



By N2H

Toyota Hilux III

August 5th, 2007 by Shenron

The Toyota Tacoma and Hilux underwent the 1995 update and were then sold with better engines, larger bodies, and were re-styled again in 1998, while maintaining a decent line of engines. The Hilux maintained its 2.4L four cylinder engine that now rates at 142 horses, along with a 2.7L four cylinder that is rated at 150, and finally a nice V6 3.4L that is at 190 horses, so close to 200 it isn’t funny. In 2005 the Tacoma and the Hilux underwent a massive shift in size and make. The Tacoma is now based on the Land Cruiser Prado, while the Hilux is based on the ladder frame that has been in its previous versions, and is sold in Europe, Australia, Asia, South America and Mexico, along with being sometimes found in Canada and the U.S., although rarely. The newest model of Hilux has many engines to choose from, however most are area specific, and most likely the only ones someone in the US is going to see are the 160 horse four stroke 2.7L, and the 4L V6 228 horse.

The Hilux has gained its reputation of being indestructible through years of heavy use and abuse, along with being beaten around. On the popular show Top Gear a Hilux from the 80’s with over 308 thousand kilometers was put through abuse no normal vehicle could survive, including driving it down steps, scarping buildings, crashing it into a tree, being washed out to sea, dropping a caravan on top of it and smashing it, hitting it head on with a wrecking ball, setting it on fire, and finally placing it on a 240 foot block of flats that was demolished. After all of this it was still holding together and amazingly running with minor repairs found in any common car toolkit. The vehicle has been known to go past 300,000 miles with regular and constant care without suffering any loss of performance and has been known as a militia fighting vehicle in many African conflicts, being used as a kind of cavalry wartime vehicle that can survived being peppered with small arms fire (not the occupants mind you, just the truck).

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