Meet the engineer who destroys Toyota Land Cruisers to make them better.
► We speak to Minoru Takayama, assistant chief engineer of the new Land Cruiseris perhaps the hardest to develop. Sold in more than 170 countries and the transport of choice for the UN and various aid agencies – not to mention some less savoury organisations – the Land Cruiser is a car that absolutely must be built to last.
Sounds drastic, but Takayama says that aside from some hardcore off-roading it’s not very different from the way any Toyota is developed. ‘The testing formula is very similar to other passenger vehicles. However, what they don’t do is the off-roader test. The Land Cruiser has to go anywhere, everywhere and come back in one piece.’
This new 250 Land Cruiser replaces the 150, and though the old car’s off-roading can’t be questioned, its on-road manners and interior left a lot to be desired. Toyota has addressed both of these and it’s a huge improvement; in many respects it seems to have been Defender-fied. He has history with the Land Cruiser, having been in charge of the 150’s steering and brake pedal and then led development of the air suspension of the flagship 300.
United Kingdom Latest News, United Kingdom Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Does the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser Still Feel Like a Land Cruiser?The new 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser marks a big change from its predecessor, the J200 model. How does that play out in the real world?
Read more »
New Toyota Land Cruiser vs. Old Land Cruiser: How Are They Different?Newer is supposed to mean better, but some off-road enthusiasts might prefer to keep it old-school.
Read more »
ECD Auto Design adds the FJ Toyota Land Cruiser to its restomod menuFlorida's ECD Auto Design begins offering a range of restomod FJ Toyota Land Cruisers powered by an LS3 V8 and starting at around $230,000.
Read more »
1989 Toyota Land Cruiser restomod fuses FJ62 with FZJ80Two different generations of Land Cruisers have come together to create what might be the ultimate restomod.
Read more »
2024 Toyota Land Cruiser SUV: Latest Prices, Reviews, Specs, Photos and IncentivesGet in-depth info on the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser model year including prices, specs, reviews, pictures, safety and reliability ratings.
Read more »
This Immaculate 7,100-Mile 1998 Toyota Land Cruiser V8 Or A Brand New MY24 Hybrid?One-owner, unmodified California-based SUV has a 4.7-liter V8 and a 1990s-tastic ruched leather interior
Read more »