Toyota has only just pulled the covers back on its new Land Cruiser, but the company’s aftermarket arm is ready with a stack of mods designed to make pedestrians even more terrified of it. We’re willing to bet Modellista’s Aero Parts set offers no meaningful improvement to the aerodynamics and stability of a vehicle that glides through the air with all the grace of a WWF wrestler getting into a Lotus Elise. But it certainly gives the Land Crusier a heap more visual attitude, which is the real point. The kit comprises a new front spoiler that fits in the lower section of the bumper and bigger wheelarch mouldings with a contrasting trim that really makes them pop.
Moving to the rear there’s a new lower bumper section with the now obligatory diffuser-like shape, a sporty twin-outlet exhaust tailpipe and a stainless steel rear bumper step guard. And towering above both is the kind of double-hump roof spoiler you expect to see on a hot hatch. Finishing the exterior look is a set of six-spoke 21-inch alloy wheels. Prices range from ¥ 51,700 (US$ 473) for an unpainted roof spoiler to ¥ 401,500 (US$ 3674) for Aero Parts Set A, which includes the front and rear bumpers and arch trims painted and ready to fit.
The interior options for the new Land Cruiser are pretty disappointing in comparison, but you can jazz up the door panels with some metal (or metal-effect) trim, add infrared film to the windows, and improve the interior lighting with LEDs in the door bottoms and luggage area. But before you run down to your local Toyota dealer it’s worth bearing a couple of minor details in mind. One is that Modellista’s take on a performance-themed Land Cruiser is much glitzier and less authentically sporty than the new GR Land Cruiser, which Toyota says is the base for an upcoming assault on the Dakar Rally.
And the other, rather more important, detail is that depending where you are in the world, you might not even be able to buy the new Land Cruiser at all. Toyota retired the model from the U.S. market due to falling sales, and though the next Lexus LX will be based on the Land Cruiser, you’ll pay a premium for that badge.
