If the Land Cruiser is not enough, then surely an SUV like this one that is derived from a military vehicle could suit your overlanding and off-roading needs. Unfortunately, there are only a couple left in the wild, and this one found a new owner for a hefty sum. Here’s how this 1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser got away for $310,000.
Toyota followed in General Motors’ footsteps and built a couple of Mega Cruisers for civilian use, even though they were originally meant for the military. Like the Humvee-derived Hummer, this Japanese behemoth was meant to satisfy a small portion of the car market. That’s why the brand manufactured around 150 units. Out of these, only 12 left the factory with a left-hand drive – meaning it had the steering wheel on the correct side.
We’re kidding, of course. We did not forget about our Australian, British, Indian, South African, and New Zealanders readers.
However, this one that just got away for the impressive price of $310,000 was not part of that small series of 12 left-hand drive Mega Cruisers. According to the seller, a conversion has been performed before it was imported into the U.S.
We anticipated an exciting bidding competition. The scarcity of this Toyota convinced us that some enthusiasts would be delighted to fight for ownership. And that’s exactly what happened. After 89 bids, the Mega Cruiser found itself a new home.
In only one hour, the best offer went from $81,000 to $310,000. The winner of the auction wanted this car for themselves as they submitted 20 counteroffers each time someone else got into the bidding contest. And keep in mind this also has an interesting power unit under the hood – a 4.1-liter four-cylinder diesel engine. But some things like four-wheel steering make the unit very attractive for adventurers and enthusiasts of the brand.
The auction was also popular with watchers. At the time of writing, almost 85,000 people visited the Toyota Mega Cruiser dedicated page.
Finally, looking at the success that is enjoyed by GM’s new all-electric HummerSUV and Hummer pickup truck, maybe Toyota should give this auction a good look and try to test the markets by introducing a new zero-tailpipe emission Mega Cruiser. It could be a battery-electric vehicle (BEV) or a fuel-cell electric vehicle (FCEV).
Car shows on TV and his father's Fiat Tempra may have been Florin's early influences, but nowadays he favors different things, like the power of an F-150 Raptor. He'll never be able to ignore the shape of a Ferrari though, especially a yellow one. Full profile
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