked the air traffic controllers to check his ground speed. "Ninety knots," ATC replied. A twin Bonanza soon made the same request. "One-twenty on the ground," was the reply. To our surprise, a navy F-18 came over the radio with a ground speed check. I knew exactly what he was doing. Of course, he had a ground speed indicator in his cockpit, but he wanted to let all the bug-smashers in the valley know what real speed was. "Dusty 52, we show you at 620 on the ground," ATC responded.
The situation was too ripe. I heard the click of Walter's mike button in the rear seat. In his most innocent voice, Walter startled the controller by asking for a ground speed check from 81,000 feet, clearly above controlled airspace. In a cool, professional voice, the controller replied, "Aspen 20, I show you at 1,982 knots on the ground." We did not hear another transmission on that frequency all the way to the coast.
The Blackbird always showed us something new, each aircraft possessing its own unique personality. In time, we realized we were flying a national treasure. When we taxied out of our revetments for takeoff, people took notice. Traffic congregated near the airfield fences, because everyone wanted to see and hear the mighty SR-71. You could not be a part of this program and not come to love the airplane. Slowly, she revealed her secrets to us as we earned her trust.
One moonless night, while flying a routine training mission over the Pacific, I wondered what the sky would look like from 84,000 feet if the cockpit lighting were dark. While heading home on a straight course, I slowly turned down all of the lighting, reducing the glare and revealing the night sky. Within seconds, I turned the lights back up, fearful that the jet would know and somehow punish me. But my desire to see the sky overruled my caution, I dimmed the lighting again.
To my amazement, I saw a bright light outside my window. As my eyes adjusted to the view, I realized that the brilliance was the broad expanse of the Milky Way, now a gleaming stripe across the sky.Where dark spaces in the sky had usually existed, there were now dense clusters of sparkling stars. Shooting stars flashed across the canvas every few seconds. It was like a fireworks display with no sound.
I knew I had to get my eyes back on the instruments, and reluctantly I brought my attention back inside. To my surprise, with the cockpit lighting still off, I could see every gauge, lit by starlight. In the plane's mirrors, I could see the eerie shine of my gold spacesuit incandescently illuminated in a celestial glow. I stole one last glance out the window. Despite our speed, we seemed still before the heavens, humbled in the radiance of a much greater power. For those few moments, I felt a part of something far more significant than anything we were doing in the plane. The sharp sound of Walt's voice on the radio brought me back to the tasks at hand as I prepared for our descent.
The SR-71 was an expensive aircraft to operate. The most significant cost was tanker support, and in 1990, confronted with budget cutbacks, the Air Force retired the SR-71. The Blackbird had outrun nearly 4,000 missiles, not once taking a scratch from enemy fire. On her final flight, the Blackbird, destined for the Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum, sped from Los Angeles to Washington in 64 minutes, averaging 2,145 mph and setting four speed records.
The SR-71 served six presidents, protecting America for a quarter of a century. Unbeknown to most of the country, the plane flew over North Vietnam, Red China, North Korea, the Middle East, South Africa, Cuba, Nicaragua, Iran, Libya, and the Falkland Islands. On a weekly basis, the SR-71 kept watch over every Soviet nuclear submarine and mobile missile site, and all of their troop movements. It was a key factor in winning the Cold War.
I am proud to say I flew about 500 hours in this aircraft. I knew her well. She gave way to no plane, proudly dragging her sonic boom through enemy backyards with great impunity. She defeated every missile, outran every MIG, and always brought us home. In the first 100 years of manned flight, no aircraft was more remarkable.
With the Libyan coast fast approaching now, Walt asks me for the third time, if I think the jet will get to the speed and altitude we want in time. I tell him yes. I know he is concerned. He is dealing with the data; that's what engineers do, and I am glad he is. But I have my hands on the stick and throttles and can feel the heart of a thoroughbred, running now with the power and perfection she was designed to possess. I also talk to her. Like the combat veteran she is, the jet senses the target area and seems to prepare herself.
For the first time in two days, the inlet door closes flush and all vibration is gone. We've become so used to the constant buzzing that the jet sounds quiet now in comparison. The Mach correspondingly increases slightly and the jet is flying in that confidently smooth and steady style we have so often seen at these speeds. We reach our target altitude and speed, with five miles to spare. Entering the target area, in response to the jet's new-found vitality, Walt says, "That's amazing" and with my left hand pushing two throttles farther forward, I think to myself that there is much they don't teach in engineering school.
Out my left window, Libya looks like one huge sandbox. A featureless brown terrain stretches all the way to the horizon. There is no sign of any activity. Then Walt tells me that he is getting lots of electronic signals, and they are not the friendly kind. The jet is performing perfectly now, flying better than she has in weeks. She seems to know where she is. She likes the high Mach, as we penetrate deeper into Libyan airspace. Leaving the footprint of our sonic boom across Benghazi , I sit motionless, with stilled hands on throttles and the pitch control, my eyes glued to the gauges.
Only the Mach indicator is moving, steadily increasing in hundredths, in a rhythmic consistency similar to the long distance runner who has caught his second wind and picked up the pace. The jet was made for this kind of performance and she wasn't about to let an errant inlet door make her miss the show. With the power of forty locomotives, we puncture the quiet African sky and continue farther south across a bleak landscape.
Walt continues to update me with numerous reactions he sees on the DEF panel. He is receiving missile tracking signals. With each mile we traverse, every two seconds, I become more uncomfortable driving deeper into this barren and hostile land. I am glad the DEF panel is not in the front seat. It would be a big distraction now, seeing the lights flashing. In contrast, my cockpit is "quiet" as the jet purrs and relishes her new-found strength, continuing to slowly accelerate.
The spikes are full aft now, tucked twenty-inches deep into the nacelles. With all inlet doors tightly shut, at 3.24 Mach, the J-58s are more like ramjets now, gulping 100,000 cubic feet of air per second. We are a roaring express now, and as we roll through the enemy's backyard, I hope our speed continues to defeat the missile radars below. We are approaching a turn, and this is good. It will only make it more difficult for any launched missile to solve the solution for hitting our aircraft.
I push the speed up at Walt's request. The jet does not skip a beat, nothing fluctuates, and the cameras have a rock steady platform. Walt received missile launch signals. Before he can say anything else, my left hand instinctively moves the throttles yet farther forward. My eyes are glued to temperature gauges now, as I know the jet will willingly go to speeds that can harm her. The temps are relatively cool and from all the warm temps we've encountered thus far, this surprises me but then, it really doesn't surprise me. Mach 3.31 and Walt is quiet for the moment.
I move my gloved finder across the small silver wheel on the autopilot panel which controls the aircraft's pitch. With the deft feel known to Swiss watchmakers, surgeons, and "dinosaurs" (old-time pilots who not only fly an airplane but "feel it"), I rotate the pitch wheel somewhere between one-sixteenth and one-eighth inch location, a position which yields the 500-foot-per-minute climb I desire. The jet raises her nose one-sixth of a degree and knows, I'll push her higher as she goes faster. The Mach continues to rise, but during this segment of our route, I am in no mood to pull throttles back.
