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2,000-hp Toyota Land Speed Cruiser picks up world record at 230 mph

The Land Speed Cruiser is now officially the world's fastest SUV.

Andrew Krok Reviews Editor / Cars
Cars are Andrew's jam, as is strawberry. After spending years as a regular ol' car fanatic, he started working his way through the echelons of the automotive industry, starting out as social-media director of a small European-focused garage outside of Chicago. From there, he moved to the editorial side, penning several written features in Total 911 Magazine before becoming a full-time auto writer, first for a local Chicago outlet and then for CNET Cars.
Andrew Krok
2 min read
Toyota

Toyota isn't known for producing the most engaging vehicles at the moment. But give its largest SUV, the Land Cruiser, two turbochargers the size of your head, and anything's possible -- even a world record.

The automaker ran its Land Speed Cruiser concept at the Mojave Air and Space Port in California. With Nascar driver Carl Edwards behind the wheel, Toyota's high-horsepower SUV concept blasted down the 2.5-mile paved runway, achieving a world-record speed of 230 mph, a full 19 mph faster than the previous record holder.

Toyota Land Speed Cruiser
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Toyota Land Speed Cruiser

That's a lot of camber.

Toyota

Toyota first showed off the Land Speed Cruiser at last year's SEMA aftermarket show. It's built for high-speed driving, with the Land Cruiser's standard 5.7-liter V8 sporting a pair of turbochargers the size of volleyballs. Stronger engine internals combine with the blowers to produce a ridiculous 2,000-plus horsepower.

It's more than just an engine, though. In order to keep the vehicle shiny side up, Toyota dropped the ride height for extra stability, and its frame received a few modifications -- namely, it was narrowed by 3 inches in order to fit larger, stickier Michelin Pilot Super Sport tires.

Hitting that world-record speed took more than one attempt. Edwards' first run nailed just 211 mph. In order to cram more speed into the same distance, Toyota turned up the boost pressure, which gave Edwards the hustle he needed to achieve 230 mph.

Before you ask, no, Toyota will not sell you this Land Cruiser, nor will it offer up something like this for purchase. However, if you have the $83,000 for a Land Cruiser and another, say, $100,000 for modifications (and that might be on the low side), you can always build a Land Speed Cruiser for yourself.

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There's more money under this hood than some people have invested in their homes.

Toyota