2008 Land Cruiser First drive

perrys · 21-09-2007, 06:20 PM

"I'm wishing I were British right now, and able to use the term "bloody" unselfconsciously, because it's the most fitting modifier to sandwich between "no" and "way." No bloody way. I repeat that phrase as I sit at the base of a row of uphill moguls in the new 2008 Toyota Land Cruiser. There's absolutely no bloody way this over-refined, 5690-pound behemoth is getting through the course designed by optimistic Toyota event planners. The adjustable-height air suspension of the last model is gone, and a whole new encyclopedia of acronyms has replaced it. Eight months ago, I'd struggled with this same hill at Western Montana's Big Sky Ski Resort, and that was with just my own weight and that of a snowboard - and I was going downhill.

...."

http://www.motivemag.com/pub/feature..._Cruiser.shtml

Mongoose · 21-09-2007, 06:30 PM

I dont know if its just me, but that looks like a big kluger

smoo · 21-09-2007, 06:48 PM

Is that thing going to replace the 100 series in this part of the world?

perrys · 21-09-2007, 06:50 PM

it will be on sale in Nov this year.

andrewts · 21-09-2007, 06:51 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by smoo

Is that thing going to replace the 100 series in this part of the world?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is.

Frankly, I was surprised the 100-series was 2.8 tonne. This thing is just too heavy, no amount of computer intervention will get you up a hill when the vehicle has the same lousy engine and now weighs a whole heap more.

XR Martin · 21-09-2007, 07:16 PM

$63k USD

:

If you compare that to other cars sold there that would mean it would be about $90k-$100k here

Range Rover V8 Sport is $58k there, and is $108k here.
X5 4.8 is even cheaper at $54k and is $120k here

Parfrey · 21-09-2007, 07:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewts

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is.

Frankly, I was surprised the 100-series was 2.8 tonne. This thing is just too heavy, no amount of computer intervention will get you up a hill when the vehicle has the same lousy engine and now weighs a whole heap more.

i'm pretty sure the petrol engine has more power and there will also be a twin turbo v8 diesel.........

schmidty · 21-09-2007, 07:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

$63k USD

:

If you compare that to other cars sold there that would mean it would be about $90k-$100k here

Range Rover V8 Sport is $58k there, and is $108k here.
X5 4.8 is even cheaper at $54k and is $120k here

That'd be about what you'd pay for a sahara now anyway and looks the one tested looks to be sahara spec. Oldies TD 100 series GXL was $73k plus winch, bar, towbar, side steps and tint.

schmidty · 21-09-2007, 07:28 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by xhxrsix

i'm pretty sure the petrol engine has more power and there will also be a twin turbo v8 diesel.........

twin turbo v8 diesel is a ball tearer. 4.5L, 195kw and 650Nm available from not far off idle.

Thats compared to 6cyl, 151kw from memory and about 430nm now. The current motor with a Safari D-Tronic ecu upgrade does really well, the new one with a few tweaks will be insane.

FPV70 · 21-09-2007, 07:43 PM

What I laugh at is, How much power do you really need to climb a hill or to do a nice drive up the beach.
Persoanlly I think it's UGLY with a Capital UGLY.
Nissan Patrol fr me thanx with Live axle front.

andrewts · 21-09-2007, 07:45 PM

Oh OK I read somewhere that they used the same motor as the last one.

FPV70, well torque is better, but it needs to be drivable on the road, becuase I guarentee that's where most of them will spend their lives.

perrys · 21-09-2007, 07:49 PM

http://www.goauto.com.au/mellor/mell...25735D000444BD
Aussie specs detail here.

Looks like US gets top-spec only 283KW 543Nm 5.7L V8, while Europe and OZ receive 212KW 445Nm 4.7L VVTi V8 and 210KW 650Nm 4.5L twin turbo diesel V8. Both V8 are more frugal compared to old 4.7L V8 and 6 cylinder turbo diesel, and both are Euro-4 compliant.

Btw, 63K USD is more than Lexus flagship LS460 starting price in the states. Imagine how much Lexus version of LC LX570 will cost!

US version is rated at 3855kg towing capacity, interesting to see how V8 turbo diesel goes here.

**Falcon Coupe** · 21-09-2007, 07:54 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FPV70

What I laugh at is, How much power do you really need to climb a hill or to do a nice drive up the beach.

Plenty if you are towing a 3500kg boat or caravan.

schmidty · 21-09-2007, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Falcon Coupe

Plenty if you are towing a 3500kg boat or caravan.