Walt's voice pierces the quiet of my cockpit with the news of more missile launch signals. The gravity of Walter's voice tells me that he believes the signals to be a more valid threat than the others. Within seconds he tells me to "push it up" and I firmly press both throttles against their stops. For the next few seconds, I will let the jet go as fast as she wants. A final turn is coming up and we both know that if we can hit that turn at this speed, we most likely will defeat any missiles. We are not there yet, though, and I'm wondering if Walt will call for a defensive turn off our course.
With no words spoken, I sense Walter is thinking in concert with me about maintaining our programmed course. To keep from worrying, I glance outside, wondering if I'll be able to visually pick up a missile aimed at us. Odd are the thoughts that wander through one's mind in times like these. I found myself recalling the words of former SR-71 pilots who were fired upon while flying missions over North Vietnam . They said the few errant missile detonations they were able to observe from the cockpit looked like implosions rather than explosions. This was due to the great speed at which the jet was hurling away from the exploding missile.
I see nothing outside except the endless expanse of a steel blue sky and the broad patch of tan earth far below. I have only had my eyes out of the cockpit for seconds, but it seems like many minutes since I have last checked the gauges inside. Returning my attention inward, I glance first at the miles counter telling me how many more to go, until we can start our turn. Then I note the Mach, and passing beyond 3.45, I realize that Walter and I have attained new personal records. The Mach continues to increase. The ride is incredibly smooth.
There seems to be a confirmed trust now, between me and the jet; she will not hesitate to deliver whatever speed we need, and I can count on no problems with the inlets. Walt and I are ultimately depending on the jet now - more so than normal - and she seems to know it. The cooler outside temperatures have awakened the spirit born into her years ago, when men dedicated to excellence took the time and care to build her well. With spikes and doors as tight as they can get, we are racing against the time it could take a missile to reach our altitude.
It is a race this jet will not let us lose. The Mach eases to 3.5 as we crest 80,000 feet. We are a bullet now - except faster. We hit the turn, and I feel some relief as our nose swings away from a country we have seen quite enough of. Screaming past Tripoli , our phenomenal speed continues to rise, and the screaming Sled pummels the enemy one more time, laying down a parting sonic boom. In seconds, we can see nothing but the expansive blue of the Mediterranean . I realize that I still have my left hand full-forward and we're continuing to rocket along in maximum afterburner.
The TDI now shows us Mach numbers, not only new to our experience but flat out scary. Walt says the DEF panel is now quiet, and I know it is time to reduce our incredible speed. I pull the throttles to the min 'burner range and the jet still doesn't want to slow down. Normally the Mach would be affected immediately, when making such a large throttle movement. But for just a few moments old 960 just sat out there at the high Mach, she seemed to love and like the proud Sled she was, only began to slow when we were well out of danger. I loved that jet.
- Thread starter
- #15
Say it isn't so.... Like all the above, I take ZERO credit. Just stumbling upon and re-posting here. Good or not so good.
It Might Be Time for the Toyota Land Cruiser to Go
It Might Be Time for the Toyota Land Cruiser to Go
Is there any magic left in Toyota's iconic off-roader?
by Jason Harper
Jan 6, 2016
Maybe it's time to let the huge, comfort oriented Land Cruiser go. To suspend the nameplate, shutter the production line and give the once-great 4X4 a rest. Perhaps quell the heartbeat for a model year or two (or five), until it's clear either what the SUV wants to be or what buyers need it to be.
Loving a thing doesn't make it good. Calling something an icon is only acceptable when it's true. But when the lovable and iconic characteristics of a thing are mostly gone, what do you have?
In this case, you have the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser, a mid-cycle refresh of the 200 Series that was overhauled in 2013. This big 'n' blasé SUV may own the Land Cruiser badge, but the spirit is no longer willing. I just spent a week with one to see if there was any magic left and, well, not much. This is a vehicle with a personality complex.
I'm not the only one with little confidence. Just look at how Toyota prices the LC: $84,820. Then consider that until recently the Lexus version, the LX 570, was $700 cheaper. (Lexus has bumped up the price of the 2016 model.) It's almost as if they're trying to steer away buyers.
So it's little wonder that last year, as of November, only 2,337 LCs were sold in the U.S. Compare that to the 87,000 4Runners sold.
A base Range Rover starts at $85,945, including destination. Hardcore off-roaders might scoff, but the latest Range is a far lighter vehicle, and you'd be amazed how well it handles terrible terrain. I've beaten them up from the badlands of Utah and high passes of the San Juan mountains of Colorado. When it isn't your paint or bodywork that you're worried about, they make seriously good 4X4 rigs.
The requirements for a good off-roader are usually in direct conflict with the characteristics that make a comfy ride on the asphalt. But all the R+D that the Tata Group has sunk into the Range Rover immediately shows when you're driving one.
If they can make a vehicle palatable in both worlds, so too could Toyota, if they would give the serious love, care and investment dollars that the Land Cruiser deserves. But seeing as we get only configuration and engine, and not a single other available option except color choices, I'm not holding out much hope.
It's no shame to fall in love with a nameplate. Even a casual off-roading fan knows that the Land Cruiser lives among the pantheon of 4X4 greats alongside the Jeep. It's been with us since the 1950s, with its own take of boxy bad-assery.
And if the Jeep is the American great, the Land Cruiser is still found all around the world's roughest places. I've ridden around the Atlas Mountains of Morocco in an abused FJ60, and banged around the Great Karoo desert of South Africa in a classic FJ40. In South Africa they're still selling brand-new Land Cruiser 76s with diesel V8s that are as rough and righteous as ever. Seriously, tell me you wouldn't happily consider dropping 677,600 Rand on one? That's around $43,000, as it turns out.
And if a vintage LC dropped in my lap, I'd be a happy man. How about a 1970s era FJ40, or even better, a FJ45 with a long bed? (Here's one for sale at a mere $12,000, though in need of serious attention.) A1980s FJ60 with solid axles and an unbreakable inline six would also be welcome. An older LC can be remade into an unbreakable machine. Just ask Icon's Jonathan Ward .
There's still some good news. Purists will be pleased to find that it is still a box-on-frame design. And the gasoline engine is old school, a naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V8 with plenty of torque (401 pound-feet). On the highway it powers up the steepest hills with low-throated abandon. I suspect that the time tested powerplant will run and run with few if any complications, for hundreds of thousands of miles. If Range Rovers were historically consigned to endless mechanical problems, the Land Cruiser was the always the eternal beast of the badlands. You couldn't kill them.
A Lexus lover would feel pretty at home in the modern LC's cabin. Nice seats, nice leather, everything heated and cooled and sensor enabled. But there's no excuse for the on-road behavior. The vehicle is an unconscionable 5,800-plus pounds, and you can feel every bloated ounce in every single turn.
The vehicle is an unconscionable 5,800-plus pounds, and you can feel every bloated ounce in every single turn.
Much of the weight and poor manners is due to the 4X4 equipment, of course, including a center locking diff and the high ground clearance (8.9 inches). The LC has a number of trick off-road systems, including Crawl Control and a multi-terrain selector that work off the traction control. Some Toyota engineers are bravely soldiering on, and I bet the systems would be wonderful in a smaller, lighter vehicle.
But anything this big and heavy just isn't going to make it through something like California's Rubicon Trail. Hell, even a real Jeep Rubicon is big enough these days to have issues. I ran the trail two summers ago and could barely squeeze an Unlimited model through the tight Little Sluice section.
