Welcome back to another week of Rambling About Cars, and the 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser is the big debut. We have several things to discuss, including the diesel-powered European model. Plus, Toyota revealed the updated 70 Series Land Cruiser. The brand might have teased a new FJ Cruiser, too.
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Gallery: 2024 Toyota Land Cruiser
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The new Land Cruiser features retro-tinged styling that evokes the 80 Series models. The overall aesthetic is big, chunky, and chiseled. Power comes from a turbocharged 2.4-liter four-cylinder with hybrid assistance. The total output is 326 horsepower and 465 pound-feet of torque. The output reaches the wheels through a full-time four-wheel-drive system and a two-speed transfer case. So far, Toyota only says the price starts in the mid-$50,000 range.
European buyers get a 2.8-liter turbodiesel making 201 hp and 369 lb-ft. Version with a 48V mild-hybrid powertrain arrives there in early 2025. In the Middle East, the Land Cruiser has a turbocharged 2.4-liter gasoline engine making 278 hp and 316 lb-ft. Buyers in Eastern Europe and Japan have the choice of a naturally aspirated 2.7-liter gas-fueled powerplant rated at 161 hp and 181 lb-ft.
The new Land Cruiser goes by the internal designation J250, but the brand updated the J70 model at the same time as launching the latest one. The J70 debuted in 1984 and has kept a spot in the automaker's range in some markets.
The 2024 Land Cruiser 70 in Japan comes with a 2.8-liter turbodiesel making 201 hp and 369 lb-ft. In Australia, it has a 4.5-liter V8 diesel producing 202 hp and 316 b-ft in addition to the 2.8-liter engine.
Finally, Toyota might have teased a new FJ Cruiser. During the J250 Land Cruiser's debut, the brand showed silhouettes of two unknown SUVs. The one on the left might be a revived FJ Cruiser that might be an EV. The other vehicle is larger but has a lower ground clearance.
Gallery: 2024 Porsche 911 S/T
Beyond the Land Cruiser, Porsche came out with the 911 S/T this week (above). It blends elements from the GT3 Touring and GT3 RS to create a lightweight, road-focused model. Production is limited to 1,963 examples for $291,650 in the US. Deliveries begin in spring 2024. The engine is the RS' 4.0-liter flat-six engine making 518 horsepower but with a new lightweight clutch for the six-speed manual.
Finally, the Nissan Z Nismo debuted with a more powerful version of the model's existing twin-turbocharged 3.0-liter V6. Additional boost increases the output to 420 hp and 384 lb-ft, which are gains of 20 hp and 34 lb-ft. It hooks up to a nine-speed automatic gearbox.
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