Toyota Land Cruiser

The Toyota Land Cruiser (Japanese: トヨタ ランドクルーザー, Toyota Rando-kurūzā) is a series of four-wheel drive vehicles produced by the Japanese car maker Toyota. It is Toyota's longest running series.

Production of the first generation Land Cruiser began in 1951 (90 units) as Toyota's version of a Jeep-like vehicle. The Land Cruiser has been produced in convertible, hardtop, station wagon, and utility truck versions. The Land Cruiser's reliability and longevity has led to huge popularity, especially in Australia where it is the best-selling body-on-frame, four-wheel drive vehicle. Toyota also extensively tests the Land Cruiser in the Australian outback – considered to be one of the toughest operating environments in both temperature and terrain. In Japan, the Land Cruiser is exclusive to Toyota Japanese dealerships called Toyota Store.

As of 2014, the Land Cruiser J200 is available in every market except Canada (where the Lexus LX is available), North Korea, and South Korea.

Origin

Land

Land, sometimes referred to as dry land, is the solid surface of the Earth that is not permanently covered by water. The vast majority of human activity occurs in land areas that support agriculture, habitat, and various natural resources.

Some life forms (including terrestrial plants and terrestrial animals) have developed from predecessor species that lived in bodies of water.

Areas where land meets large bodies of water are called coastal zones. The division between land and water is a fundamental concept to humans. The demarcation between land and water can vary by local jurisdiction and other factors. A maritime boundary is one example of a political demarcation. A variety of natural boundaries exist to help clearly define where water meets land. Solid rock landforms are easier to demarcate than marshy or swampy boundaries, where there is no clear point at which the land ends and a body of water has begun. Demarcation can further vary due to tides and weather.

Etymology and terminology

Cruiser

A cruiser is a type of warship. The term has been in use for several hundred years, and has had different meanings throughout this period. During the Age of Sail, the term cruising referred to certain kinds of missions – independent scouting, raiding or commerce protection – fulfilled by a frigate or sloop, which were the cruising warships of a fleet.

In the middle of the 19th century, cruiser came to be a classification for the ships intended for this kind of role, though cruisers came in a wide variety of sizes, from the small protected cruiser to armored cruisers that were as large (although not as powerful) as a battleship.

By the early 20th century, cruisers could be placed on a consistent scale of warship size, smaller than a battleship but larger than a destroyer. In 1922, the Washington Naval Treaty placed a formal limit on cruisers, which were defined as warships of up to 10,000 tons displacement carrying guns no larger than 8 inches in calibre. These limits shaped cruisers until the end of World War II. The very large battlecruisers of the World War I era were now classified, along with battleships, as capital ships.

Toyota Land Cruiser (J70)

The 70 Series is a family of Toyota Land Cruiser models produced from 1984 until the present day. It replaced the 25-year-old 40 Series as the off-road workhorse of the Land Cruiser heritage, while the 60 Series (and later the 80, 90, 100, 150 and 200 Series) developed into more comfortable passenger off-road vehicles. Despite major changes in styling and numerous technological updates, the 70 Series was designed to retain the off-road capabilities and durability for which the 40 Series had become known. The 70 Series was marketed throughout the world, except for countries like the USA, Canada, Mexico, Brazil and Korea. As a celebration of the Land Cruiser 70's 30th anniversary, Toyota will temporarily market the Land Cruiser 70 series in the Japanese market for 12 months; afterwards, it will be removed from Toyota Japan's product line.

Model designations

Originally, model numbers 70 through 74 referred to the two-door short- and medium-wheelbase versions. These were the successors of the 40 Series, such as the FJ40. Model numbers 75 through 77 referred to the long-wheelbase version, which was available in pick-up and two-door troop carrier models and, in a few markets, a four-door wagon. These were the successors of the less-well known long-wheelbase 40 Series, such as the FJ45. In 1999, Toyota introduced several updates and changed the model designations, where the long-wheelbase models became the 78 (troop carrier) and 79 (pick-up). In 2007, the 76 (four-door wagon) was added, while the new dual-cab models also share the 79 model designation (essentially the same chassis). Short-wheelbase models are only in production today for a few select markets.