Nonetheless, I threw a shovel, axe, tow rope in the rear and headed for national forest and logging roads near my house in eastern Pennsylvania. Without snow I didn't even need to put the LC in 4 Low until I reached a muddy concourse torn asunder by heavy logging equipment. The mud got muckier and as I seesawed through and I began considering the Toyota's weight and the not-so-knobby 16-inch tires.
Not long ago I was in similar terrain in a new Tacoma and it didn't even give me pause. But there is no overcoming the LC's weight, too-civilized rubber and oversized proportions. I couldn't even slip through the narrowest tree-lined lanes. In the end, I'd lost faith. So I turned around.
In the end, the company should allow the Lexus be a Lexus—and maybe even dump most of the off-road equipment to make the LX a lighter machine. And the Land Cruiser should take a pause and become something else. Something simpler and lighter and cheaper. Something more like the Land Cruiser 76. Because the nameplate deserves better.
(Jason Harper, a contributing editor to Road & Track, has tested and written on cars for two decades. His scariest drive was a rally race in an original Lancia 037, his first drive of a supercar was the Porsche Carrera GT, and the only time he's gotten a speeding ticket was in a base Mini Cooper. His column, Harper's Bizarre, runs every Wednesday.)
It Might Be Time for the Toyota Land Cruiser to Go
It Might Be Time for the Toyota Land Cruiser to Go
Is there any magic left in Toyota's iconic off-roader?
by Jason Harper
Jan 6, 2016
Maybe it's time to let the huge, comfort oriented Land Cruiser go. To suspend the nameplate, shutter the production line and give the once-great 4X4 a rest. Perhaps quell the heartbeat for a model year or two (or five), until it's clear either what the SUV wants to be or what buyers need it to be.
Loving a thing doesn't make it good. Calling something an icon is only acceptable when it's true. But when the lovable and iconic characteristics of a thing are mostly gone, what do you have?
In this case, you have the 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser, a mid-cycle refresh of the 200 Series that was overhauled in 2013. This big 'n' blasé SUV may own the Land Cruiser badge, but the spirit is no longer willing. I just spent a week with one to see if there was any magic left and, well, not much. This is a vehicle with a personality complex.
I'm not the only one with little confidence. Just look at how Toyota prices the LC: $84,820. Then consider that until recently the Lexus version, the LX 570, was $700 cheaper. (Lexus has bumped up the price of the 2016 model.) It's almost as if they're trying to steer away buyers.
So it's little wonder that last year, as of November, only 2,337 LCs were sold in the U.S. Compare that to the 87,000 4Runners sold.
A base Range Rover starts at $85,945, including destination. Hardcore off-roaders might scoff, but the latest Range is a far lighter vehicle, and you'd be amazed how well it handles terrible terrain. I've beaten them up from the badlands of Utah and high passes of the San Juan mountains of Colorado. When it isn't your paint or bodywork that you're worried about, they make seriously good 4X4 rigs.
The requirements for a good off-roader are usually in direct conflict with the characteristics that make a comfy ride on the asphalt. But all the R+D that the Tata Group has sunk into the Range Rover immediately shows when you're driving one.
If they can make a vehicle palatable in both worlds, so too could Toyota, if they would give the serious love, care and investment dollars that the Land Cruiser deserves. But seeing as we get only configuration and engine, and not a single other available option except color choices, I'm not holding out much hope.
It's no shame to fall in love with a nameplate. Even a casual off-roading fan knows that the Land Cruiser lives among the pantheon of 4X4 greats alongside the Jeep. It's been with us since the 1950s, with its own take of boxy bad-assery.
And if the Jeep is the American great, the Land Cruiser is still found all around the world's roughest places. I've ridden around the Atlas Mountains of Morocco in an abused FJ60, and banged around the Great Karoo desert of South Africa in a classic FJ40. In South Africa they're still selling brand-new Land Cruiser 76s with diesel V8s that are as rough and righteous as ever. Seriously, tell me you wouldn't happily consider dropping 677,600 Rand on one? That's around $43,000, as it turns out.
And if a vintage LC dropped in my lap, I'd be a happy man. How about a 1970s era FJ40, or even better, a FJ45 with a long bed? (Here's one for sale at a mere $12,000, though in need of serious attention.) A1980s FJ60 with solid axles and an unbreakable inline six would also be welcome. An older LC can be remade into an unbreakable machine. Just ask Icon's Jonathan Ward .
There's still some good news. Purists will be pleased to find that it is still a box-on-frame design. And the gasoline engine is old school, a naturally aspirated 5.7-liter V8 with plenty of torque (401 pound-feet). On the highway it powers up the steepest hills with low-throated abandon. I suspect that the time tested powerplant will run and run with few if any complications, for hundreds of thousands of miles. If Range Rovers were historically consigned to endless mechanical problems, the Land Cruiser was the always the eternal beast of the badlands. You couldn't kill them.
A Lexus lover would feel pretty at home in the modern LC's cabin. Nice seats, nice leather, everything heated and cooled and sensor enabled. But there's no excuse for the on-road behavior. The vehicle is an unconscionable 5,800-plus pounds, and you can feel every bloated ounce in every single turn.
The vehicle is an unconscionable 5,800-plus pounds, and you can feel every bloated ounce in every single turn.
Much of the weight and poor manners is due to the 4X4 equipment, of course, including a center locking diff and the high ground clearance (8.9 inches). The LC has a number of trick off-road systems, including Crawl Control and a multi-terrain selector that work off the traction control. Some Toyota engineers are bravely soldiering on, and I bet the systems would be wonderful in a smaller, lighter vehicle.
But anything this big and heavy just isn't going to make it through something like California's Rubicon Trail. Hell, even a real Jeep Rubicon is big enough these days to have issues. I ran the trail two summers ago and could barely squeeze an Unlimited model through the tight Little Sluice section.
Nonetheless, I threw a shovel, axe, tow rope in the rear and headed for national forest and logging roads near my house in eastern Pennsylvania. Without snow I didn't even need to put the LC in 4 Low until I reached a muddy concourse torn asunder by heavy logging equipment. The mud got muckier and as I seesawed through and I began considering the Toyota's weight and the not-so-knobby 16-inch tires.
Not long ago I was in similar terrain in a new Tacoma and it didn't even give me pause. But there is no overcoming the LC's weight, too-civilized rubber and oversized proportions. I couldn't even slip through the narrowest tree-lined lanes. In the end, I'd lost faith. So I turned around.
In the end, the company should allow the Lexus be a Lexus—and maybe even dump most of the off-road equipment to make the LX a lighter machine. And the Land Cruiser should take a pause and become something else. Something simpler and lighter and cheaper. Something more like the Land Cruiser 76. Because the nameplate deserves better.
(Jason Harper, a contributing editor to Road & Track, has tested and written on cars for two decades. His scariest drive was a rally race in an original Lancia 037, his first drive of a supercar was the Porsche Carrera GT, and the only time he's gotten a speeding ticket was in a base Mini Cooper. His column, Harper's Bizarre, runs every Wednesday.)
- Thread starter
- #16
Another Article, with many photo's in the link.
Review: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser Shrugs Off Pretension
“Whatever happened to restraint?” is something big cars like the Toyota Land Cruiser must ask.
The 2016 Land Cruiser is an odd standard bearer for restraint, given its size and price and off-road abilities few will ever use. But as a luxury vehicle, it’s among the best for those who don’t like to shout about much.
