Loyal fans of the Toyota Land Cruiser know well that the model did have a V8 engine in the form of the Land Cruiser 200 series, first introduced in 2007. Toyota discontinued using the V8 in 2021, and instead fitted the succeeding Land Cruiser 300 series with a V6. Now, it seems Toyota is looking at the technical possibility of bringing back the V8 for the long-enduring SUV,
Takashi Uehara, Toyota’s powertrain chief, confirmed that the company’s newly developed twin-turbo 4.0-liter V8 engine has been designed with enough flexibility to be fitted in several vehicle platforms, including the large-frame Land Cruiser.
“Yeah, it could be installed in a Land Cruiser. Nothing is impossible,” said Uehara in an interview by Drive, an Australian media outlet. However, the executive clarified that, while the idea is feasible, Toyota has not made any plans or commitments to produce a new V8-powered and Cruiser at this time.
The aforementioned new V8 engine, which is expected to debut in Toyota’s upcoming GR GT supercar, marks the company’s first all-new 8-cylinder powertrain in nearly two decades. The development highlights Toyota’s commitment to performance innovation, even as it expands its lineup of hybrid and electric vehicles.
Currently, the latest Land Cruiser 300 still runs with a twin-turbo V6 mill in both gasoline and diesel configurations, with hybrid technology also being introduced in some variants. While these powertrains deliver impressive performance and improved efficiency, loyalists of the Land Cruiser nameplate continue to express nostalgia for the torque and character of the V8 motor that defined earlier generations of the Land Cruiser.
Uehara hinted that the new twin-trubo 4.0-liter V8 could eventually appear in different forms, possibly tuned for both high-performance and heavy-duty applications. Still, Toyota remains focused on balancing power with its carbon neutrality goals, making a V8 Land Cruiser return technically possible, but uncertain, for now.
