Ford Mysteriously Testing the New Toyota Land Cruiser in Michigan. Is a New Ford SUV in the Works?
The Land Cruiser is the ultimate want/want story in the automotive world. Toyota has decided to . It’s a shame, more or less. It’s a shame because the LC is great. It’s not because it was $80,000, so who cares. However, we still get the Lexus-branded version, the . However, of all the companies, Ford has managed to get hold of the new J300 Land Cruiser and is testing it off-road in Michigan. Why? Have you ever heard of the Ford Expedition Raptor? Yes, I hadn’t either until now.
What is Ford doing with a Toyota Land Cruiser?
According to our friends at , the Land Rover was spotted in Indiana by a Lexus dealership employee wearing Michigan manufacturer plates. Despite the proximity to Chicago and the timing of the big names, Toyota has confirmed that it is CarScoop that the J300 was not headed for Chicago. In fact, everything on the truck, including the J300, were test vehicles.
Gear Patrol flags the flat tires and ashtray in the cup holder as proof that this Toyota is just here to be tested. The other vehicles on the truck were a couple of and a . Since these vehicles were bound for Michigan, it would make sense to assume Ford is responsible. Comparisons to some Wranglers and a Land Cruiser would make perfect sense for a new Bronco or perhaps something even more mysterious.
Ford Authority recently published a piece citing unnamed sources, saying that Ford is floating the idea of building an even more off-road-focused version of the Ford Expedition. The main idea is that it could be a Raptor expedition, although this is unconfirmed.
A Ford Expedition Raptor is not impossible
The already exists. As it is, the Timberline pretty much already has a Raptor engine, the 440hp 3.5-liter V6. Aside from the beefy engine, the Timberline also sports 33-inch AT tires, the skid plate from the F-150 Raptor, over 10 inches of ground clearance and the . Hell, as it stands, Ford probably could have gotten away with calling the off-road expedition a Raptor.
The Raptor name is already an icon among Ford fans, so adding a large SUV to the roster probably isn’t the worst idea. Toyota did it with the TRD Sequoia. Even the huge GMC Yukon got the AT4 package as an option. Far from leaving Ford out of the performance SUV game.
We know Ford is interested in expanding the Raptor sub-brand. The and the Ranger Raptor have already joined the team. Adding a large SUV seems like a reasonable next step given the buying trends in the auto market.