It simply goes about doing what it does best, which is a machine that can get you and a number of people around fairly comfortably and fairly capably, but for a fairly hefty sticker price.
And it wonders why you haven’t been paying attention to it.
All Boxed up
The beauty of the Land Cruiser is that it doesn’t really have any styling.
Unusual for a modern luxury off-roader, very little of this box’s profile or detailing is outrageous and this is a good thing. Eighteen inches seems an appropriate size for modestly styled wheels, too, given this thing is made for off-roading.
In contrast, the more expensive, but pretty much the same, Lexus LX570, looks fussy with its grafted on corporate Lexus face and flashier wheels. You’ll get noticed, for sure, though.
These themes carry over inside, too. While you lord over traffic and peer out of tall windows, there’s very little to grab one’s attention. The seats are comfortable but flat. The materials are good, but nothing you wouldn’t find in any other nice Toyota or Lexus these days. The 8-inch touchscreen is nice, but nothing other automakers aren’t doing in a more ostentatious way these days.
At least the big-box styling leaves easy amounts of room for three across the second row, where they can play with the antiquated-looking rear entertainment system (just put some iPad mounts in, guys). It’s the third row that sucks, though. Kids and adults will be frustrated by the lack of room to get into the flip-up split bench back there. And it leaves such little cargo space that I kept them down and flipped to the side pretty much all of the time.
Doing that and opening the split tailgate, however, means you have lots of space to sit, eat lunch and figure out how you’re going to off-road this thing.
Going places
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: driving the Land Cruiser in the city is like trying to navigate a 381-horsepower cathedral through traffic.
The lack of any form of suspension adjustment hurts things on pavement. The ride can get floaty on the highway which will likely make third-row passengers sick after a while. It also made underground parking garages more daunting than necessary.
Still, that 5.7-liter V8 moves the Land Cruiser with surprising ease and quiet. The penalty is fuel economy no better than 17 mpg ever, but at least it has a big tank so you won’t have to leap out at stations very often.
The reason the Land Cruiser is less than desirable on the road must have something to do with how freaking awesome it is after the road ends.
After you and your passenger pour over the owner’s manual to decipher the flood of cryptic abbreviations, setting up the off-road assists for the right condition is fairly straightforward. But it will make less-skilled drivers long for the simplicity of Land Rover Terrain Response.
And speaking of which, the Land Rover LR4 lacks the Land Cruiser’s overall bulk, which inspires a bit more confidence on narrow trails. I didn’t get the Toyota stuck, but thanked God regularly surround-view cameras are a thing in 2016 that moment I had to back up for a trio of Jeeps coming the opposite direction.
It’s actually off road where I longed for a turbodiesel for the Land Cruiser rather than the V8 with the sensitive throttle. Trying not to surge over crests was an issue at first, until I started to rely more and more on the hill ascent system to do the crawling up.
All of these technologies aren’t exactly the “driver assistance systems” we talk about in the wake of self-driving cars, but the ones in the Land Cruiser certainly added a layer of confidence.
In the background
Land Cruisers come only one way in the U.S. and for the not-low-at-all price of $84,000. That’s a tough hurdle for it considering a Range Rover Sport can be had for far less money. And if you must have a Lexus badge, an LX 570 is another $6,000 mountain to climb, modest when we’re talking about rigs of this caliber. Among this set, standing out because of a value proposition is a quick way to fall off of the right shopping lists.
The Toyota Land Cruiser, as brilliant as it is in the dirt, is far too much truck for most people’s everyday use. It’s hard to think how you’d be less well-served for pavement duties by something car-based. But as one of those vehicles that does pretty much everything with class and ease without looking like you’re showing off, the Land Cruiser is in a pretty small field.
And perhaps the 2,000-or-so U.S. buyers who take one home every year like that sort of thing. They clearly know something all of the flashy SUV buyers don’t.
Photos: Brad Kappel and Zac Estrada
QUICK FACTS:
Model: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser
Base MSRP: $83,825 + $1,095 Delivery Fee
Engine: 5.7-liter gasoline V8
Output: 381hp @ 5,600rpm | 401 lb-ft (543Nm) @ 3,600rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
0-60mph (96km/h): 6.5 seconds
Fuel Economy (EPA): 13 mpg (18.1 l/100km) city | 18 mpg (13.1 l/100km) highway
Curb Weight: 5,815 lbs (2,638kg)
Review: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser Shrugs Off Pretension
“Whatever happened to restraint?” is something big cars like the Toyota Land Cruiser must ask.
The 2016 Land Cruiser is an odd standard bearer for restraint, given its size and price and off-road abilities few will ever use. But as a luxury vehicle, it’s among the best for those who don’t like to shout about much.
It simply goes about doing what it does best, which is a machine that can get you and a number of people around fairly comfortably and fairly capably, but for a fairly hefty sticker price.
And it wonders why you haven’t been paying attention to it.
All Boxed up
The beauty of the Land Cruiser is that it doesn’t really have any styling.
Unusual for a modern luxury off-roader, very little of this box’s profile or detailing is outrageous and this is a good thing. Eighteen inches seems an appropriate size for modestly styled wheels, too, given this thing is made for off-roading.
In contrast, the more expensive, but pretty much the same, Lexus LX570, looks fussy with its grafted on corporate Lexus face and flashier wheels. You’ll get noticed, for sure, though.
These themes carry over inside, too. While you lord over traffic and peer out of tall windows, there’s very little to grab one’s attention. The seats are comfortable but flat. The materials are good, but nothing you wouldn’t find in any other nice Toyota or Lexus these days. The 8-inch touchscreen is nice, but nothing other automakers aren’t doing in a more ostentatious way these days.
At least the big-box styling leaves easy amounts of room for three across the second row, where they can play with the antiquated-looking rear entertainment system (just put some iPad mounts in, guys). It’s the third row that sucks, though. Kids and adults will be frustrated by the lack of room to get into the flip-up split bench back there. And it leaves such little cargo space that I kept them down and flipped to the side pretty much all of the time.
Doing that and opening the split tailgate, however, means you have lots of space to sit, eat lunch and figure out how you’re going to off-road this thing.
Going places
Let’s get the obvious out of the way: driving the Land Cruiser in the city is like trying to navigate a 381-horsepower cathedral through traffic.
The lack of any form of suspension adjustment hurts things on pavement. The ride can get floaty on the highway which will likely make third-row passengers sick after a while. It also made underground parking garages more daunting than necessary.
Still, that 5.7-liter V8 moves the Land Cruiser with surprising ease and quiet. The penalty is fuel economy no better than 17 mpg ever, but at least it has a big tank so you won’t have to leap out at stations very often.
The reason the Land Cruiser is less than desirable on the road must have something to do with how freaking awesome it is after the road ends.
After you and your passenger pour over the owner’s manual to decipher the flood of cryptic abbreviations, setting up the off-road assists for the right condition is fairly straightforward. But it will make less-skilled drivers long for the simplicity of Land Rover Terrain Response.
And speaking of which, the Land Rover LR4 lacks the Land Cruiser’s overall bulk, which inspires a bit more confidence on narrow trails. I didn’t get the Toyota stuck, but thanked God regularly surround-view cameras are a thing in 2016 that moment I had to back up for a trio of Jeeps coming the opposite direction.
