Rare Rides: Toyota Mega Cruiser Tells HMMWV to Step Outside
In our last Rare Rides entry, we saw a Saleen sporting a lot of engine and little room, carrying a maximum of two physically fit human beings inside the cramped cockpit. That’s assuming neither of them brought any baggage, emotional or otherwise.
Today, we’re going in the other direction. I present to you what is undoubtedly the most intense passenger vehicle Toyota has ever produced: MEGA CRUISER. And it’s in full capital letters for a reason.
Our far-out find today comes from the superb purveyor of all things Japanese Domestic Market: the Goo-net Exchange. Right off the bat, we should address the flat white elephant in the room. The United Nations Blanco colored truck above was obviously meant to capture a piece of the HMMWV market for Toyota. This example comes from 1998, which is not entirely clear until you take a look inside at the driver’s command center up front.
Camry, Tercel, Corolla. Everyone at Toyota raided the corporate part bin in adding components to create this ergonomic wonder. Undoubtedly, these bits will work forever without fault, but it would’ve been nice if someone at Toyota put more consideration into the Mega Cruiser’s design. The Camry’s PRND2L is unexpected here; a long manual would seem more at home in this utilitarian beast.
According to the ad, this rig features a 4.1-liter turbodiesel engine. Beyond that, the English translation on the site is hilarious.
…smooth handling,parking help,relaxable,no ABS,no ESC,barely damaged…
So I did some poking around on Wikipedia for more information.
Toyota produced the Mega Cruiser from 1995 through 2002, mostly for military usage. It found a home at the Japan Self Defense Forces as transportation for infantry, heavy mortars, and surface-to-air missiles. When purchased by civilians, there was heavy taxation because of Japanese dimension regulations and the annual road tax. Perhaps a member of the B&B who’s familiar with the Japanese regs could share some figures on the annual fees a vehicle like this would carry.
And carry it can, as six people of generous proportion can fit inside in stadium-style seating. Seats are covered with ’90s pattern Toyota Golden Age (© gtemnykh) cloth, which lasts approximately 126 years.
Cargo capacity is decidedly not at a premium. Put whatever you want back there. And the wheel arches look like a great place for several jump seats, and might get the passenger capacity up to 10.
Unfortunately, this majestic vehicle was only sold in the Japanese home market. Intended as a test bed for designs which would trickle down into the mass-produced SUVs on offer from Toyota, the model was not a financial success for the company. It does offer front, middle, and rear locking differentials. And four-wheel steering. Like a Prelude. Or something.
Current asking price is 9,800,000¥, which is a bit over $85,000 US dollars. It’s old enough for Canadian importation, and TTAC confirmed with Ontario-based Bonsai Rides that it’s eligible. Canadians, go get it!
Interested in lots of cars and their various historical contexts. Started writing articles for TTAC in late 2016, when my first posts were QOTDs. From there I started a few new series like Rare Rides, Buy/Drive/Burn, Abandoned History, and most recently Rare Rides Icons. Operating from a home base in Cincinnati, Ohio, a relative auto journalist dead zone. Many of my articles are prompted by something I'll see on social media that sparks my interest and causes me to research. Finding articles and information from the early days of the internet and beyond that covers the little details lost to time: trim packages, color and wheel choices, interior fabrics. Beyond those, I'm fascinated by automotive industry experiments, both failures and successes. Lately I've taken an interest in AI, and generating "what if" type images for car models long dead. Reincarnating a modern Toyota Paseo, Lincoln Mark IX, or Isuzu Trooper through a text prompt is fun. Fun to post them on Twitter too, and watch people overreact. To that end, the social media I use most is Twitter, @CoreyLewis86. I also contribute pieces for Forbes Wheels and Forbes Home.
More by Corey Lewis
Comments
Join the conversation
Looks like the stereo has a Mini Disc player on it. I haven't seen one of those since the 90s.
I have 2 memories of this in Japan. One was an off-road park near Toyota City that had one of these for rent. You could use it (with a guide) on their off-road track. This goes back about 10 years ago now, and I can't remember why I didn't rent it - it was some combination of cost, timing, or that I am a complete off road novice. Mega Cruiser is HUGE - especially in a Japanese context. IIRC, the only thing you needed to rent was a Japanese driver's license, and enough Japanese language to make them comfortable that you can follow their instructions. The second was at a random convenience store in the countryside. Some 50 year old gangster looking guy was the driver, and he had about 6 of AKB48 for passengers. This isn't the same place, but it is a similar idea: http://www.gtoyota.com/rvpark/