Toyota Installed a New Tundra V6 in an FJ60 Land Cruiser While Retaining the Five-Speed Manual Transmission.
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It’s tough to decide, but the FJ60 could be my top choice among Toyota Land Cruisers. While the FJ40 will always be the classic, when I envision a capable and indestructible ‘Yota navigating through the jungle, I picture a robust vehicle like this one. For the 2025 SEMA Show, Toyota has made an intriguing change by replacing the renowned 4.2-liter inline-six with a twin-turbo V6 from the modern Tundra. This engine holds a reputation quite different from that of the old six-cylinder, but I'll explain why I find this project quite impressive.
Firstly, it maintains a five-speed manual transmission. That feature initially drew me in and ultimately led me to write about this build, which Toyota refers to as the Turbo Trail Cruiser (a great name, in my opinion). I'm fairly certain this is the first time a V35A-FTS has been paired with a manual transmission, made possible because the Toyota Motorsports Garage team created new engine mounts and an adapter plate for the vehicle. If you showed someone the interior of this setup without any context, they might assume it’s an exceptionally well-kept model with just a touchscreen head unit added.
Fun fact: The global market 300-Series Land Cruiser has this engine as well, making this restomod even more logical when you take that into account. Toyota
That's essentially the goal. In its press release, Toyota stated that the team took considerable care to ensure it resembled a factory model as closely as possible. No alterations were made to the firewall, all mounting points remain in their original locations, and it’s just as structurally sound as any 1985 Land Cruiser was when it rolled off the assembly line in Japan.
The result is akin to an OEM+ hot rod. The Turbo Trail Cruiser produces 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, significantly more than what the original 2F inline-six could muster. It’s also far more refined than simply swapping in an LS3, though I have no issue with those swaps either.
Toyota added some appealing and practical modifications, including a 1.5-inch lift, a reversed front shackle, and 35-inch Continental all-terrain tires. The exterior even received a fresh coat of PPG reproduction in Silver 147, a color originally used by Toyota in the ’80s. The previously mentioned touchscreen head unit serves as the control center for an upgraded JBL stereo system that likely sounds fantastic when playing some Casiopea.
Anyone interested in seeing the Turbo Trail Cruiser up close can find it at the Toyota booth at SEMA in Las Vegas from November 4 to November 7.
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Toyota Installed a New Tundra V6 in an FJ60 Land Cruiser While Retaining the Five-Speed Manual Transmission.
It's drastically different from the original bulletproof 4.2-liter inline-six that once powered the truck, but this swap is incredibly neat.