Armored 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser: Do You Need Some Extra Protection?
The Toyota Land Cruiser has a much-deserved reputation for its ability to drive in harsh and unforgiving conditions. For seven decades, the Land Cruiser has been traversing challenging terrains in the farthest reaches of the planet. With its off-road capability and durability, the Land Cruiser has been utilized in war zones, including by the Taliban and ISIS. Also, recently, a South African automotive company fitted the 2022 Toyota Land Cruiser with armor plating, just in case you need some extra protection.
The Toyota Land Cruiser is very popular in South Africa
Like many other luxury SUVs, the Toyota Land Cruiser receives its fair share of modifications. Developed and built by SVI Engineering in South Africa, the armored 2022 Land Cruiser is based on a Land Cruiser 300 Series model. Currently, only the Land Cruiser 200 Series is available in the U.S. With production issues relating to the semiconductor chip shortage crisis, production of the Land Cruiser 300 Series has been slow.
The Land Cruiser 300 is now available in only a select few automotive markets. South Africa is one of them. The Land Cruiser 200 is immensely popular in South Africa, for it’s one of the best-selling vehicles in the country.
The armored Land Cruiser can stop bullets from assault rifles
SVI Engineering claims that it only takes two months to build the armored Land Cruiser. The modification process starts with SVI stripping down the interior of the Land Cruiser to its bare metal. For the next step, the firm creates a CAD model of the Land Cruiser by utilizing 3D scanning tools and a three-axis measuring arm.
After that, SVI fortifies the Land Cruiser with composite material. The composite material is strong enough to stop rounds of bullets from assault rifles, such as an R1, R5, or AK47. Also, the composite material is lightweight so that it doesn’t weigh down the Land Cruiser too heavily. It also helps that the Land Cruiser has a lightweight aluminum construction. Furthermore, if the added weight is a concern for vehicle performance, SVI offers an upgrade for the suspension.
In addition to the composite material, the armored Land Cruiser is protected by steel plates and 1.5-inches of armored glass. With these modifications, the armored Land Cruiser gets a B6 car armor rating. Unless you have a special permit, this is the highest car armor rating that a vehicle can get in South Africa.
The price of the modifications for the armored Toyota Land Cruiser is $63,000. This cost is in addition to the price you pay for the luxury SUV.
Why would someone get an armored Land Cruiser?
It may seem like an over-the-top endeavor to get an armored Land Cruiser. However, South Africa is a notoriously violent country. Also, Toyota vehicles are a frequent target of car thieves. An armored Land Cruiser, while very expensive, provides some peace of mind for safety for wealthy SUV drivers that may pass through crime-ridden areas.
In addition to the Land Cruiser, SVI does armored modifications for many other vehicles. Some other popular modifications for SVI include the Toyota Hilux compact pickup truck and the Ford Ranger midsize pickup truck.
