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Retro Land Cruiser!
Thursday, January 17, 2002
Retro' is an in-thing for many auto designers these days but many of the designs are usually sedans or coupes. Here's one which is based on a legendary 4WD - the Toyota Land Cruiser.
Known as the Retro Land Cruiser, it was built to showcase Toyota's Land Cruiser technology. The idea originated in Toyota's US subsidiary which had successfully introduced Toyota to America with the Land Cruiser.
Initially, the intention was to just make a customised Land Cruiser but after many discussions with Rod Millen Motorsports, the concept evolved into a retro Land Cruiser based on the famous FJ model.
In order to incorporate the proper mix of Land Cruiser history and the latest in Toyota technology, Millen and his staff of engineers at Rod Millen Motorsports in California started with an original 1967 FJ-45 Land Cruiser Wagon and fit it to a current generation Land Cruiser chassis and drivetrain.
To adjust for the difference in size between the FJ and current generation vehicle, the Retro Cruiser body was widened by 75 mm on each side, and lengthened by 254 mm.
"It was a very interesting process," commented Millen. "We would fit the body pieces up on rails and then move them further apart, closer together, backwards, forwards, and even up and down. We continued to make these adjustments until we were all satisfied with the look and dimensions of the vehicle."
"The process was actually more difficult than it may seem, because if you make the vehicle too wide, you lose the very unique characteristics of the FJ's grille," added Millen. "We ended up widening the grille and hood by nearly 75 mm without jeopardizing the integrity of the FJ's front-end look."
Width also was added to the front fenders, and the rear wheel-wells were lengthened to accommodate larger tyres while the rear doors also were lengthened approximately 130 mm for easier ingress/egress and to provide more legroom for backseat passengers.
Once the body dimensions were established, it was time to drop in the Retro Cruiser's powerplant - the 4.7-litre 32-valve DOHC V8 engine found in today's Land Cruisers. The stock V8 was installed 204 mm further back due to the FJ's smaller engine compartment. To help improve the vehicle's performance, the Retro Cruiser was equipped with a Borla stainless steel exhaust system.
To make the Retro Cruiser an ultimate off-road vehicle, it needed to be able to go virtually everywhere, which meant it required the ultimate in suspension set-ups. To that end, Millen's engineers designed and built their own independent rear suspension with coil-over spring/shock assemblies providing for 318 mm of wheel travel. Similarly, they improved the front suspension by increasing wheel travel by 30%.
Millen also equipped the Retro Cruiser with Toyota's factory driver-controlled rear-locking differential and a dash-mounted center-locking differential button. Two customized Kevlar skid plates were attached underneath for added protection while off-roading.
The big Cruiser leaves a big footprint with prototype B.F. Goodrich 35-inch tires, the same used on Millen's CORR Tundra race truck, wrapped around custom Millen-designed wheels. The 17-inch wheels look even more impressive with the added touch of military-style beadlocks.
Enhancing the Retro Cruiser's charm is a simple, clean interior that offers a uniquely comfortable retreat for trail riders. Offering custom Connolly leather seating surfaces with a leather-wrapped steering wheel, passengers are as comfortable as they are protected by the addition of a full interior rollcage.
Completing the specification are an extended range 140-litre fuel tank, an integrated 35-litre freshwater storage tank with a shower nozzle hook-up, front and rear 4,000-kg Warn winches, a GPS system and a satellite telephone.
Enthusiasts will love this machine but sadly, it's just for show and Toyota has not intention to make extra copies of it for sale to the public.
