The Toyota FJ Cruiser is one of those relatively modern cars that you look at twice when you see it. Not least because he doesn’t really belong here. A worthy candidate for ‘In het Wild’.
There is no doubt that the ‘special car radar’ of colleague Lars Krijgsman is well developed. Not only classics cannot escape a photo moment, he also had to capture this ‘only’ 15 year old Toyota FJ Cruiser. After all, it has never been officially delivered here and if that is not enough, it is also a special appearance in itself. Living proof that, despite its recent intention to make more high-profile cars, Toyota has already built nice cars earlier this century.
Anyone who is a little familiar with the history of the brand will immediately recognize the source of inspiration for the FJ Cruiser. That was the Land Cruiser J40, which had been on the market for no less than 24 years from 1960. Just like its example, the FJ Cruiser had to be able to stand its ground in difficult terrain. Don’t let the frivolous design fool you, as this is a very capable off-roader. A 4.0-liter V6 sends 242 hp and 377 Nm of torque to all four wheels. A large snorkel provides the power source with air when you send the FJ Cruiser through deep water and in this case there is also a bullbar on the nose to make it extra resistant to misery in its path. The extra protection for the rear lights also makes it clear that this is a well-equipped vehicle.
The car in question – which by the way is not really at home in this parking lot for electric cars – dates from 2006, the first year of production of the FJ Cruiser. The first Dutch owner must have fallen for it when the FJ Cruiser came on the market, because it was already brought to the Netherlands at the age of two. He has now been with his current owner for more than four years. Gradually, an LPG installation came into the car, and that is not an unnecessary luxury. The almost 2 ton heavy Toyota likes a sip. Although you are now tapping a whopping € 500 mrb per quarter, it is at least slightly less painful at the pump. But hey, you have to give something for it. We think it is very cool!