For a while the overpriced tuner company TLC4x4 kept pitching ideas to TMC about where the new Land Cruiser should go.

They even built a working 21st century FJ40 prototype that was a Taco-derived soft top Jeep Wrangler competitor and pitched it to Toyota, who quickly shot the idea down and decided Americans wanted something like the effeminate FJ Cruiser more.

The FJ40 LWB was another of their creations made in the late 90s, off an 80 series I believe. Toyota also decided that this was no good, and decided to further bloat and Range Rover-ify their American market Land Cruisers.

TLC4x4 has since decided they're better off selling egregiously priced restored Land Cruisers with GM truck running gear and hand built, licensed 40 series updates (as well as Willys and Bronco) under their Icon brand.

The FJ Runner was a SEMA exclusive (hell knows who made it, but based on the terrible rebar roof rack it looks amateurish as hell) where they tried to take the FJ's funky styling and graft it on a 4th gen runner--so you have useful windows and doors, but still keep the weird grille. It was purely cosmetic, but hinted that the 4x4 stuff from the FJC can be put on a 4Runner. Not long after, they did just that with TE which emerged from the 5th gen family. They went even further with the luxo running gear exclusive to the Limited. Toyota did well to distinguish the TE from other 4Runners, but decided not to go balls out like the FJ Runner concept with truly unique styling.

A 21st century Iron Pig 4x4 emerging from the 4Runner would be cool, with round headlights and all, but if one thing is certain about Toyota is that they've fully embraced the boring as hell and conservative design mantra--and getting them to deviate from it is hard.