True that. Try towing anything over 2 tonnes with a 4.2TD patrol. I'd love a patrol off road, but what you pick up in articulation and driveline durability you sacrifice in comfort, power and refinement.

nb_351 · 21-09-2007, 09:00 PM

the 4.2 patrols arent the most user friendly are they?
i dont like the ratios in it, but you wuold be loving them off road i suppose...
same with the driveability...
nearly bulletproof though...
cant go wrong with the old tried and tested...

Parfrey · 21-09-2007, 09:00 PM

so if the new cruiser has vvti does that make it a ricer??? ;)

the diesel would really fly if you wound up the boost/ecu upgrade.

nb_351 · 21-09-2007, 09:12 PM

drove a patrol yesterday with boost wound off its head and various other upgrades, and it flew, blew a lot of smoke though lol...

McobraR · 21-09-2007, 09:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewts

Yeah, I'm pretty sure it is.

Frankly, I was surprised the 100-series was 2.8 tonne. This thing is just too heavy, no amount of computer intervention will get you up a hill when the vehicle has the same lousy engine and now weighs a whole heap more.

If the new cruiser is gonna be 5690 pounds, then its actually lighter than the current one (assuming its 2.8 tonnes as u say). 5690lbs = 2586kgs

XR Martin · 21-09-2007, 11:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by McobraR

If the new cruiser is gonna be 5690 pounds, then its actually lighter than the current one (assuming its 2.8 tonnes as u say). 5690lbs = 2586kgs

According to Toyota a 100 Series Cruiser weighs anything from 2300kg to 2700kg.

I imagine a fully loaded 200 series TD would just about top 3ton

cowboy · 22-09-2007, 02:46 PM

Looks like it will be a soft off-roader though, Some serious front and rear overhang there. Make mine a Range Rover please.

Looking like my XY will cop Patrol driveline.

Poetic Justice · 22-09-2007, 03:22 PM

The 200 series is also bigger than the 100 series... I remember hearing that ARB have been designing the bull bar for it and it's actually wider than the one they fit to an F250.

Regardless of its capabilities, we're already selling more than we can get!

[Tonko] · 22-09-2007, 03:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by XR6 Martin

$63k USD

:

If you compare that to other cars sold there that would mean it would be about $90k-$100k here

Range Rover V8 Sport is $58k there, and is $108k here.
X5 4.8 is even cheaper at $54k and is $120k here

On the subject of price, My old man thinks the new ones are a bit of a ripoff, Just for the Ute, without tray and pov pack equipped was $55,000 a bit of a joke really, So he bought a 1991 model that spent its whole life in the city with 60,000k's in immaculate condition for about 10k.

Mongoose · 22-09-2007, 04:06 PM

Why is everyone banging on about this thing anyway? why dont you save yourself about $40,000 and buy a bronco?

Poetic Justice · 22-09-2007, 07:07 PM

Regardless of the actual capabilities and price Toyota sell shitloads of them and thats all they care about

Isa_Au · 22-09-2007, 07:28 PM

I must say I will stick with my 4.5 litre petrol 100 series. With a supercharger I can expect to achieve some nice power gains. But with a bit less weight than next years model. Yuk

Barry_v · 22-09-2007, 07:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by andrewts

This thing is just too heavy, no amount of computer intervention will get you up a hill when the vehicle has the same lousy engine and now weighs a whole heap more

its made for towing large caravans where weight is needed. read the article and it actually praises the computer control and tells you about the NEW POWERFUL ENGINE.

Quote:

Originally Posted by cowboy

Looks like it will be a soft off-roader though, Some serious front and rear overhang there. Make mine a Range Rover please.

thats why they also sell the 78/79 series. which Id rather have than any land rover junk.

primo · 23-09-2007, 11:47 AM

yeah barry we know how much you love land rovers, especially auto ones

Outbackjack · 23-09-2007, 11:54 AM

It looks like toyota are putting the new cruiser out there for the school run mum's, the grey nomad caravan towrers, and the outback wannabe's. They are putting the new 70 series out there for people that actually want to go bush.

These new truck's (70 series) will be in direct competition with patrols and land rovers. The 100 series is more of a city vehicle than an off roader.

Barry_v · 23-09-2007, 06:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by primo

yeah barry we know how much you love land rovers, especially auto ones

Also gotta love ones that die randomly and need pushing down main north road.