Last week we brought you a Toyota GR86 that was transformed into a Safari-style off-road sports car by a Japanese tuner called Kuhl. This week, it’s another Toyota that has gotten the off-road treatment from Kuhl. It’s not another sports car, though, it’s a Toyota that’s actually meant for dirt. Say hello to the Kuhl Blocker Iron Build Land Cruiser 250.
Retro Styling Paired With Modern Excess
Kuhl Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Iron Build BlockerKuhl-Japan
Toyota’s new Land Cruiser is a retro-styled joy to look at, but like any Land Cruiser model, the factory is just a starting point. Kuhl dove in head first, replacing parts to give this SUV capability to match the Land Cruiser generations that inspired the new model’s looks.
Kuhl’s efforts start with a lift. The company didn’t say what parts it replaced, but this Land Cruiser is clearly way higher than a standard LC. It’s tall enough to make the 37-inch tires look almost compact.
Kuhl Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Iron Build BlockerKuhl-Japan
Sure, some of that effect is from the wheels. Adding 22-inch wheels to your beefy SUV will make any tire look smaller than it should. But these Yokohama 37s are equal to the largest-diameter tire you can get on any factory off-roader. They sure don’t look this compact on the Ford F-150 Raptor R.
Kuhl Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Iron Build BlockerKuhl-Japan
From there, Kuhl went wild with body protection. Tubular steel bumpers front and rear? Sounds great. Tubular rock rails along the bodysides? Sign us up for some of that extra protection. But tubular protection around the wheel arches? That’s a new one for us.
Kuhl Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Iron Build BlockerKuhl-Japan
The tubular wheel arch guards look amazing, and they’ll probably protect the fenders from rubbing against trees. But we’re not sure what they’re attached to inside the Land Cruiser’s structure. And they will absolutely make all the wind noise possible on the highway.You might not notice the noise from the fender guards, though. Not with the beefy 37s and a custom flat roof platform and light bar mounted up top, at least.
Kuhl Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Iron Build BlockerKuhl-Japan
To help wrap up the build, Kuhl has added a pair of spoilers to the Land Cruiser’s hatch. There’s one way up top and then another at the bottom of the glass. The company had planned more aero parts, but said that they didn’t arrive in time for the show.
70-Series Looks With Toyota’s Latest Design
Kuhl Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Iron Build BlockerKuhl-Japan
Kuhl is launching this new Land Cruiser at the Tokyo Auto Salon, Japan’s premier performance and modified car show. The Kuhl Blocker Iron Build Land Cruiser starts from 6.8 million yen, which is the equivalent of about $44,000.
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That’s on top of the standard Land Cruiser 250, of course. Unlike the GR86 Outroad, this Land Cruiser is stock under the hood. In the US, that would mean a gas 2.4-liter turbo-four with hybrid system punching out 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque; Japan gets multiple engine options.
Kuhl Toyota Land Cruiser 250 Iron Build BlockerKuhl-Japan
Land Cruiser 250 is what Toyota calls the SUV sold in the US as the Land Cruiser in most of the rest of the world. Before this generation, Toyota called it the Land Cruiser Prado. The addendum to the name is to set apart this smaller SUV from the larger “real” Land Cruisers. The 300 series, which is akin to the Lexus LX, and the 70 Series, which is the professional-grade Land Cruiser that has been in production as a workhorse around the world since 1984.
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At home, Toyota offers the Land Cruiser 250 with a 161-horsepower gas engine or a 2.8-liter turbodiesel making 201-hp and 369 pound-feet of torque.
