Toyota previews its 2010 Sydney Motor Show

A few days before the 2010 Sydney Motor Show, the crew from Toyota took some time out to preview some of the cars that will be on the company's stand.

Toyota has flown in, and somehow wrangled through quarantine, the Hilux that was used by Top Gear UK to get to the Earth's magnetic north pole, as well as manoeuvre incredibly close to Iceland's Eyjafjallajökull volcano.

This rifle holder, and associated rifle, were installed onto the Hilux as a precaution against any aggressive polar bears that mightn't be Top Gear UK fans.

This tank, filled with a mixture of vodka and water, has pipes leading to each of the Hilux's four wheels. A small hand pump mounted on the car's dashboard allowed James May to keep the wheels coolish as he ascended up Eyjafjallajökull's slopes of dried, but still hot, lava.

Aside from a few missing pieces of trim and the aforementioned water pump, the Hilux's interior looks pretty much bog standard.

Modified by the team at Arctic Trucks, this special Hilux wears 30-inch wheels and massive fender extensions.

In the foreground is a slab of rock newly spewed out by Eyjafjallajökull.

First released in 2006 in North America, the FJ is finally due for sale in Australia in about five months time, with a launch pencilled in for the first quarter of 2011.

Styling is a modern take on the FJ40-series Land Cruiser that helped to cement Toyota's reputation in this country.

No plush carpet here. The FJ Cruiser (or at least the vehicle on hand) had hard plastic floors for both the passenger area and the boot.

The FJ Cruiser features seating for five, with the rear seats accessed via a set of small reverse-hinged rear doors.

The FJ Cruiser is powered by a 4-litre V6 — in the Prado this engine produces 200kW of power. A transfer case and locking differential is present on overseas models to satisfy serious four-wheel drive enthusiasts.

The FJ Cruiser's interior is suitably butch, although the body coloured bits are unfortunately painted plastic, not metal. There's a compass and inclinometer for those heading bush.

First shown at the 2009 Tokyo Motor Show, the FT-86G is a hotted up version of the FT-86 concept car.

A rear-wheel drive sports car is currently being co-developed by Subaru and Toyota. The FT-86 concept car is a design study of what that car might look like.

According to Toyota, the production version of the FT-86 is expected to land in Australia sometime after 2012.

Differences between the FT-86 concept car and the G version include: a slightly wider and lower body; race-style 19-inch alloy wheels; the liberal use of carbon fibre bits and pieces; and a turbocharged version of the 2-litre boxer engine.

If you can't wait until after 2012 to drive the FT-86G, Sony and Toyota will be hosting driving pods running a special preview build of Gran Turismo 5 featuring only the FT-86G.

The companies will also be hosting a 24-hour GT5 endurance race from 3pm Tuesday, October 19 at the Sydney Motor Show.

Toyota also had on display a plug-in version of its third-generation Prius hybrid. Unfortunately, the plug-in Prius won't be on display at the 2010 Sydney Motor Show, but CNET Australia did get a brief drive in one, so stay tuned for an in-depth first drive feature.