New 70 series Landcruiser

New 70 series LC which looks like something from 20 to 30 years ago. Very minimal but is a tank. Looks like a restomod but is brand new. I love it! Wish it came to North America.

If they made a bare bones 4Runner like this LC would you guys be all over it?

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YT4zgjrPqqc

 

I usually don't bother watching video's like these, because it's a product that will never come to America. Most American's favor luxury/comfort over rugged utilitarianism. Sure, the truck looks rugged and cool, but creature comforts cannot be overlooked.

People cry for trucks like these. Then they bitch about how loud the interior is, how it lacks heated seats/steering wheel and that they want Apple Car Play or a heads up display. You can't have it both ways people.

The practical application of that vehicle for most American's doesn't make financial sense. Just look athe Ineos Grenadier. There was a lot of hype about how mechanical and "old school" it is, but very few people bought them. They are sitting on dealer lots now. You can even pick up a new one with a steep discount.

The American gub'ment won't allow vehicles like this anymore. The ones lacking tons of cameras, sensors and other safety nanny's.


But hey, it IS a cool looking truck.

 

There goes Loco raining on my parade again...

 

True. Something like that would be fun to drive on the weekend but I wouldn’t want to spend a couple hours a day commuting in it.

 

This^
I had a bare bones Suzuki in the early 90s. It was barebones even by the 90s standard. Phenomenal when going over the unbeaten path and on trails and crossing rivers. But a complete nightmare on proper roads in the urban environment without any creature comfort. A comfortable interior with softer panels and other features go a long way in making vehicle ownership enjoyable.
A shot of the interior.

 

Saw that video. I'd totally buy one

 

It’s cool but it does nothing for me. I bet it’s a slow derzul.

 

Commuting hours a day in a highly capable BOF 4x4 makes no sense to me in the first place, but I'm weird like that.

 

The TFL guys frequently act like they just found some new countertop appliance at Costco.

 

Looks neat but if it showed up state-side I’d be priced out and I’d have to look at how it holds up in terms of safety.

But then again, I did just buy a Speed Queen washer so…

 

I love the 70 series. I like the ute version more then the wagon though.

 

Best washer and dryer on the market.

 

Old school very cool. I doubt Toyota could modify to get our government to allow it.

I would buy one though in heartbeat. Super cool. Some of us don’t want all that nonsense that’s why I got a 5th gen since it was the most no nonsense at the time

Toyota do some market research if you can build it they will come

 

Years ago Mahindra tractor producer built a mid size SUV and PU- real basic- stick, 4 cyl diesel, tank like, payload 2,500 lbs.
But canceled USA rollout when 2008 econ crash.
I was looking for a dealer to give a deposit to.

 

It is one of the crappiest vehicles ever. Very very popular overseas but boy if you ever drive one, it makes the 4runner handling feel like a BMW on road.
Not to mention,Mahindra has been literally ripping Jeep design and G wagon off for decades.
It would not pass any homoglation requirements here in US in its present form that it's sold in.
One word, Utilitarian comes to mind for Mahindra vehicles and not in a good way.

 

ack'shually
i have bought a number of vehicles in my lifetime that were bare bones and i added leather seats, heated seats, fancy radios with touch screens and rear view cameras. The aftermarket is there if you want added luxury that didnt come from the factory. I have had a number of vehicles in my day and my current daily driver i love like you would your child or a 16 year old pet dog. I have been driving it almost 270,000 miles and cant imagine what i am going to do the day it decides to quit running. I put my own leather seats in it, my own heated seats in it, and my own backup camera and tv screen in the dash. Why cant people do the same to a bare bones LC that comes from Africa without the modern amenities?

Thats because they are a hunk of funk. They are $80k and have the reliability of a 2002 Hyundai.

You hopped in a current year model Honda Accord? NOT the hybrid touring model (they get more sound deadening) but i am talking like a standard $28,000 Honda Accord? They are LOUD AS HELL inside, like i cant even imagine a modern day sedan being so freaking loud inside and there are 200,000 Honda Accords sold per year. My wife wanted one in 2019 and got a sport with the black grille and accents and wheels out of the Honda catalog at the parts counter. She brought it home to me and loved it and my first drive i was like "what the absolute hell, why is this thing so loud i cant talk inside it at 75mph" I had to put sound deadening all in it to shut it up. Why cant you do the same to a bare bones LC? Sound deadening in the floor and doors would go a long way.

