Toyota Takes Land Cruiser to 230 MPH

Land Speed Cruiser 2017

How Fast is your SUV? If it’s like The PDXJ, probably not all that fast. Toyota, however, decided it was going to build a super-fast SUV. Behold: The Land Speed Cruiser.

Toyota’s iconic Land Cruiser is much more known for its off-road prowess than its on-road rapidity. But Toyota changed that with the Land Speed Cruiser: A custom built, 2,000 hp 200 series Cruiser which now holds the title for “World’s Fastest SUV.”

With former Toyota NASCAR driver Carl Edwards at the helm, the understated Land Speed Cruiser shattered the previous World’s Fastest SUV record by more than 19 mph, reaching a GPS-verified and video-documented 230.02 mph before running out of usable pavement. With enough track ahead, the Land Speed Cruiser could be expected to go even faster.

The Land Speed Cruiser, which debuted at the 2016 Specialty Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show, started life as a stock production model before being heavily modified by a team of engineers at Toyota’s Motorsports Technical Center (MTC).

Using the Land Cruiser’s production 5.7-liter 3UR-FE V8 engine as a starting point, the team added a pair of volleyball-sized Garrett turbochargers that are capable of producing up to 55 PSI of boost. To cope with extreme force induction, the MTC team upgraded the engine’s internals with sturdier pistons and rods and a custom-made intake manifold, among other key items. This helped ensure the V8 could safely and reliably produce over 2,000 horsepower for its record-setting runs. The role of doling power was left to a custom racing transmission strong enough to withstand the stresses and abuses of high power and tremendous speeds.

Anyone into 4WD vehicles knows the Land Cruiser has a lot of accolades, and now World’s Fastest SUV is another.

230 mph Toyota Land Cruiser

 

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