Toyota Relaunches Classic 70 Series Land Cruiser

The rugged Toyota 70 Series Land Cruiser first hit showrooms in Japan back in 1984. Since then, more than 2.5 million of the tough, go anywhere trucks have been sold around the world.

Production in Japan ended in 2004, but constant demand from loyal fans has convinced Toyota to put the 70 Series back into production for one year. It will offer the revised “70″ as a fully enclosed truck or in double cab format – a first for the Japanese market. Part time 4 wheel drive is standard. A locking front and rear differential is optional as is an electric bumper mounted winch. With prices starting at $33,000, Toyota expects to sell about 200 of the trucks a month.

The original heavy duty ladder frame and suspension are maintained, as is a beefy 5 speed transmission. A 4.0 liter V-6 making 228 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque resides under the hood. The grille is updated to modern standards with turn signals integrated into the headlamps, dual airbags are fitted and 4 wheel antilock disc brakes installed. Other than that, the 2014 70 Series should look, ride and feel almost exactly as it did 30 years ago.

The “70″ is still manufactured in selected markets around the world. It is still highly prized in the Australian outback for its toughness and durability.

People always long for good old fashioned automobiles built the way they were way back when. Will Toyota be able to stop producing the updated 70 Series Land Cruiser after a year or will Japanese fans they keep the assembly line busy longer than that? For a vehicle as straight forward, rugged and reliable as the “70″, it wouldn’t be a surprise if production went on even after the planned cut off date.

Source: AutoBlog

Biodiesel Toyota Land Cruiser 200 ready for Dakar 2014

A Toyota subsidiary is preparing to enter a Toyota Land Cruiser for a very long off-road ride while emitting 60 percent less carbon dioxide than its regular diesel competitors. Toyota Auto Body Co. has enrolled a team into the 2014 Dakar Rally that will race a biodiesel-fueled Land Cruiser 200 with fuel made from used cooking oil.

The Toyota team will ride the off-road track that covers about 8,500 kilometers (about 5,280 miles) through Argentina, Bolivia and Chile. The Dakar Rally will start January 4 and runs almost two weeks. Jun Mitsuhashi is looking forward to showing off his home country of Japan in the race by driving the biodiesel Land Cruiser 200. "I want to compete on the world stage in a Japanese car and with Japanese technology," Mitsuhashi told The Japan Times at an event in the city of Toyota, Japan, announcing the team's entry into the race.

Another Toyota Motor Company-sponsored team is the 2014 Toyota Imperial SA Dakar Team from South Africa that will travel the route in two Toyota Hilux customized pickup trucks (called a "bakkie" in their home country). The bakkies are well prepared and battle-ready, Toyota says.

The 2014 Dakar Rally will showcase off-road racers traveling over rugged ground – rocky canyons, dusty valley and the Atacama Desert dunes. Drivers will kick of in Argentina, wend through Bolivia and finish in Chile. The first rally took place in 1978 and ran from Paris to Dakar, Senegal in western Africa. It's been held in South America since 2009 due to safety concerns.