Sports cars don't always make sense in the real world. Because the real world comes with bumps, potholes, and various road conditions that may even damage your vehicle. But there's one way to deal with the aforementioned problems, and that is getting an SUV instead.
You might argue that an SUV is not going to be as fast or exciting to drive, but there's always a solution to be found. And this guy went down a very interesting path with his massive 1995 Toyota FZJ80 Land Cruiser.
This is now a fully-built vehicle, and the main attraction can be found under the hood. The former 1FZ engine was replaced with a brand new, LSA, Supercharged 6.2-liter V8, crate motor. Alas, you don't even need to pop the hood to realize that there's something insane under there, because under heavy throttle you'll find yourself jolting forward with the front of the vehicle pointing slightly towards the sky.
Throughout the video, the reviewer, Clay Wong, is obviously enthusiastic about driving this 80 Series Land Cruiser, which is owned by Tim "Iron Heart" Rocko. And who wouldn't be? Because this SUV went from a mere 200+ horsepower to 576 horsepower at the crank, which is considerably more than you'd ever expect to see in a Land Cruiser, except for those that are being driven hard in the Middle East of course.
Clay simply describes the new engine by saying that "This thing is an absolute brute of a motor" and then points out that this is the same unit that was used in the VF HSV GTS. That is sort of the Australian equivalent of the Cadillac CTS-V if you consider the fact the latter has also made use of the same LSA engine. Under heavy throttle, the power delivery seems effortless and intoxicating at the same time.
Driveability is also pretty good, seeing that the power is being sent to the wheels via a 4L80-E automatic gearbox, which is also a product of GM's fine engineering. As mentioned earlier, this is a fully built vehicle, so nothing was left to chance, and the Land Cruiser now features a Superior Engineering 3" suspension lift as well. More sound deadening was put into place, to provide a more comfortable ride. The list of mods is considerably longer, so just go ahead and watch the video, while we start looking up some used 80 Series Land Cruisers online.
Throughout the video, the reviewer, Clay Wong, is obviously enthusiastic about driving this 80 Series Land Cruiser, which is owned by Tim "Iron Heart" Rocko. And who wouldn't be? Because this SUV went from a mere 200+ horsepower to 576 horsepower at the crank, which is considerably more than you'd ever expect to see in a Land Cruiser, except for those that are being driven hard in the Middle East of course.
Clay simply describes the new engine by saying that "This thing is an absolute brute of a motor" and then points out that this is the same unit that was used in the VF HSV GTS. That is sort of the Australian equivalent of the Cadillac CTS-V if you consider the fact the latter has also made use of the same LSA engine. Under heavy throttle, the power delivery seems effortless and intoxicating at the same time.
Driveability is also pretty good, seeing that the power is being sent to the wheels via a 4L80-E automatic gearbox, which is also a product of GM's fine engineering. As mentioned earlier, this is a fully built vehicle, so nothing was left to chance, and the Land Cruiser now features a Superior Engineering 3" suspension lift as well. More sound deadening was put into place, to provide a more comfortable ride. The list of mods is considerably longer, so just go ahead and watch the video, while we start looking up some used 80 Series Land Cruisers online.