Behind the familiar (but scaled-up) design, the Land Cruiser V8 is an almost entirely new car; the rear suspension is the only substantial carryover part from the Amazon.
The new car still features an old-fashioned separate chassis rather than the monocoque construction that modern SUVs have increasingly turned to. Toyota proclaims this to be an affirmation of the Land Cruiser’s genuine off-road credentials, and it also makes it far easier to repair in those parts of the world without access to laser-aligned bodyshop rigs.
The downside of body-on-frame construction tends to be poor structural rigidity, which is why Toyota has used hydroformed chassis members and high-strength steel in the frame. The V8’s torsional rigidity is claimed to be 1.4 times better than that of the Amazon. The extra strength has brought bulk, too, with the V8 tipping MIRA’s scales at a very substantial 2880kg – considerably more than Toyota’s claimed 2555kg kerb weight.
The new engine joins a small but select group of diesel V8s. It uses twin low-intertia turbochargers and common-rail injection to deliver a peak power output of 282bhp and a massive 479lb ft of torque, available from just 1600rpm.
Drive is supplied to all four wheels via a standard-fit six-speed automatic gearbox (with the option of manual override) plus a torque-sensing centre differential that can smoothly vary the amount of torque between the front and rear axles to promote stability. The diff can be locked, and low-range gears selected, via switches on the dashboard.
The Land Cruiser uses conventional steel springs, but hydraulically charged shock absorbers allow the ride height to be varied by up to 100mm and also give three-stage variable damping.