It’s actually off road where I longed for a turbodiesel for the Land Cruiser rather than the V8 with the sensitive throttle. Trying not to surge over crests was an issue at first, until I started to rely more and more on the hill ascent system to do the crawling up.
All of these technologies aren’t exactly the “driver assistance systems” we talk about in the wake of self-driving cars, but the ones in the Land Cruiser certainly added a layer of confidence.
In the background
Land Cruisers come only one way in the U.S. and for the not-low-at-all price of $84,000. That’s a tough hurdle for it considering a Range Rover Sport can be had for far less money. And if you must have a Lexus badge, an LX 570 is another $6,000 mountain to climb, modest when we’re talking about rigs of this caliber. Among this set, standing out because of a value proposition is a quick way to fall off of the right shopping lists.
The Toyota Land Cruiser, as brilliant as it is in the dirt, is far too much truck for most people’s everyday use. It’s hard to think how you’d be less well-served for pavement duties by something car-based. But as one of those vehicles that does pretty much everything with class and ease without looking like you’re showing off, the Land Cruiser is in a pretty small field.
And perhaps the 2,000-or-so U.S. buyers who take one home every year like that sort of thing. They clearly know something all of the flashy SUV buyers don’t.
Photos: Brad Kappel and Zac Estrada
QUICK FACTS:
Model: 2016 Toyota Land Cruiser
Base MSRP: $83,825 + $1,095 Delivery Fee
Engine: 5.7-liter gasoline V8
Output: 381hp @ 5,600rpm | 401 lb-ft (543Nm) @ 3,600rpm
Transmission: 8-speed automatic
0-60mph (96km/h): 6.5 seconds
Fuel Economy (EPA): 13 mpg (18.1 l/100km) city | 18 mpg (13.1 l/100km) highway
Curb Weight: 5,815 lbs (2,638kg)
- Thread starter
- #17
Guess i should rename this thread "my reads" since none of you seem to stumble onto anything of interest...sadly.
Here's another, this one really causes you to pause and ponder...
A Boy, His Dad, A Mighty-Mighty Land Cruiser
by William Nelekona
I edited this 30 year old video of my Dad and I washing the Land Cruiser, to go with this blog; the story, video, and photos, are all about love. I hope you’ll go hug your Dad or Mom, your husband or wife, or sibling, or anyone today for that matter. Tell them how much they mean to you. Hang on to the good memories. I hope you enjoy…
I still remember having that whole backbench of my Dad’s Fj60 all to myself, being lulled to sleep by the unmistakable Toyota engine sounds and vibrations; Or humming along to Five O’Clock World, as we canvassed all over the Lonestar State. Just me and my Dad. The Mighty-Mighty took us everywhere and anywhere you wanted to go. It gave me the kind of memories that still resonate decades later.
My Dad is my hero. I used to lay on top of his back and watch westerns for hours on the weekends. It was the best. He would take me hunting with him all the time. And if I wasn’t using my hawk-like vision to search for prey, I had my head straight down looking for arrowheads and fossils. It was hard for me to do both. I recommend either hunting or looking for points and bones, but not both simultaneously; you’re more likely to get neither. One hunt I finally found my first and only complete arrowhead. It was incredible to touch it, and hold it in my hand. Who had made this, I wondered? Did they kill with it? What did they kill, and how long ago? These were the thoughts that I had lying in back of the Cruiser, thinking of the old days of the wild west and life long before that. And if I wasn’t imagining these things, I was asking my Dad a thousand questions, and he would answer every one.
My Dad loved his Land Cruiser. It was like an extension of who he was. He took such great care of it. The styling was perfection. The back door had a pop hatch and tailgate, that folded down into a bench seat. It was great for taking all the cousins on hay (FJ) rides through “the farm.” The farm was a little patch of heaven in Mansfield, (about 100 acres) that was owned by my Great Grandmother, Nana, and later by my Grandmother, Marianne. It would fill up with Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes in the Spring.
The Mighty-Mighty Land Cruiser almost seemed alive. It was capable of anything. It took us to unknown lands, kept us warm or cool, got us out of tight spots. The Mighty-Mighty stayed quiet until it was asked for service. But it always wanted to come with, and never backed down from a challenge. Almost like a good dog.
Fast-forward a handful of years. I woke up and got dressed for school one morning, much like any other day, but this morning I turned sixteen. Let freedom ring baby. I walked out front to wait for my ride to school, when my Dad came strolling out front and smiled at me. He tossed me the keys to the Land Cruiser. He tossed me the keys to the Mighty-Mighty and said Happy Birthday Son. Can you imagine?
Six months later Dallas was iced over and gray. This usually happens once or twice a Winter. Basically, it snows, but it turns to rain and freezes on the ground, leaving a slick icy surface. Well, that only means one thing when you’re a teenager, in Texas: No school. That particular day, we turned on the news, but my school wasn’t listed as shut down for the day; so begrudgingly we headed off to school. My friends and I arrived, and people were running out the side door, saying that teachers were not taking roll. We immediately turned around, headed back to the parking lot to find a ride outta there. And since the roads were dangerous, my friends and I had been dropped off by one of our parents, so we needed a ride to my Cruiser. We found one. Once we got dropped off, we all loaded up and decided to go to a friend’s house to hang. On the last stretch of road it was really curvy and I was going too fast, especially for ice conditions. But hey, it’s the Mighty Mighty, it can handle anything. All of a sudden a black cat darted in front of me and I had a knee jerk reaction. I ripped the wheel just enough to avoid the cat. Dang that black cat! Had I the opportunity to do it over again, the world would be shy a cat. I lost complete control of the truck and we started sliding backwards down the street. I was doing all I could to turn, but to no avail. We skidded for about 35 yards, smashed into and over the curb, immediately striking a telephone pole. The Land Cruiser wrapped around the pole, then, flung off towards some vines over an embankment. Luckily for us, the vines held the back of the Mighty, and we didn’t plunge 10 or 12 feet down. Here begins the dark ages of the Mighty-Mighty.
I spent the next 3 years of high school spending all of my money working on my Cruiser, trying to restore it. Trying to get it running once again. Thousands of dollars. Eventually, I put the care of the Cruiser with an old friend, as I had no means of storage and no money to fix it up as a daily driver. He drove it for a few years, then, I took it to an uncle’s house in the Hill Country to go into hibernation for another five+ years. I told people the Mighty-Mighty was on life support, one day it will live again. By this point, it was in a Hill Country grave. But lately, its been calling to me…
Now I’m married and have an infant daughter. Life is much different than the days of being a boy then, being a young man, and finally becoming my own man. We need money and I have to make some tough choices. Our current Soccer Mom-mobile, (sorry Moms) is a gold 2003 Honda CR-V, and has had a couple issues this year. It’s that time where we spend the money to get it fixed up with needed repairs, or sell it, and try to get something better. I’m getting creative and bootstrapping life. I called in a AAA wrecker to hook me up with a free tow. Thanks AAA. The idea: Pull the Mighty-Mighty from the grave, spend the 500-1000 to get it running again (naive) and sell it off. Then, couple the money from the Mighty with the money from the Golden Girls Van (hey it gets good gas mileage) and get our “new” car. That’s practical, that’s safe, that’s wise, that’s the conservative move.
