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 full-size, body-on-frame, four-wheel drive vehicle.1951 - The Toyota "Jeep" BJ prototype was developed in January 1951. This came from the demand for military-type utility vehicles, much like the British Land Rover Series 1 that appeared in 1948. The Jeep BJ was larger than the original U.S. Jeep and more powerful thanks to its Type B 3.4-liter six-cylinder OHV Gasoline engine which generated 85 hp (63 kW) at 3600 rpm and 215 N·m (159 lb·ft) torque at 1600 rpm. It had a part-time four-wheel drive system like the Jeep.Bigger brake rotors and calipers were added and the front suspension was made heavier duty than the Land Cruiser's first effort at IFS in the 100-series and this underbelly is also protected by skid plates. Also, the roof pillars were totally redesigned to better protect occupants in the event of a rollover. Though many time-honored Land Cruiser supporters welcomed the re-invigoration of the mechanical aspects of the vehicle, the 200 Series encountered some criticism due to its bland body restyling, with some claiming that Toyota has 'overdeveloped' the classic trademarked Land Cruiser identity in its efforts to fit the Land Cruiser into modern 21st century motoring and vehicle design. While Toyota is guilty of playing it safe with the styling, ever-increasing crash regulations and a demand for creature comforts have played their parts. Nonetheless, the Land Cruiser remains the NATO vehicle of choice and remains a very serious off-roader which can run with a Range Rover in the harshest of environments, though despite improvements it falls short of the Range Rover as regards interior finish and on-road dynamics.
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