Posted On: June 23, 2022

When Toyota announced the Land Cruiser 300 wouldn't make it to the US, we were deeply saddened by the news. Like the Lexus LX, the Japanese brute is considered by many to be the ultimate off-roader. It dismisses treacherous challenges with ease and is equally at home in the desert and the country club car park. Short of gunfire, the Land Cruiser is unstoppable.rnrnUnless it's the example seen here. It may look like an ordinary model, but this LC300 is hiding around 1,650 lbs of armoring. Built by SVI Engineering in South Africa, this Toyota affords the ultimate protection to VIPs who are partial to heading off the beaten track. The company notes the Land Cruiser has been armored to level B6, allowing it to withstand attacks from assault rifles like an AK-47.rnIt's not just the glass, either. SVI adds armoring to the roof and vehicle floor, while the tires are protected by heavy-duty run-flat rings. With plenty of experience in armoring the previous generation Land Cruiser - a big hit among SVI's customers - the protection specialists took the opportunity to further improve on its latest offering. Like its predecessor, the B6-armoured LC300 boasts a protective bulkhead found behind the second row of seats.rnThis time around, it's been placed further back which provides more storage space and allows rear occupants to recline their seats further than before. The best improvement, however, comes in the form of an escape hatch. What you gain in protection you often lose in daily usability.rnBut SVI has thought of this and engineered the front side windows to lower further than before. In case you're wondering, the ballistic glass is 1.5 inches thick. The Land Cruiser may be tough, but 1,650 lbs will place strains on any suspension setup. As such, SVI has toughened up components to make sure the LC300 drives and handles as well as a regular variant. Perhaps most impressive of all is that the Land Cruiser 300 retains its driver assists, with the cameras and sensors sited behind the windscreen being unaffected by the thick glass. Since the new Land Cruiser 300 is both lighter and more powerful than its predecessor, it's even better suited to receiving our painstakingly developed B6 solution, explained the company's Nicol Louw.rnThe ultimate protection does come at a price, though. SVI notes armoring for Toyota's iconic SUV will set you back R981,823 (approx. $61,300). This excludes tax and the cost of the Land Cruiser, of course. If you're interested, SVI says the build takes four months to complete. Even though South Africa uses right-hand-drive vehicles, the specialists will be able to provide a left-hand drive version for international markets.rnThe additional mass of the armoring should bring the total mass up to around 7,450 pounds but the available 3.5-liter gas-powered V6 or 3.3-liter turbodiesel should prove powerful enough. Remarkably, the armored LC300 is lighter than BMW's planned bulletproof i7.

Reposted From Source: carbuzz.com

Re Posted From: Not Even An AK-47 Can Stop This Armored Toyota Land Cruiser

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Posted On: June 23, 2022

When Toyota announced the Land Cruiser 300 wouldn't make it to the US, we were deeply saddened by the news. Like the Lexus LX, the Japanese brute is considered by many to be the ultimate off-roader. It dismisses treacherous challenges with ease and is equally at home in the desert and the country club car park. Short of gunfire, the Land Cruiser is unstoppable.rnrnUnless it's the example seen here. It may look like an ordinary model, but this LC300 is hiding around 1,650 lbs of armoring. Built by SVI Engineering in South Africa, this Toyota affords the ultimate protection to VIPs who are partial to heading off the beaten track. The company notes the Land Cruiser has been armored to level B6, allowing it to withstand attacks from assault rifles like an AK-47.rnIt's not just the glass, either. SVI adds armoring to the roof and vehicle floor, while the tires are protected by heavy-duty run-flat rings. With plenty of experience in armoring the previous generation Land Cruiser - a big hit among SVI's customers - the protection specialists took the opportunity to further improve on its latest offering. Like its predecessor, the B6-armoured LC300 boasts a protective bulkhead found behind the second row of seats.rnThis time around, it's been placed further back which provides more storage space and allows rear occupants to recline their seats further than before. The best improvement, however, comes in the form of an escape hatch. What you gain in protection you often lose in daily usability.rnBut SVI has thought of this and engineered the front side windows to lower further than before. In case you're wondering, the ballistic glass is 1.5 inches thick. The Land Cruiser may be tough, but 1,650 lbs will place strains on any suspension setup. As such, SVI has toughened up components to make sure the LC300 drives and handles as well as a regular variant. Perhaps most impressive of all is that the Land Cruiser 300 retains its driver assists, with the cameras and sensors sited behind the windscreen being unaffected by the thick glass. Since the new Land Cruiser 300 is both lighter and more powerful than its predecessor, it's even better suited to receiving our painstakingly developed B6 solution, explained the company's Nicol Louw.rnThe ultimate protection does come at a price, though. SVI notes armoring for Toyota's iconic SUV will set you back R981,823 (approx. $61,300). This excludes tax and the cost of the Land Cruiser, of course. If you're interested, SVI says the build takes four months to complete. Even though South Africa uses right-hand-drive vehicles, the specialists will be able to provide a left-hand drive version for international markets.rnThe additional mass of the armoring should bring the total mass up to around 7,450 pounds but the available 3.5-liter gas-powered V6 or 3.3-liter turbodiesel should prove powerful enough. Remarkably, the armored LC300 is lighter than BMW's planned bulletproof i7.

Reposted From Source: carbuzz.com

Re Posted From: Not Even An AK-47 Can Stop This Armored Toyota Land Cruiser

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