If you are looking to soup up your FJ60 for some serious off-road duties, Toyota has a little something that will either inspire you or make you rethink your entire budget. Meet the Toyota Turbo Trail Cruiser, a resto-meets-hot-rod FJ60 that Toyota dropped at the 2025 SEMA Show.
It blends the timeless charm of the iconic 1980s Land Cruiser with the modern punch of Toyota’s i-FORCE 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6. This is the same engine found in the latest Tundra, so the output is, well, slightly spicy. The Turbo Trail Cruiser cranks out 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft (649 Nm) of torque, which is nearly double what the original 4.2-liter inline-six ever managed.
The goal wasn’t to create a wild fantasy build. Toyota wanted it to look factory-original, as if someone discovered a secret FJ60 variant built for executives who enjoyed dune racing on weekends. No structural cuts were made. No butchered firewalls. No questionable welds. Everything fits like it rolled off the line in 1985, just with way more anger and far fewer emissions.
Toyota Motorsports Garage engineered new motor mounts, machined an adapter plate to mate the modern V6 to the original 5-speed manual, redesigned the oil pan to clear the chassis, and built a bespoke exhaust system that gives the Cruiser a deeper growl without ruining its vintage character. A new heat exchanger mounts to the factory points, and a custom wiring harness ties the modern engine management to the old body like a clean OEM retrofit.
The suspension gets a mild 1.5-inch lift, front shackle reversal, and 35-inch tires. Period-correct 1986 Silver 147 paint and graphics seal the deal. Inside, a discreet JBL system upgrades the vintage cabin without ruining the retro vibes.
Exactly how much this show car costs is unclear. But hey, the ideas are free, aren’t they?
Images: Toyota.
