Toyota has once again pushed the envelope of engineering and has produced a monster of a vehicle that has unofficially broken a new record. However, instead of a new sleek hypercar that can beat the likes of Lamborghini and Ferrari in a fashion contest, the company has chosen to build an SUV, called the Land Speed Cruiser, that can keep up with a Bugatti Veyron.
A Land Cruiser on steroids
The Land Speed Cruiser is an ordinary Toyota Land Cruiser that has been extremely modified to generate horsepower numbers that rival that of a $2 million Bugatti Chiron hypercar.
The car utilizes the same engine as a standard Land Cruiser, namely a 5.7-liter V8 petrol engine. However, Toyota mechanics have fitted it with two "volleyball-sized" 55 psi Garret Turbochargers that bump the power up significantly.
5x more power
Thanks to various other upgrades, the engine's standard 381hp has now been bumped to an unbelievable 2,000hp. To handle all that power and torque, the majority of the engine's components had to be replaced with pieces made of sturdier materials. The pistons, connecting rods, and intake manifolds are all custom made.
A racing transmission and gearbox were also used to transfer that power to the vehicle's wheels properly. The SUV's suspension has also been modified.
The Land Speed Cruiser is also equipped with ultra-wide Michelin Pilot Super Sports Tires.
Show offs
Toyota's one-off vehicle was created as a showpiece of the company's engineering prowess for the upcoming SEMA accessories and car show later this year. The event, which will be held in late October and early November, will showcase the best of the best, but Toyota's creation will, without a doubt, become one of the centerpieces that will pique the interest of the gear heads in attendance.
Speed run
To test out the vehicle's top speed, Toyota sought the help of retired NASCAR driver, Carl Edwards. The vehicle was brought to a two and a half mile strip at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. After several test runs, the Land Speed Cruiser was finally able to hit a maximum speed of 370 km/h. However, Toyota claims that the vehicle can go faster, but unfortunately the Mojave runway just wasn't long enough.
As of the moment, Toyota's GPS-timed run has not been certified by Guinness, which means that is not yet an official world-record holder. However, based on the test runs, it would likely be safe to say that the Land Speed Cruiser is currently the fastest SUV on the planet.
