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Pretoria - The Toyota Land Cruiser 70 Series has proven itself to be one of Africa's toughest vehicles.
Despite the Cruiser 70’s capabilities, the diesel engine in this bakkie or station wagon has always left much to be desired. The 4.2-litre in-line six cylinder is virtually unbreakable and it is comfortable with even the dirtiest diesel, but with 94kW/280Nm the engine power is pretty pedestrian.
Punchier V8
Then the single-turbo 151kW/430Nm V8 arrived. This engine held much promise of more power, faster acceleration and less hard work when driving off road. The 70 Series V8 has delivered on that promise.
Tuning specialists, Steve's Auto Clinic (SAC), now offers a multi-stage conversion for the 70 Series V8 that delivers over 20% more power and a thumping 30% extra torque. As an added benefit, the upgrade has made the 70 Series V8 "so much better to drive", which has led to the name “The Beauty”, says SAC.
READ: Tune your ride in SA - SAC opens dedicated bakkie, SUV centre
As with any turbodiesel power upgrade, the team at SAC tests the conversion in full before fitting it to a single customer’s vehicle, the conversion company says. SAC also programmes and tests every upgrade in three dimensions on its four-wheel dynamometers. These parameters include engine speed, load, ignition, fuel mixture and boost.
This power upgrade consists of the fitment of a Unichip Plug and Play unit, that is pre-programmed with different engine maps.
The upgrade adds:
• Anti-Theft setting that immobilises the engine
• Standard engine setting
• Fuel saving
• Improved driveability in towing and off-road conditions
• Maximum power without placing undue stress on the mechanical parts.
The full conversion can include the fitment of a special performance exhaust system that allows the V8 engine to breathe easier. Limiting exhaust back pressure but not increasing engine noise.
