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Toyota Uses SEMA to Unleash a Pair of Extreme Vintage Land Cruiser Concepts

And … wait, in the back: is that a 2024 Tacoma with a V6?

a couple of toy cars Toyota

By Tyler Duffy

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The 2023 SEMA Show is happening in Las Vegas this week. And as usual, Toyota did not disappoint with its offerings. Toyota didn’t bring another camper to rival Tacozilla, sadly — but the brand has revealed some very cool custom trucks based on the all-new 2024 Tacoma and vintage Land Cruiser models.

The FJ Bruiser Concept

a green fj bruiser vehicle with large tires Toyota
a toyota land cruiser concept with plaid seats Toyota

The FJ Bruiser is a 1966 FJ45 Land Cruiser pickup converted into, as Toyota calls it, a “King of the Hammers-worthy rock crawler.” What does that entail? Well, for starters, Toyota Motorsports garage fabricated a full-tube chassis and roll cage for the truck fitted to a custom frame. The powertrain is just a bit livelier than the original truck’s: it’s a modified version of the TRD NASCAR V8 pushing out 750 horsepower in this guise.

Off-road mods include a full trailing arm suspension, Fox shocks, Eibach springs, 42-inch BF Goodrich Krawler T/A KX tires and 20-inch Beadlock wheels. The truck also has a CAMSO track underbody with a “tank mode” to power itself off any obstacles.

We don’t expect any stock Toyota trucks to offer 42-inch tires or suped-up NASCAR engines in the future. But Toyota likely will make a huge push to bring aftermarket Tacoma and Tundra modification in-house.

The FJ 45 Retro Cruiser Build

toyota retro cruiser concept with blank background Toyota
toyota land cruiser concept leather interior Toyota

The FJ45 Retro Cruiser is, as the name suggests, a custom FJ45 Land Cruiser wagon. It’s an original build from famed racing driver Rod Millen from 1999. Mods include Land Cruiser 100 series components, a 4.7-liter V8, a Borla exhaust and a lengthened frame with modified bodywork. It also has a 15-gallon water supply for heading off the grid.

The Tacoma X-Runner Concept

a blue truck with a white background Toyota
the interior of a tacoma concept with red seats
 
Toyota

Toyota is not currently offering a V6 in the new 2024 Tacoma. But Toyota is showing off how doing so would be technically feasible with the Tacoma X-Runner concept. The Tacoma X-Runner packs a modified version of the Tundra’s iForce turbocharged 3.4-liter V6 with a TRD performance package producing 421 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque. It also has a lengthened and strengthened frame, a Tundra solid axle with a 4.30:1 final drive ratio, an electronic locking rear differential and the Tundra’s air suspension set to the lowest possible ride height while still carrying a load.

We wouldn’t bet on Toyota offering a V6 Tacoma at this stage. But interest in the new truck is expected to be immense. And if Toyota thinks it could sell enough of a special V6 trim profitably, we wouldn’t rule it out.

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