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Retro

Wow, check out Icon's 430bhp, $237k Land Cruiser restomod

This 1972 FJ44 Land Cruiser gets an LS V8, CarPlay, Fox coilovers and much more

Published: 26 Jan 2021

What exactly does ‘restomod’ mean? It’s clearly up for debate, as something like a 911 reimagined by Singer differs wildly to the Breadvan Hommage revealed earlier.

Perhaps Icon’s latest project, this FJ44 Land Cruiser, is the movement at its purest: it looks pretty much as it used to, just cleaned up and injected with the sort of tech that’ll make it a bit more liveable than a typical, potentially heart-breaking classic car.

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It’s dubbed the Old School Edition, and in the words of Icon, it “preserves the original aesthetic of the legendary Landcruiser while vastly upgrading the rig’s performance and safety while reducing emissions, alongside a host of sophisticated amenities cleverly concealed within”.

But don’t worry, those emissions haven’t been reduced too much; a 6.2-litre V8 sourced from – of course – General Motors provides the motive force, with 430bhp and 450lb ft of torque (crikey) put through all four wheels via a five-speed manual transmission and a two-speed transfer case.

“When combined with Icon’s hydroboost-assisted Brembo Sport Brakes,” we’re told, “this vintage 1972 truck handles far better than the original vehicle.” Phew. There are stockier axles, Fox Racing coilovers and some rugged BF Goodrich all-terrain tyres for good measure.

And those ‘sophisticated amenities’? There’s a reversing camera, Apple CarPlay and sat nav. But if all of that offends you – and the latter is likely to impede too much on your free-spirited adventure – then good old map pockets remain in the doors, too.

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Prices start at – ahem – $237,000. Like all the very best restomods, it costs a sum of money able to make us mere mortals shudder. But that’s all part of the glory of these things, isn’t it? Or do you think a more dramatic makeover is necessary for the best part of £200,000?

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