The Toyota Land Cruiser became famous, among other things, as a car sought after by extremist and terrorist organizations. It is, of course, not something that the Japanese automaker would like to brag about, but on the other hand, it is a form of confirmation of the qualities of its icon. Over the years, it has become clear that SUVs or pick-ups are capable of slowly surviving everything. And if there are any problems, they can be solved calmly even in the field and, so to speak, on your knees. Which is why it’s not so surprising that even the good ones are reaching for the Land Cruiser.
Today we will focus on just such a version called TAC-6, which came up with the South African company Armormax Defense. It was originally contacted by the French special forces, who needed a vehicle that could handle the most demanding conditions, and at the same time, would not require extraordinary skills, whether it be driving or maintenance. The answer to them was the converted Land Cruiser, which first had the chassis extended. Along with the third axle, the second reduction also arrived, so all six wheels are driven.
The key component was the gearbox, which was manufactured for the South Africans by the German company ZF. Armormax demanded that the box handle up to 1,000 Nm of torque. At the same time, she had to deal with extreme heat and ubiquitous sand. That is why, among other things, it uses custom cooling. It is connected to a massive 4.5-liter eight-cylinder turbodiesel, which was tuned to 261 horsepower. Apart from that, it is also possible to reach for a version with a five-speed manual, where the engine produces 205 horsepower.
The clientele also has the choice of choosing a cabin with one or two rows of seats. However, the length of the car, 5,995 millimeters, remains the same in both cases, only the body changes. The first mentioned version should be able to accommodate up to 28 people, at least according to the company’s claims. Even sardines in a can will have more comfort, but let’s leave that to the customers. They can decide to turn the converted pick-up into an even bigger mobile fortress with the help of the Centauri tower and the To The Point International machine gun.
The range of the car is extremely interesting, as it already has two tanks (210+90 liters) as standard, which should last for at least 2,000 km. For an additional fee, it is possible to reach for a 560-liter tank in the version with a cabin for five people, while the Single Cab variant with only two seats can take up to 610 liters of fuel. At that moment, the 9,915-kilometer route from Cape Town in the south of Africa to Cairo in the north can be handled with only two refueling stops.
All that can be added is that the chassis has a ground clearance of up to 350 mm and approach angles of 40 degrees at the front and 38 degrees at the rear. At the same time, it is possible to equip the pick-up with ballistic protection armor up to B6, but at that point it really is no longer a small matter. An unloaded car with a single cab weighs 2.6 tons, with a double cab it is even 200 kg heavier. However, it can take another up to 4,400 kilograms of cargo. Even with seven tons, however, it can go up to 160 km/h.
“When it comes to mobility, the TAC-6 surpasses everything on offer today,” the South African firm adds somewhat immodestly. However, it definitely has something to brag about, as many years of testing have brought results. However, Armormax is properly paid for its work, as the conversion starts at 1.5 million South African rand (approx. 1.88 million CZK). However, the price does not include the car itself, nor the additional armor or automatic. As soon as you check everything, you are suddenly over ZAR 4 million (CZK 5.02 million).
