Toyota Combines Old and New with the Turbo Trail Cruiser at 2025 SEMA

Almost all automotive enthusiasts of a certain age have a vehicle from their past they long for, even though they know that modern technology has surpassed what they had to offer at the time of production. The extreme end of this paradox is the restomod, which incorporates modern components into a vintage model. Toyota showcased this perfectly at the 2025 SEMA show with the Turbo Trail Cruiser. While it will never appear in Valley Hi Toyota’s inventory, we can’t wait to tell you about it. 

The Turbo Trail Cruiser starts with an icon of the brand’s past: a 1985 Land Cruiser FJ60, whose design debuted just before the SUV boom in 1980 and remained on the market for the next 12 years. From the outside, the Turbo Trail Cruiser looks almost identical to the original FJ60, except for a significant lift that allows it to clear 35-inch tires. Even its color is a reproduction of the 1986 model’s Silver 147. 

What makes this vehicle SEMA-worthy is the engine swap, where the original 4.0-liter inline-6 is replaced by the turbo V6 currently standard on the Tundra. Producing 389 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, the output more than doubles the 155 horsepower and 210 lb-ft of the original engine. 

“The Turbo Trail Cruiser is about showing what happens when Toyota’s modern performance technology is integrated into one of our most iconic classics,” said Marty Schwerter, Director of Operations at Toyota’s Motorsports Garage and lead builder on the project. “It’s a hot-rod approach with Toyota DNA — power, drivability, and reliability in a package that still feels true to the original Land Cruiser.” 

Great care was taken to preserve the factory-original model as much as possible. This includes avoiding cuts into the firewall, altering the model’s structural integrity, and even modifying mounts to connect the engine to the FJ60’s original 5-speed automatic transmission. No word on how well the transmission handles all that additional power. The new engine oil pan was reshaped to fit, and a fully custom exhaust system was necessary. A new heat exchanger was installed on the original mounting points to increase cooling capacity for the turbocharged engine. A custom wiring harness connects to the engine management system, ensuring factory-quality drivability. To preserve the ambiance of the original, the interior was mostly left untouched, except for the addition of a JBL audio system.  

“For Toyota fans, the Turbo Trail Cruiser is about more than just horsepower,” said Mike Tripp, Group Vice President, Toyota Marketing. “It’s about preserving the character of a vehicle enthusiasts love while showing how seamlessly Toyota technology can elevate the driving experience. It’s a concept build, but it demonstrates the passion we share with our customers for keeping these classics alive in new and exciting ways.” 

The Turbo Trail Cruiser build arrives soon after the Land Cruiser’s reintroduction into the Toyota lineup. Although smaller than the FJ60 model, the new Land Cruiser is just as tough and capable, and it’s significantly more powerful with its 326-horsepower 2.4-liter inline-4 iFORCE MAX hybrid drivetrain. Of course, it also offers refinement, safety, and off-road capabilities that were barely imaginable in 1985. 

So, no Valley Hi Toyota can’t sell you a Turbo Trail Cruiser, but we can offer the next best, well…actually better thing in the new Land Cruiser.  Check it out, along with all the exciting Toyota crossovers and SUVs that all owe something to the original Land Cruiser.