I have a plethora of nice vehicles, two that ride like absolute cadillacs that amaze you at their street manners in todays urban jungle. My 2005 Tundra DC Limited with captains chairs are crazy comfortable, the interior in that truck is huge, arguably as big or bigger than todays modern trucks and uber nice. Yet i absolutely love driving my 92 base model regular cab 2wd Toyota pickup. I have had 9 or 10 of them in my life and try to keep at least one running for zipping around town, hauling gas cans, running to the feed store. It has 255,000 miles and gets 25-28mpg and is a 5 speed and no power steering. Somehow i absolutely love driving it and a lot of times pick it before some of the others to run short errands. Sure its not something i plan to drive 8 hours to an event two states away, but for every day driving around town its one of my favorite vehicles.

Me personally, i would buy an old Land Cruiser without a doubt. ESPECIALLY if they allowed it to have the deeezel here in the states. Too many of the africa and Australia models with the 1KZ rack up 500,000km without breaking a sweat. Thats what people want, reliability.

 

Not A fan of it myself. But then again I loved my 2 FJ Cruisers! To each his own

 

I bought a speed queen about 10 years ago. Are they still constructed like a real washing machine that uses actual amounts of water? Did you have to buy it blackmarket?

I’ve been lucky to avoid the high efficiency machines that wash clothes using time, hope, and a quart of water.

 

Everything you’ve mentioned is why I truly believe that the 5th gen 4runner is the pinnacle of 4x4 wagons. It can do all the things! And the last few model years had all the creature comforts you could reasonably want. It’s peak automotive industry writ large if you ask me. Comfortable, capable of crossing continents on a whim, using the nicest highways, old back-roads, incredibly rough poorly maintained trails, or (with good judgement) no trails at all. Then it can do it again, and again, and again without turning into a clap trap. In the times in between epic voyages, it makes for a comfortable commuter, an excellent grocery-getter, or utility vehicle. It’s got a solid, reliable foundation, that lets you make large modifications without fear that all your work and money will be a waste (compare that to the money spent modifying sprinter vans that have bodies that rust in single digit years).

I think 5th gen are not generally viewed that way because we are all in them right now, we take them for granted. This is the type realization that comes mostly with hindsight.

In the future, there will be statues of 5th gens carved in marble and cast in bronze.

Yes, I think it’s a better vehicle than even the beautiful 70 series that australia had had all these years. I said better, not more desirable, because I’d still get a 70 if I could.

 

Wow, AI did a literal representation down to the same syntax.

Not going to lie, I like it.

 

Missing Pax Step

 

Because it got ripped off on a rock.

 

Well said. It won't work for the people who can only have one vehicle due to space or budget constraint, but many people are still able to, and do, have a secondary vehicle if they don't live in crowded cities, apartments or condos with limited parking, etc restrictive environments.

I like my 4Runers but still go to the cities and shopping in my stick shift 20 year old corolla. Why? It's a hoot, that's why. Those who have never driven a light, manual transmission toyota from pre-2010ish will never understand that. And I am not out there trying to impress other dudes aspiring to be in 4runners so there is that LOL.

 

I am hopeful current administration is not finished rolling back restrictive regulations, so maybe we can get it in 2028MY?

 

Hard to say, if the midterms go the other way then CARB states will be emboldened to push back harder than ever anticipating a 2028 change of hands at the white house.

 

If it had an inline 6 gasoline engine and coil springs in the rear it would be perfect. It’s raining today where I live and I really miss drip rails on my 4Runner.

@McSpazatron I love it when you let your inner poet peek out. I had to reach for the Kleenex, even though I’m skeptical of the use of the word “pinnacle.”

 

Look at that shackle on the rear, its like a Sulastic shackle. If they have something like this they will ride much better than a standard shackle. I put these on my 3500 dually and it made it ride more like a 1500. Huge difference in bump absorption on the small bumps in the road.

 

They’re still a big metal box, big clunky knobs, no lid lock, an actual agitator just as we wanted!

but using “actual” amounts of water requires selecting an option. (or so I heard, HE washers have treated me well so I’ll be experimenting with the options on this one.)

A couple capacitive buttons too but I’m at least glad it isn’t one of those flat physical buttons that can act up. (chunky buttons preferred but those don’t seem to exist anymore, I made the same compromise on the dishwasher)

It’s been paired with an as-is Maytag Commercial dryer but I just unloaded it today and haven’t even hooked it up. I heard the Commercial and “normal” guts are unfortunately not too different and that Maytag overall has declined but time will tell.

As far as first impressions though, I am satisfied. Also a white metal box with controls and a latch that feels substantial.

Night and day compared to a cheaper GE dryer we just bought and returned. The knobs were chintzy and the door (looked aligned and properly installed to me) would pop open if you sneezed on it.

 

I prefer coils in the rear for the articulation.