As Toyota officially launched the Land Cruiser 300 in Japan, the Japanese carmaker also presented the Gazoo Racing (GR) Sport version of the flagship SUV.
Toyota said that the Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport will go on sale in 2022, and may spawn a rally car for the Dakar Rally. The launch of the Land Cruiser 300 line coincided with the nameplate's 70th anniversary.
The possible rally SUV is easily recognizable with its grille, fender cladding, side mirrors, door handles, and 18-inch aluminum wheels all finished gray and black, which create a contrast with the body's white paint job.
Inside the Land Cruiser 300 GR Sport are swathes of black and red, and GR logos on the headrests of the leather seats.
The range-topping LC GR Sport will be powered by a 3.3-liter, twin-turbocharged diesel V6, one of the two engines for this all-new model. The diesel V6 generates 304hp and 700Nm of torque, and is paired to a 10-speed auto.
Other Land Cruiser varieties mate the same transmission to a 3.5-liter gasoline V6, with 410hp and 650Nm.
Unique to the Land Cruiser GR Sport is a trick suspension called Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS).
E-KDSS "automatically and electronically controls each front and rear stabilizer independently," Toyota explained. The system also "reacts to road conditions and the individual conditions of each of the four wheels to provide more precise stabilization adjustments."
Another GR Sport-exclusive is the front and rear electronic differential locks. In the rest of range, only the rear wheels can be locked by the diff.
Toyota said the enhancements given to the Land Cruiser GR and its siblings are: the 200 kilogram weight reduction over the previous model, the suspension arm placement to improve stability and braking at high speeds, and the repositioning of the rear shock absorbers.
"From the 2023 edition onward, Team Land Cruiser is planning to participate in the Dakar Rally with an entry based on the 300 Series GR Sport," Toyota announced.
The Land Cruiser 300 variants, the GX, AX, VX, and ZX, will be the more luxurious offerings. They will get the brighter exterior and interior trimmings, the 3.5-liter gas mill, and convenience features such as a chilled glovebox and hands-free tailgate, among others.
For an off-road advantage, the LC 300 line will use a Multi-Terrain Monitor, which instantly displays obstacles as viewed from the driver's viewpoint, and Multi Terrain Select. The latter automatically judges the road surface and selects the best driving mode accordingly.
Toyota estimated that, globally, a total of 10.4 million Land Cruiser units have been sold since the first LC was launched in 1951.
Photos from Toyota
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