I have been out of cell/internet service for a week and was super disappointed to click on this thread tonight and see these disrespectful and uninformed comments. I hate arguing with people on the internet, but it is distasteful to talk about a true legend who works tirelessly for our enthusiast community this way.
To address the video, I am confused if you all watched what I did. What
@cruiseroutfit said was clearly not scripted, and that's not really how these things work. Of course the talent (Kurt)/brand/creative/content/producer teams will discuss at a high level what should should be addressed in the video, but they don't give scripts and don't tell the talent what to say. Videos like this are aimed at a wide audience to highlight features and FAQ, not to the extreme enthusiast base who wants to know the minutiae that 99.9999% of consumers don't care about. Not only did the video answer lots of questions for those who are Land Cruiser fans and Land Cruiser curious, but Kurt was extremely well spoken and composed which is not nearly as easy as it looks when cameras and a production crew are all focused on you. The video currently has over 100k views and around 300 comments, basically all of which are glowingly positive.
Auto manufacturers generally do not care about the enthusiast. They care about selling volume and margins, and they recognize the majority of people who buy vehicles will never use them anywhere near their limits. We are extremely fortunate to have someone like Kurt who works hard behind the scenes directly with Toyota, Lexus, and others in the industry to ensure our collective voice is heard and considered in the design of new products. What's funny to me is over the years I kept hearing on the forum they wished for a new Land Cruiser that was: less luxurious with more choice over options, more utilitarian looks, options like a cloth interior and no sunroof, smaller size and lower weight, locking rear diff, offered CarPlay for things like Gaia integration, and was less expensive than the outgoing model. What Toyota is giving us basically checks every box enthusiasts have been asking for, yet on the forum, you'd think the world is ending because "PRADO" isn't a real Land Cruiser. It's beyond baffling and extremely frustrating to hear this refrain from the very community who asked for basically what Toyota delivered.
If you're still reading this far, I wanted to touch on why Kurt is such an incredible asset and advocate for our community. He's too humble to brag on the internet, or in any context for that matter, but he has:
- Traveled all 7 continents in a Land Cruiser as part of Expeditions 7
- Crossed the Greenland ice sheet in a Land Cruiser
- Expedition Overland lead navigator
- Owner / Operator of Cruiser Outfitters
- Board member of Land Cruiser Heritage Museum
- Tread Lightly Master Tread Trainer
- Vice President of I4WDTA
- Race driver for Baja 1000, Mint 400, UROC, and more
- Wasatch Cruiser Club and Expedition Utah leader and mentor
I know there's more I'm missing, but on top of all of this, he's one of the nicest people I have ever met and cares tremendously about our shared passion. Our community should be grateful for people like Kurt and be supportive. It's easy to throw out opinions online without the full context, but Kurt is out there making our off road future better.
