Toyota Landcruisers first hit the road in the 50’s. That’s more than 70 years building trusty rigs and a hoard of passionate, loyal followers.
Mark Lacey from ARB Coopers Plains is one of those die-hard fans. “It’s really hard to grow up in Central Queensland and not fall in love with the Toyota story,” Mark explained. “If you rock up on a property in the middle of nowhere and ask for a spare wheel or a steering arm and you’re in anything but a Toyota, you’re out of luck!” Mark has owned almost every Landcruiser wagon under the sun, so it’s no surprise that he’s recently added the new 300 Series to his collection.
When compared to the 200 Series, there’s one major difference – the V6 engine. “[The 200 Series] came out with a big 4.5 litre V8 twin turbo engine so, this one, is a little 3.3 V6, twin turbo diesel,” Mark said. “However, they’ve matched this one up with an amazing 10 speed transmission, so it just seems to always be in the right gear,” explained Mark.
Of course, the team at ARB Coopers Plains have grand plans to add their own flare to this four-wheel drive. While the vehicle is still very much a blank canvas, the team have already installed the ‘next gen’ Summit bull bar. “The big feature that the engineers had to get over was the cooling of this vehicle,” Mark explained. “It’s a 3.3L, V6 twin turbo and in behind are two big fat intercoolers that sit up in behind the bar. So, they’ve had to come up with beautifully engineered ducts that are part of the underpan that keep the engine cool. So, it really is a work of art.”
“At this point, it’s only got the bar, lights and base rack,” explained Mark. “It will get the full suite of gear although this one is really focused on a touring vehicle predominantly for towing a van. So, it’s not going to be too heavy. It won’t have rear steps and big tanks maybe, but it’ll be more like suspension, draws, snorkel.”
If you love your Landcruisers, keep your eyes on this project. It won’t be long until ARB Coopers Plains launch this touring beast and if you’re planning to get a 300 Series of your own, you’ll no doubt want to take notes so you can start building your own ARB accessories wish-list!
