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Toyota Is Giving the Land Cruiser a Rugged, Rally-Inspired Makeover

In celebration of 12 consecutive Dakar wins, Toyota is treating the GR Sport to a special new performance variant.

Front view of a white Toyota Land Cruiser featuring a bold black grille with "TOYOTA" lettering and a red GR badge, sleek LED headlights, and rugged off-road tires with "OPEN COUNTRY A/T" branding on the sidewall.Toyota
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By Gray Van Dyke

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In the United States, the Toyota Land Cruiser is based on the brand’s light-duty J250 platform, while the upscale Lexus LX borrows from the larger and more robust J300.

However, elsewhere around the world, the J300 does wear the Land Cruiser badge, and it makes for quite the rugged off-roader — especially in GR Sport trim.

White Toyota Land Cruiser SUV with black accents, off-road tires, and roof rails, parked on sand dunes in a desert setting.
The wheels and tires really improve the off-road look — especially with the red tow hooks.
Toyota

Not content to settle there, Toyota has announced that it’s giving the Land Cruiser 300 Series a rally-inspired redux.

Celebrating Dakar dominance

In celebration of its 12th consecutive win in the Dakar Rally production class, Toyota is treating its up-spec Land Cruiser GR Sport to an eye-catching overhaul known as the Rally Raid package.

Toyota off-road SUV with a silver and black body, featuring large rugged tires, multiple sponsor decals, and a prominent "TOYOTA" logo on the front grille. The vehicle is parked on a dirt surface with a foggy background.
Toyota’s TLC Land Cruiser has shown itself to be quite the authority in the production class at Dakar.
Toyota

Fittingly, just 12 examples are going to be built from the factory. However, Toyota will also be offering 12 equipment packages for existing Land Cruiser 300 owners who want to go the DIY route.

Along with a set of 16-inch Enkei PDT1 alloy wheels and some chunky Toyo Open Country all-terrain tires, it also brings eye-catching touches like red brake calipers and tow hooks, some mudguards and various TLC rally decals.

Close-up views of a white off-road vehicle featuring black alloy wheels with red brake calipers, Toyo Open Country A/T tires, and a "Rally Raid" mud flap. The image also shows suspension components including shock absorbers and coil springs, a side profile of the vehicle with black side mirrors and door handles, a circular logo with stylized "TLC" letters, and a "Rally Raid" emblem with an illustration of the vehicle on a rugged terrain background.
From suspension upgrades to aesthetic touches, the Rally Raid package brings some impactful improvements.
Toyota

The big news, though, is that the suspension and cab mounts get an upgrade, improving ride quality and response to driver input. In combination with the revised seating setup inside, it’s bound to make for a more comfortable Land Cruiser when traversing rough terrain.

Improving an off-road authority

While Toyota didn’t make any changes to the drivetrain or the rest of the suspension setup, that’s because it didn’t need to. The Land Cruiser is already an incredibly capable off-roader in its J300-based GR Sport guise.

Silver Toyota off-road SUV driving on a dirt trail, kicking up dust, with large rugged tires and a black grille featuring the Toyota logo. The vehicle has red tow hooks on the front bumper and various decals on the sides and hood. Trees and greenery are visible in the background.
All the Rally Raid needs is a snorkel and some graphics to look like the rig that races Dakar.
Toyota

For one, power comes from a 3.3-liter twin-turbo V6 diesel that produces 304 ponies and 516 lb-ft of torque. In other words, it’s got more than enough grunt to take you off the beaten track.

What’s more, it rides on a revised ladder-frame chassis that’s both lighter and stiffer than the previous Land Cruiser generation. Importantly it also sports a set of front and rear electronic differential locks for improved control.

The biggest differentiator, however, has to be Toyota’s trick Electronic-Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (E-KDSS). As is the case with the Lexus GX sold in the United States, this means that the Land Cruiser GR Sport will adjust its front and rear stabilizers in reaction to the individual conditions of each wheel.

White Toyota Land Cruiser GR with black accents, black roof rails, and black off-road wheels with Toyo Open Country tires, viewed from the rear right side. The vehicle features tinted windows, a rear spoiler, and mud flaps labeled "Rally Raid." The "Land Cruiser" badge is centered on the rear, with the Toyota emblem above it and GR and other badges on the right side of the tailgate.
Like the 300 Series Land Cruiser, the Lexus GX incorporates Toyota’s E-KDSS.
Toyota

Playing the lottery

Per Toyota, the Land Cruiser GR Sport Rally Raid will only be offered in Japan on a lottery basis. Unfortunately, this one isn’t destined for the USA.

As previously mentioned, 12 complete vehicles will be made available to selected buyers, and 12 equipment sets will be made available to existing owners. Toyota will also be offering select components on an individual basis.

Pricing starts at 9,380,800 yen (~$64,000) for the full vehicle and 1,511,400 yen (~$10,300) for the Rally Raid Accessories Package. For more information, you can head over to the Toyota GR website.

About the Author: Gray is an associate editor at Gear Patrol, covering cars, motorcycles and anything else with wheels. When he’s not chasing the latest industry news, he’s probably wrenching on one of many projects. For better or worse, he believes classics make perfectly practical daily drivers.

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