Toyota Re-Pops The Series 70 Land Cruiser!

Jack Baruth
by Jack Baruth

It’s been a while since TTAC crackled and buzzed with the latest Toyota news all the time — but this morning, we’re changing that!


Toyota is producing the 1990s-era Series 70 Land Cruiser in two body styles as a year-long, Japanese-market love letter to its most ardent fans. The pricing is bargain basement — about thirty-four grand for either style — and the drivetrain pairs a 228-horse four-liter V6 with a five-speed manual transmission and part-time 4WD. Locking diffs are optional, as is a winch.

What a lovely, desirable, heirloom-quality vehicle. Can’t get it here, though — “here” being “anywhere but Japan”, to misquote Mona Simpson. And the original Series 70 Cruisers can still be found in the United States, although condition may vary (you can buy them as commercial vehicles in Australia as well). This rebuilding thing is brilliant, though. Now if only they’d do the final Cressida, the first LS400, the ’94 Supra Twin Turbo, the 2000GT…

Jack Baruth
Jack Baruth

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  • Pch101 Pch101 on Aug 28, 2014

    Just in time for the war with ISIS. Replace that new age video soundtrack with some Arabic pop music or death metal, and you're good to go. I've been noticing in various pictures online that the ISIS guys were driving Toyotas, but the Kurds were driving Nissans. This doesn't bode well for our side, now does it?

    • See 1 previous
    • Big Al from Oz Big Al from Oz on Aug 31, 2014

      @Pch101 They could be using US pickups..........but who will import them??? The chicken tax strikes again! Hard to export a product so protected. Hey, but fair is fair according to you.

  • Greasemonkey235097 Greasemonkey235097 on Aug 29, 2014

    The 70 Series Land Cruiser has never seized production, in colombia has been sold since 1984, today still offered as a short wheel base 2 door, long wheel base 4 door wagon, long wheel base 2 door trooper carrier, and a 2 door cab and chassis. http://ww0.autoamerica.com.co/toyota/land-cruiser/galeria/

  • Brian Uchida Laguna Seca, corkscrew, (drying track off in rental car prior to Superbike test session), at speed - turn 9 big Willow Springs racing a motorcycle,- at greater speed (but riding shotgun) - The Carrousel at Sears Point in a 1981 PA9 Osella 2 litre FIA racer with Eddie Lawson at the wheel! (apologies for not being brief!)
  • Mister It wasn't helped any by the horrible fuel economy for what it was... something like 22mpg city, iirc.
  • Lorenzo I shop for all-season tires that have good wet and dry pavement grip and use them year-round. Nothing works on black ice, and I stopped driving in snow long ago - I'll wait until the streets and highways are plowed, when all-seasons are good enough. After all, I don't live in Canada or deep in the snow zone.
  • FormerFF I’m in Atlanta. The summers go on in April and come off in October. I have a Cayman that stays on summer tires year round and gets driven on winter days when the temperature gets above 45 F and it’s dry, which is usually at least once a week.
  • Kwik_Shift_Pro4X I've never driven anything that would justify having summer tires.
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