SUV-ER CRUISER
Toyota claims title of world’s fastest SUV with 230mph turbocharged Land Cruiser dash
Toyota has catapulted their Land Cruiser into the record books with an incredible feat of engineering
TOYOTA has taken the title of the world's fastest SUV with a blistering run along a California runway.
A modified Land Cruiser reached an incredible 230.02 miles per hour along the 2.5-mile stretch, catapulting it into the history books.
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Fittingly dubbed the "Land Speed Cruiser", the vehicle was a far cry from the regular stock Toyota Land Cruiser.
Driven by former NASCAR driver Carl Edwards, the car's regular 381hp, 5.7L V8 engine was given two turbochargers and modified to increase the power output five-fold to 2,000 horsepower.
The SUV was fitted with wider tyres and the suspension lowered to reduce drag.
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It took Edwards just two attempts to hit the 230mph mark - additional modifications to the turbochargers added 19mph to his first run time.
Toyota test driver Craig Stanton said adjustments to the vehicle added stability as well as unbelievable acceleration.
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“We made some setup adjustments, and it not only accelerates and shifts more smoothly, but it also has enhanced stability," he said in a statement released by Toyota.
“At 225 mph, the thing was wandering a little bit," Edwards said in the same statement.
"All I could think was that Craig said, ‘No matter what, just keep your foot in it,’ and we got 230 mph.”
While Toyota may have claimed the overall title, Bentley still hold the record for the fastest unmodified production SUV, having reached 187mph on a test track prior to its release in September 2015.
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In March this year, Nissan set the record for the world's fastest SUV half-mile, when a turbocharged Patrol 4x4 was clocked doing 206.9mph in Qatar.
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