Remember that insane 2000hp Land Speed Cruiser Toyota brought to the last SEMA show? Well, it just completed a top speed run, achieving a very impressive 230mph (370km/h).
It definitely wasn’t easy to turn one of the world’s most legendary trucks to go that fast but Toyota was determined to make the ‘Land Speed Cruiser’ a reality, rather than just another show car.
Under the bonnet, there is still the same 5.7-litre V8 found in the regular Land Cruiser but in this case it’s fed by two huge turbochargers that sit right behind the front bumper. The internals of the engine were similarly updated, getting sturdier pistons and rods and a custom-made intake manifold, among other mods.
The end result is over 2,000hp transmitted via a custom racing transmission that can cope with the giant power levels. The chassis has been modified to make the car sit as low as possible and maintain optimal suspension geometry. It was even narrowed by 3 inches in order for the wider Michelin Pilot Sport tires to fit.
With NASCAR driver Carl Edwards sitting behind the wheel, the Toyota Land Speed Cruiser reached a GPS-verified 230.2mph before running out of space at the Mojave Air and Space Port, meaning it can go even faster, if there’s enough track ahead.
Although the new record is unverified, the Land Speed Cruiser crushed by more than 19mph the previous World’s Fastest SUV speed record, set at 211mph.
“At 225 mph, the thing was wandering a little bit. All I could think was that Craig said, ‘No matter what, just keep your foot in it,’ and we got 230 mph,” Edwards said after setting the record. “It’s safe to say that this is the fastest SUV on the planet.”