Land Cruiser 300 3.5, armoured INKAS

The Land Cruiser 300 replaced the 200 in 2021 on the GA-F platform, a ladder frame that is stiffer and lighter. Toyota does not sell it in Western Europe, which receives the Land Cruiser 250 and the Lexus LX: it is distributed in the Gulf, CIS, Africa, Australia, and Japan. Any example driving in France is therefore an import.

The 3.5 version is based on the V35A-FTS, a 3,444 cc V6 biturbo petrol engine, 415 hp at 5,200 rpm and 650 Nm from 2,000 to 3,600 rpm, with a 10-speed automatic and permanent all-wheel drive. A torque plateau available from 2,000 rpm is what a vehicle weighed down by several hundred kilos requires, and the Land Cruiser can be repaired in much of the world.

INKAS armouring to CEN 1063 BR6 level: stops 7.62 x 51 NATO lead core rounds at 360 degrees and withstands two DM51 grenades under the vehicle. The cabin, roof, floor, pillars, and firewall are reinforced with ballistic steel, the doors receive a ballistic lip covering to treat the joints, a rear armoured partition closes off the cabin, the multi-layer glazing is curved to the original profile, the fuel tank is enclosed in a laser-cut steel box, the engine compartment, battery, and ECUs are protected, the suspension is reinforced, and run-flat capability allows 50 km at 50 km/h. The silhouette remains that of a standard 300.

The weight and performance values shown are those of the standard Land Cruiser 300: they do not take into account the INKAS armouring, which adds several hundred kilograms and reduces acceleration, speed, and fuel economy. The boot volume of 175 l is measured behind the third row, with seven seats in place.

The 300 does not appear on the Toyota France price list: specific parts are sourced via Gulf or Japanese channels, which is possible but rarely immediate. The V35A-FTS is a biturbo with direct injection that does not tolerate approximate oil change intervals, and on an armoured vehicle, brakes, bearings, and tyres wear at the rate of the extra weight. Ballistic glazing and run-flat inserts have their own lifespan, independent of mileage.

Administrative and fiscal: without European type approval, French registration requires a single vehicle approval with the DREAL (regional environment, development and housing directorate), and the malus is calculated not on CO2 but on the fiscal horsepower scale (CIBS art. L. 421-64), at its ceiling from 15 fiscal horsepower, according to the scale of the year of first registration and reduced only by the age-related depreciation. Above 3.5 tonnes GVWR, driving requires a C1 licence.