Went to Gray Rock yesterday for a photo shoot and had a blast. Met some
friends that live in the area and met the producer and some marketing people
as well. The owner of Gray Rock was there and was very nice and
accomodating.
The FJ Cruiser is very capable in stock trim. The obstacles that were chosen
were not difficult for the most part, but Gray Rock, like Tellico and most
other places around here, is really nasty when it rains. Due to all the
rain, the rocks were slippery and there was mud everywhere. Rain was
encountered all day on Monday and very little shooting was done by the crew.
The weather was clear and sunny yesterday but it was only in the high 40s
all day. The temperature dropped quickly as the sun settled over the ridges.
We started wheeling around 11am and stopped about 430pm. Gray Rock has
changed a lot and for those who have never been, even more trails are
available now. It is an easy drive out I-20 just a few minutes outside of
downtown Birmingham.
The vehicle is equipped with BFG ATs in stock trim I believe, at that is
what was on it yesterday. There may be other wheel and tire choices from the
dealer or from Toyota. The tires did ok, but an AT is not a mud tire so in
the muddy parts the vehicle just slid around a lot. With 31" Swampers or
LTBs it would have done much better. The driver was an instructor from an
off road driving school in North Carolina and did very well handling a
vehicle that was new to him. He was hired for this event. Bill Burke showed
up later in the afternoon and will be driving the vehicle at Tellico today
and tomorrow. The next stop on the tour is a private ranch in Wyoming and
then on to Colorado. The Cruiser is built on the current 4Runner platform
which includes an updated 8" solid axle in the rear and independant
suspension for the front. With companies like Daystar and Donahoe already
having mods available for the current 4Runner, it wont be long before the
aftermarket supports this vehicle whole heartedly.
The interior is very cool. Kind of retro modern but very well laid out,
though maybe a bit to plasticky or shiny for some. There is ample room front
and rear, though the rear cargo area is smaller than what I thought it would
be. This is no UZJ100 for sure, and I think the 4Runner has more room for
cargo.
The rear most glass panel has a flush mount appearance and is tinted dark
from the factory. Unfortunately the sheet metal around is creates a large
blindspot. The motor and trans are out of the new 4Runner as well, from what
I remember and that engine is also available in the new Tacoma. It has
plenty of power to clear the tires of mud and carry momentum up a hill or an
obstacle. It wont be long before someone swaps this engine into something
else with plenty of HP and Torque to go around. No body damage was
encountered, save a bump or two on the bumper and some tree branch
scratches in the paint. The vehicle was only stuck once yesterday in deep
mud and was pulled out by a Toyota Cab truck on 37s.
A good time was had by all and the FJ Cruiser was put through its paces at
Gray Rock. It is not a rock crawling truck by any means, but will do better
than a Tacoma off road and will easily best a stock FJ40. It is a vehicle
that will take you off the beaten path to go camping, hiking, mountain
biking, etc and not get destroyed while doing it. If you want a hard core
wheelin truck, get out your check book and start calling around for parts.
If you want a quality vehicle that will take you where you want to go and
back, head to your local Toyota dealer or the website for more information.
Pictures and video taken by the production crew will be available in the FJ
Cruiser section of Toyota.com. All of the stops of this tour will be
archived there as well, so you can see other cities along the way. It takes
about a week for them to get everything updated, so check back often for
updates.
Pricing has been released for the vehicle and can be found here:
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/fj-cruiser/55104-2007-toyota-fj-cruiser-pricing/
Thanks for looking.
jon
friends that live in the area and met the producer and some marketing people
as well. The owner of Gray Rock was there and was very nice and
accomodating.
The FJ Cruiser is very capable in stock trim. The obstacles that were chosen
were not difficult for the most part, but Gray Rock, like Tellico and most
other places around here, is really nasty when it rains. Due to all the
rain, the rocks were slippery and there was mud everywhere. Rain was
encountered all day on Monday and very little shooting was done by the crew.
The weather was clear and sunny yesterday but it was only in the high 40s
all day. The temperature dropped quickly as the sun settled over the ridges.
We started wheeling around 11am and stopped about 430pm. Gray Rock has
changed a lot and for those who have never been, even more trails are
available now. It is an easy drive out I-20 just a few minutes outside of
downtown Birmingham.
The vehicle is equipped with BFG ATs in stock trim I believe, at that is
what was on it yesterday. There may be other wheel and tire choices from the
dealer or from Toyota. The tires did ok, but an AT is not a mud tire so in
the muddy parts the vehicle just slid around a lot. With 31" Swampers or
LTBs it would have done much better. The driver was an instructor from an
off road driving school in North Carolina and did very well handling a
vehicle that was new to him. He was hired for this event. Bill Burke showed
up later in the afternoon and will be driving the vehicle at Tellico today
and tomorrow. The next stop on the tour is a private ranch in Wyoming and
then on to Colorado. The Cruiser is built on the current 4Runner platform
which includes an updated 8" solid axle in the rear and independant
suspension for the front. With companies like Daystar and Donahoe already
having mods available for the current 4Runner, it wont be long before the
aftermarket supports this vehicle whole heartedly.
The interior is very cool. Kind of retro modern but very well laid out,
though maybe a bit to plasticky or shiny for some. There is ample room front
and rear, though the rear cargo area is smaller than what I thought it would
be. This is no UZJ100 for sure, and I think the 4Runner has more room for
cargo.
The rear most glass panel has a flush mount appearance and is tinted dark
from the factory. Unfortunately the sheet metal around is creates a large
blindspot. The motor and trans are out of the new 4Runner as well, from what
I remember and that engine is also available in the new Tacoma. It has
plenty of power to clear the tires of mud and carry momentum up a hill or an
obstacle. It wont be long before someone swaps this engine into something
else with plenty of HP and Torque to go around. No body damage was
encountered, save a bump or two on the bumper and some tree branch
scratches in the paint. The vehicle was only stuck once yesterday in deep
mud and was pulled out by a Toyota Cab truck on 37s.
A good time was had by all and the FJ Cruiser was put through its paces at
Gray Rock. It is not a rock crawling truck by any means, but will do better
than a Tacoma off road and will easily best a stock FJ40. It is a vehicle
that will take you off the beaten path to go camping, hiking, mountain
biking, etc and not get destroyed while doing it. If you want a hard core
wheelin truck, get out your check book and start calling around for parts.
If you want a quality vehicle that will take you where you want to go and
back, head to your local Toyota dealer or the website for more information.
Pictures and video taken by the production crew will be available in the FJ
Cruiser section of Toyota.com. All of the stops of this tour will be
archived there as well, so you can see other cities along the way. It takes
about a week for them to get everything updated, so check back often for
updates.
Pricing has been released for the vehicle and can be found here:
http://www.tundrasolutions.com/forums/fj-cruiser/55104-2007-toyota-fj-cruiser-pricing/
Thanks for looking.
jon
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, also the engine in the FJ was rather impressive too it had so much power, just what you needed to get the tires spinning fast enough to rip through the mud we were in in. I am ashamed to say I found myself stuck 4 times to the FJ's one 
. So I say to any of you guys worried about the capability of the FJ it is not an issue, it is ready for action. If you guys want pics check out this thread in the South Carolina Club section :
salesman telling me a bunch of lies and crap. Plus my nearest Toy dealer is 150 miles away.