When I went up to the mechanics parking lot, I spent a while with the Cruiser just looking over it. It’s in pretty rough shape. But somewhere in there, I know there’s life. I only see 2 choices. 1. Sell the Mighty Mighty to some rich guy who can drop $20K into it on a whim, and I’ll let my belly, my soul, my free spirit, my pride, all go with the selling of that cherished truck. Or 2. I keep it. I dare to make a new commitment to kicking life in the teeth, to taking my family all over the world, and living boldly. It could take years, it could take lots of money and time and sweat, but that truck is staying in my family. The Mighty Mighty will live again. It has too many memories for me, and it’s just too cool to pass over to someone else.
I don’t know where this path will take me, and I don’t know when the Mighty-Mighty will once again be our vessel into the wild, but I am committed to the fight.
I encourage you now, with whatever fight you have in your life. For me, it isn’t just a truck. It’s about preserving something special, it’s about making a goal, it’s about making myself get out there again and conquer life’s obstacles, It’s about helping people more and going deeper in my relationships; And to move, and move swiftly. We all need to move.
So whatever you’ve got in your life today that you think you can’t do, you can. And if you decided long ago that you’ve given up, and many years have passed, things can’t change, today is a new day for you. Today you can go left, instead of your usual right. Because our time here is so short and it’s so easy to forget. So just do it.
Here's another, this one really causes you to pause and ponder...
A Boy, His Dad, A Mighty-Mighty Land Cruiser
by William Nelekona
I edited this 30 year old video of my Dad and I washing the Land Cruiser, to go with this blog; the story, video, and photos, are all about love. I hope you’ll go hug your Dad or Mom, your husband or wife, or sibling, or anyone today for that matter. Tell them how much they mean to you. Hang on to the good memories. I hope you enjoy…
I still remember having that whole backbench of my Dad’s Fj60 all to myself, being lulled to sleep by the unmistakable Toyota engine sounds and vibrations; Or humming along to Five O’Clock World, as we canvassed all over the Lonestar State. Just me and my Dad. The Mighty-Mighty took us everywhere and anywhere you wanted to go. It gave me the kind of memories that still resonate decades later.
My Dad is my hero. I used to lay on top of his back and watch westerns for hours on the weekends. It was the best. He would take me hunting with him all the time. And if I wasn’t using my hawk-like vision to search for prey, I had my head straight down looking for arrowheads and fossils. It was hard for me to do both. I recommend either hunting or looking for points and bones, but not both simultaneously; you’re more likely to get neither. One hunt I finally found my first and only complete arrowhead. It was incredible to touch it, and hold it in my hand. Who had made this, I wondered? Did they kill with it? What did they kill, and how long ago? These were the thoughts that I had lying in back of the Cruiser, thinking of the old days of the wild west and life long before that. And if I wasn’t imagining these things, I was asking my Dad a thousand questions, and he would answer every one.
My Dad loved his Land Cruiser. It was like an extension of who he was. He took such great care of it. The styling was perfection. The back door had a pop hatch and tailgate, that folded down into a bench seat. It was great for taking all the cousins on hay (FJ) rides through “the farm.” The farm was a little patch of heaven in Mansfield, (about 100 acres) that was owned by my Great Grandmother, Nana, and later by my Grandmother, Marianne. It would fill up with Bluebonnets and Indian Paintbrushes in the Spring.
The Mighty-Mighty Land Cruiser almost seemed alive. It was capable of anything. It took us to unknown lands, kept us warm or cool, got us out of tight spots. The Mighty-Mighty stayed quiet until it was asked for service. But it always wanted to come with, and never backed down from a challenge. Almost like a good dog.
Fast-forward a handful of years. I woke up and got dressed for school one morning, much like any other day, but this morning I turned sixteen. Let freedom ring baby. I walked out front to wait for my ride to school, when my Dad came strolling out front and smiled at me. He tossed me the keys to the Land Cruiser. He tossed me the keys to the Mighty-Mighty and said Happy Birthday Son. Can you imagine?
Six months later Dallas was iced over and gray. This usually happens once or twice a Winter. Basically, it snows, but it turns to rain and freezes on the ground, leaving a slick icy surface. Well, that only means one thing when you’re a teenager, in Texas: No school. That particular day, we turned on the news, but my school wasn’t listed as shut down for the day; so begrudgingly we headed off to school. My friends and I arrived, and people were running out the side door, saying that teachers were not taking roll. We immediately turned around, headed back to the parking lot to find a ride outta there. And since the roads were dangerous, my friends and I had been dropped off by one of our parents, so we needed a ride to my Cruiser. We found one. Once we got dropped off, we all loaded up and decided to go to a friend’s house to hang. On the last stretch of road it was really curvy and I was going too fast, especially for ice conditions. But hey, it’s the Mighty Mighty, it can handle anything. All of a sudden a black cat darted in front of me and I had a knee jerk reaction. I ripped the wheel just enough to avoid the cat. Dang that black cat! Had I the opportunity to do it over again, the world would be shy a cat. I lost complete control of the truck and we started sliding backwards down the street. I was doing all I could to turn, but to no avail. We skidded for about 35 yards, smashed into and over the curb, immediately striking a telephone pole. The Land Cruiser wrapped around the pole, then, flung off towards some vines over an embankment. Luckily for us, the vines held the back of the Mighty, and we didn’t plunge 10 or 12 feet down. Here begins the dark ages of the Mighty-Mighty.
I spent the next 3 years of high school spending all of my money working on my Cruiser, trying to restore it. Trying to get it running once again. Thousands of dollars. Eventually, I put the care of the Cruiser with an old friend, as I had no means of storage and no money to fix it up as a daily driver. He drove it for a few years, then, I took it to an uncle’s house in the Hill Country to go into hibernation for another five+ years. I told people the Mighty-Mighty was on life support, one day it will live again. By this point, it was in a Hill Country grave. But lately, its been calling to me…
Now I’m married and have an infant daughter. Life is much different than the days of being a boy then, being a young man, and finally becoming my own man. We need money and I have to make some tough choices. Our current Soccer Mom-mobile, (sorry Moms) is a gold 2003 Honda CR-V, and has had a couple issues this year. It’s that time where we spend the money to get it fixed up with needed repairs, or sell it, and try to get something better. I’m getting creative and bootstrapping life. I called in a AAA wrecker to hook me up with a free tow. Thanks AAA. The idea: Pull the Mighty-Mighty from the grave, spend the 500-1000 to get it running again (naive) and sell it off. Then, couple the money from the Mighty with the money from the Golden Girls Van (hey it gets good gas mileage) and get our “new” car. That’s practical, that’s safe, that’s wise, that’s the conservative move.
When I went up to the mechanics parking lot, I spent a while with the Cruiser just looking over it. It’s in pretty rough shape. But somewhere in there, I know there’s life. I only see 2 choices. 1. Sell the Mighty Mighty to some rich guy who can drop $20K into it on a whim, and I’ll let my belly, my soul, my free spirit, my pride, all go with the selling of that cherished truck. Or 2. I keep it. I dare to make a new commitment to kicking life in the teeth, to taking my family all over the world, and living boldly. It could take years, it could take lots of money and time and sweat, but that truck is staying in my family. The Mighty Mighty will live again. It has too many memories for me, and it’s just too cool to pass over to someone else.
