- Toyota built a special Land Cruiser FJ60 for the 2025 SEMA Show.
- Turbo Trail Cruiser is powered by a Tundra-sourced twin-turbo V6.
- Features a lifted suspension setup and rides on chunky 35-inch tires.
The so-called ‘baby’ Land Cruiser FJ might be hogging headlines lately, but a new concept built on the vintage FJ60 platform looks ready to steal the spotlight at this year’s SEMA show.
This one reaches back to the 1980s and comes with a turbocharged punch. Meet the Turbo Trail Cruiser, a concept that fuses vintage FJ60 styling with lifted suspension and a thoroughly modern powertrain, delivering a serious boost in performance while keeping its old-school charm intact.
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At the heart of this one-off build lies Toyota’s 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 i-Force engine, borrowed from the latest Tundra.
It’s not electrified, but it certainly doesn’t need to be, with 389 hp (290 kW / 394 PS) and 479 lb-ft (650 Nm) of torque, it’s nearly double what the original inline-six managed.
Besides the extra oomph, the heart transplant brings higher levels of refinement, quietness, and efficiency, making the classic SUV feel “more modern, streetable, and capable than ever”.
To make this modern V6 sit comfortably within an early-’80s shell, Toyota Motorsports Garage engineers went beyond simple swaps. They created bespoke hardware so the engine could fit without slicing into the firewall or shifting key mount points.
The list of new components includes custom engine mounts, a redesigned oil pan, a dedicated heat exchanger, and a specialized wiring harness. An adapter plate bridges the gap between the V6 and the original five-speed manual transmission.
Finally, a bespoke exhaust system delivers a more aggressive tone, matching the high-performance character of the build.
Rough-Road Refinement
Beneath the sheetmetal, the SUV keeps its original ladder-frame chassis but gains a 1.5-inch suspension lift and a front shackle reversal for better articulation. It rolls on polished beadlock wheels wrapped in meaty 35-inch tires.
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Despite all the mechanical tinkering, the exterior looks almost untouched. The designers resisted the urge to modernize the body or even replace the halogen headlights to keep the shape and feel of the 1980s intact.
Inside, the only modern touch is the fitment of a JBL stereo audio system and a central touchscreen mounted on the retro dashboard.
Marty Schwerter, Director of Operations at Toyota’s Motorsports Garage who was responsible for the project said:
“The Turbo Trail Cruiser is about showing what happens when Toyota’s modern performance technology is integrated into one of our most iconic classics. It’s a hot-rod approach with Toyota DNA – power, drivability, and reliability in a package that still feels true to the original Land Cruiser.”
The Turbo Trail Cruiser joins more than two dozen Toyota concepts set to appear at the 2025 SEMA Show in Las Vegas, including the Camry GT-S and the Corolla Cross Hybrid Nasu.
