Johannesburg - When it comes to hardworking all-wheel drive bakkies, more power, and in particular more torque, is always welcome.
That’s why American pick-ups have big-inch V8 engines (a 90 degree V8 is surprisingly compact for its capacity), and it is also why the Toyota 79 Land Cruiser bakkie is available with a 4.5-litre turbodiesel V8.
As-issued outputs are 151kW and 430Nm, but for RGMotorsport of Randburg that’s just a starting point. The company is now offering a Stage Three conversion that boosts power by 80 percent and more than doubles the engine’s torque output to 273kW and 913Nm.
Bespoke blower
That comes from a bigger turbocharger - an entirely new, bespoke aftermarket blower, rather than a modified original - a substantially bigger intercooler to keep charge air temperature down, a 76mm Techniflow exhaust system, and South African-made Unichip Uni-Q engine management system.
It’s to Toyota’s credit that the entire drivetrain is able to cope with this enormous increase in output - with the exception, it must be said, of the clutch, so an uprated clutch assembly rated at 1000Nm is part of the deal.
And that deal will cost you R180 700, which includes a six-month or 20 000km warranty.