I don’t know where this path will take me, and I don’t know when the Mighty-Mighty will once again be our vessel into the wild, but I am committed to the fight.
I encourage you now, with whatever fight you have in your life. For me, it isn’t just a truck. It’s about preserving something special, it’s about making a goal, it’s about making myself get out there again and conquer life’s obstacles, It’s about helping people more and going deeper in my relationships; And to move, and move swiftly. We all need to move.
So whatever you’ve got in your life today that you think you can’t do, you can. And if you decided long ago that you’ve given up, and many years have passed, things can’t change, today is a new day for you. Today you can go left, instead of your usual right. Because our time here is so short and it’s so easy to forget. So just do it.
WHO WROTE THIS GARBAGE! oh, right.http://oppositelock.kinja.com/why-the-toyota-land-cruiser-is-so-expensive-1715003811
Why The Toyota Land Cruiser Is So Expensive
The Land Cruiser 200 series gets a lot of hate:
“It looks like a bloated highlander.”
“Its not a “real” Land Cruiser.”
“Its so old! Look at it, its so...old!”
But most of all, this one:
“Its WAY too expensive, I can get X for so much less!”
Okay, its not my favorite Land Cruiser either, for looks or for the fact that in the US you can’t get one thats not fluffed up like the huggie bear on rogaine but its still a Land Cruiser and that name carries with it a certain weight. I’ll spare you the history of the Land Cruiser except to say that the Land Cruiser name today is more than it was in the iconic FJ40 era. Around the 1970’s the Land Cruiser family tree branched out and several offspring were birthed from the hearty root of the original BJ (“B” engine Jeep) and included the heavy duty line, called the 70 series, which is badass and kicking to this day, the light duty line called “Prado” and the J wagons, including the us market 60/62, 80, 100 and now 200 series.
Around the time of the 80 series, considered by some to be the best vehicle Toyota ever made, Toyota began to notice that the people who bought Land Cruisers weren’t rough and tumble types (does that mean they like to roll around in rocks? I don’t know) but were more likely dentists, surgeons, basketball players and so on. These people had 60 series Land Cruisers and loved them, but were starting to demand things like comfort, speed, convenience etc. As such the basic and simple FJ80 of the early 90’s with one foot firmly in the outback and reeking of that Land Cruiser charm slowly morphed into a vehicle that could only be had with leather, power everything, speakers galore with CD changer (!) and generally anything else Toyota could think to stuff in to keep those well heeled customers happy and sales were good.
Ever since then the Land Cruiser J wagon in the US has been on an ever pampering, cosseting trajectory and in 2008 a new model, the J200, was born. Even still, in chasing the money of the well-to-do US buyer by adding luxury the J wagon still retained its authentic roots; After all even though the US market isn’t in a mood to explore, its still sold in many countries that are, whether you want or even need to and you count on the legendary toughness of what is affectionately called the “bush taxi”. The 100 series, for example, even in US spec is often cited as the best used overland vehicle you can buy. The 200 is much the same story, with rugged and bare bones version being used all around in the world in places and in roles where luxury is defined as getting there...and back.
But as you can guess, this isn’t the version we we get in the US, not even close. Toyota, in its infinite wisdom, has decided that Americans only want a fully dressed 200 and so that’s what we get. Its 80 grand+ and although that sounds like a lot of money, as your resident Land Cruiser nuttist, I’m here to try and explain where all that money goes.
1. 2.5% import tariff (built in Japan and imported).
Any passenger vehicle imported from Japan (and other places as well) is subject to a 2.5% import tariff. All Land Cruisers are built in a plant in Japan and shipped overseas. This is the kind of plant that they fire you if you can’t demonstrate high levels of dexterity and worker competence.
2. It starts at 80 grand...and ends there; It has no options and comes fully loaded.
- heated steering wheel
- heated/cooled leather seats
- Center consol fridge
- 4 zone climate
- rear seat DVD
- premium 14 speaker sound with crappy but feature rich deck and Nav
- radar cruise control with pre-collision
- electric fold rear seats
- electric rear hatch
- parking assist
- tow package
- Etc.
3. Off road stuff.
Full underbody armor package, KDSS, rated recovery hooks, beefy ball joints, control arms, bump stops, bushings and shocks.
4. Built with parts unique to the land cruiser that are designed for 25 year service life.
All Land Cruisers are built around the concept of a 25 year service life and that means more expensive and durable components. For example, the windshield is 2mm thicker than standard Toyota and the entire exhaust is stainless steel and double thick for corrosion protection and no warping/cracking when you dunk it in water hot.
1
5. Its a low volume niche model.
Toyota knows full well that the 200 series isn’t for everyone, nor do they care. The Land Cruiser brand sells in high enough volume around the world that the US market is meaningless except to maintain a Land Cruiser presence and to keep the very wealthy conservative clientele that are extremely fond of the reliability and its nondescript nature. What that means is that Toyota must charge more for it to make up for volume sales and to keep the types of clients they want. The US Land Cruiser buyer is many things but the 2 most important for Toyota is:
a. Wealthy - They don’t mind dropping 80 grand cash on a car, in fact, if it were less money...they might begin to wonder if its lost the luxury goods air.
B. Brand loyal - They will be back to buy a Lexus RX for their spouse, a Corolla for their daughter and a 4Runner for their son.
Contrary to popular opinion, most people in this crowd don’t care if its not up to the minute design or stacked with the latest features. Most US Land Cruiser buyers want: QDR - Quality, Dependability, Reliability. It also has to be super safe and hold its value. All things the Land Cruiser does better than just about anything else you can buy. Is it dated? yeah...no one who buys one cares.
6. Minimal commonality with other vehicles.
I know people say that its the same as the 45 grand Sequoia but 2 things:
A. No
B. Nope
Seriously, although the engine and trans are the same, more or less, (and the T-case on some models) the J200 is a unique chassis as are many of the components in and on the truck. Also, if you want to compare apples to apples, you cant compare it to the 2 wheel drive SR5, you must compare it to the 4x4 platinum which is 65 large. Don’t forget to add on $1600 (2.5% of 65000) for the Tariff if you want to compare straight across. So no, its not twice as much, its 16% more. (19% minus the tariff equalizing)
7. They’ve earned their reputation that “luxury” can still mean insanely well made cars.
People used to think that a car built to a higher standard was worth paying extra for, but not now I guess? In any case, the Land Cruiser has 100% earned that reputation of being a long lasting, well built vehicle. I think its telling that all the explorers I know that have been doing it a long time either bought a Land Cruiser early on and stayed, or switched from Land/Range Rover to a Land Cruiser. A Land Rover is a wonderful thing, but even the Land Rover faithful will attest to the fact that the Cruiser is the more reliable choice. Just check out this score from the Trade In Quality Index which is a survey of actual cars at trade in and not some “initial quality” nonsense.
So yes, 80 large is a lot for a Toyota but shop around in the Ford camp, or in Chevy town and you can get their large SUV’s up into the low to mid 70’s and that’s without the import tariff, or the additional off road hardware, or extended lifetime hardening, etc.
If I had to sum it up into a formula I would say its 95% because its expensive to make, 5% because they can. The truth of the matter is that the Land Cruiser just isn’t for everyone, it never has been and never will be. For those that know, its not a rip, its money well spent.
Thanks for archiving this lunchtime rant of mine.
- Thread starter
- #20
Cross post.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is on life support
The Toyota Land Cruiser is on life support
2017 Toyota Land-Cruiser
SEE FULL SPECS
SEE PRICING
With a starting price of nearly $85,000, the Toyota Land Cruiser is far out of the financial reach of the average Toyota customer. Notably, the Range Rover starts at around $86,000. With a price tag like that, the old 4x4 SUV is better off with a spot in the Lexus LX line, but it isn't receiving any love from Toyota executives. A lack of marketing certainly isn't helping the Land Cruiser either.
The full-size SUV puts a large emphasis on comfort, no matter what sacrifices have to be made. Even so, reviewers generally agree that the cabin, particularly the rear seats, are far from spacious. Competitors like the Chevrolet Suburban offer more space, better features, and a more affordable price tag to boot.
© Toyota
Take a look at the luxury-level GMC Yukon, for example. The American SUV starts at under $49,000 MSRP and offers up to 94.7 cu ft. of interior cargo space. It can even seat up to nine passengers thanks to its roomy three-row seating. It's easy to see just how lackluster the Toyota Land Cruiser is in comparison.
It wasn't always this way though. The first Toyota Land Cruiser hit the market in 1951, making it Toyota's longest running nameplate. Since it first rolled off the production line, the Land Cruiser has appeared as a convertible, station wagon, and, most recently, an SUV, among others. In Japan, the Land Cruiser is only available in special Toyota dealerships called "Toyota Store." That level of prestige didn't transfer to the United States though.
The Toyota Land Cruiser experienced an immediate jump in popularity after its initial redesign in 2008, but quickly saw faltering sales the next year. The SUV hit an all-time low with just 1,662 units sold in 2011. Sales eventually stabilized in the following years, generally hovering between 2,800 and 3,200 units per year.
Toyota executives, engineers, and designers finally took pity on the 65-year-old nameplate and gave it a much-needed refresh in 2016. That brought sales to the highest point since 2008, with 3,705 units sold during the 2016 model year.
© Toyota
At this point, the Land Cruiser's sales numbers are comparable to the Chevrolet SS, a performance sedan that's leaving the production line for good following the 2017 model year. In a market where buyers are snapping up SUVs as soon as they roll off the line, the Land Cruiser isn't doing too hot. At least it's still doing better than the Dodge Viper...
There are three options available for the fate of the Toyota Land Cruiser: restore, merge, and kill.
The first option is to restore the Land Cruiser to its former glory as one of the most reveled off-road SUVs in the industry. Returning to a Jeep-like design with more off-roading equipment would help draw drivers away from lower-priced competitors. This would require a full redesign and would likely result in a price increase, something the Land Cruiser certainly doesn't need.
Alternatively, the Toyota Land Cruiser could merge into the Lexus LX family as a base model. Adjusting the interior design to free up some space while simultaneously adding more premium materials and advanced technologies would allow the Land Cruiser to live on as a legitimate luxury SUV.
The final option is to put the Toyota Land Cruiser out of its misery. The SUV has been around since 1951, making it the brand's oldest nameplate. As the sales numbers suggest, the Land Cruiser hasn't aged well, and it doesn't look like things will be turning around any time soon.
As a whole, Toyota SUVs are selling like hot cakes with a recent corporate sales report indicating consistent growth throughout the lineup. The Toyota Highlander posted its best-ever February, as did the RAV4 and 4Runner. Even the Toyota Sequoia, another high-end SUV, saw a dramatic sales increase for the month of February.
The Toyota Land Cruiser, however, is nowhere to be found, indicating that the legendary SUV is likely out of touch with the modern consumer. Perhaps it's best to say "Sayonara" to Toyota's oldest nameplate. It doesn't seem as though many people will miss it at this point.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is on life support
The Toyota Land Cruiser is on life support
2017 Toyota Land-Cruiser
SEE FULL SPECS
SEE PRICING
With a starting price of nearly $85,000, the Toyota Land Cruiser is far out of the financial reach of the average Toyota customer. Notably, the Range Rover starts at around $86,000. With a price tag like that, the old 4x4 SUV is better off with a spot in the Lexus LX line, but it isn't receiving any love from Toyota executives. A lack of marketing certainly isn't helping the Land Cruiser either.
The full-size SUV puts a large emphasis on comfort, no matter what sacrifices have to be made. Even so, reviewers generally agree that the cabin, particularly the rear seats, are far from spacious. Competitors like the Chevrolet Suburban offer more space, better features, and a more affordable price tag to boot.
Take a look at the luxury-level GMC Yukon, for example. The American SUV starts at under $49,000 MSRP and offers up to 94.7 cu ft. of interior cargo space. It can even seat up to nine passengers thanks to its roomy three-row seating. It's easy to see just how lackluster the Toyota Land Cruiser is in comparison.
It wasn't always this way though. The first Toyota Land Cruiser hit the market in 1951, making it Toyota's longest running nameplate. Since it first rolled off the production line, the Land Cruiser has appeared as a convertible, station wagon, and, most recently, an SUV, among others. In Japan, the Land Cruiser is only available in special Toyota dealerships called "Toyota Store." That level of prestige didn't transfer to the United States though.
The Toyota Land Cruiser experienced an immediate jump in popularity after its initial redesign in 2008, but quickly saw faltering sales the next year. The SUV hit an all-time low with just 1,662 units sold in 2011. Sales eventually stabilized in the following years, generally hovering between 2,800 and 3,200 units per year.
Toyota executives, engineers, and designers finally took pity on the 65-year-old nameplate and gave it a much-needed refresh in 2016. That brought sales to the highest point since 2008, with 3,705 units sold during the 2016 model year.
At this point, the Land Cruiser's sales numbers are comparable to the Chevrolet SS, a performance sedan that's leaving the production line for good following the 2017 model year. In a market where buyers are snapping up SUVs as soon as they roll off the line, the Land Cruiser isn't doing too hot. At least it's still doing better than the Dodge Viper...
There are three options available for the fate of the Toyota Land Cruiser: restore, merge, and kill.
The first option is to restore the Land Cruiser to its former glory as one of the most reveled off-road SUVs in the industry. Returning to a Jeep-like design with more off-roading equipment would help draw drivers away from lower-priced competitors. This would require a full redesign and would likely result in a price increase, something the Land Cruiser certainly doesn't need.
Alternatively, the Toyota Land Cruiser could merge into the Lexus LX family as a base model. Adjusting the interior design to free up some space while simultaneously adding more premium materials and advanced technologies would allow the Land Cruiser to live on as a legitimate luxury SUV.
The final option is to put the Toyota Land Cruiser out of its misery. The SUV has been around since 1951, making it the brand's oldest nameplate. As the sales numbers suggest, the Land Cruiser hasn't aged well, and it doesn't look like things will be turning around any time soon.
As a whole, Toyota SUVs are selling like hot cakes with a recent corporate sales report indicating consistent growth throughout the lineup. The Toyota Highlander posted its best-ever February, as did the RAV4 and 4Runner. Even the Toyota Sequoia, another high-end SUV, saw a dramatic sales increase for the month of February.
The Toyota Land Cruiser, however, is nowhere to be found, indicating that the legendary SUV is likely out of touch with the modern consumer. Perhaps it's best to say "Sayonara" to Toyota's oldest nameplate. It doesn't seem as though many people will miss it at this point.
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