Home / Features / What it’s like driving an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser

What it’s like driving an armoured Toyota Land Cruiser

SVI Engineering has finished developing their latest product – a fully armoured version of the Toyota Land Cruiser 300.

The car is built to B6 armour standards, meaning it is capable of protecting occupants from assault rifle calibre firearms, such as the AK47 using 7.62mm rounds.

The company invited TopAuto to its facilities in Gauteng for a tour of the factory floor and to see its latest creation in action.

Building an armoured Toyota

Nicol Louw, the Business Development Manager at SVI who facilitated the tour, explained how the company takes great lengths to ensure their vehicles are not compromised in any way.

When SVI receives a new model, the armouring process involves stripping it down to a near skeletal structure so that the armour can be incorporated into the body itself.

The benefit of this method is two-fold. First, it lets SVI armour the vehicle without taking away any room from the cabin.

Second, it allows for the armour to be much more thoroughly implemented. Virtually every panel gap is armoured for protection from every angle and, when a car is completed, it undergoes rigorous waterproof tests to ensure that all the components fit perfectly.

More weight? No problem

Driving the armoured Toyota Land Cruiser 300 (LC300) is almost identical to driving the standard car, which is to say it drives superbly.

You are aware of the added weight when piloting the SUV but there is no visual indication that it has been modified whatsoever.

As such, the first indication that you’re in the presence of a bulletproof car comes when attempting to open the door, as the body armour and bulletproof glass add dozens of kilograms to the weight of a panel.

The standard door hinges have to be replaced with heavy-duty versions, and none of the windows are capable of opening save for the driver’s, though this only goes down about 15cm at most.

The driver’s window function only serves for situations where one might need to hand over a driver’s licence to a police officer at a checkpoint, for example.

Even then, the window motor had to be overhauled in order to lower and raise the bulletproof glass, which is 38mm thick and can weigh as much as 36kg per panel, estimated one of SVI’s engineers.

Despite all this additional weight, there is effectively no impact on performance for one very simple reason.

Bakkies and SUVs are designed to be capable of hauling large loads and the armour doesn’t exceed this weight capacity, meaning the car is able to function as normal as it is still within the original manufacturer’s parameters.

For this reason, it’s not even necessary to improve the brakes on the vehicle, though it is recommended that you keep it in Sport mode to sharpen the 4×4 system’s response times, said Louw.

The only modifications required are to the suspension to correct the ride height and ground clearance, and even then the rear suspension may not need to be changed at all.

This is because the majority of the armour is located towards the front of the vehicle as it protects the cabin, and this is on top of the front-heavy weight distribution caused by the engine block, hence the need to reinforce the front suspension.

The boot, meanwhile, remains unarmoured to save money and weight, and instead armoured panels and bulletproof glass are placed behind the rear seats to protect the cabin.

A cut-out is made in the bulletproof front windscreen, as the driver’s aid sensors need to be able to see through standard thickness glass.

The rear of the sensors is then reinforced with steel plates to ensure there are no ballistic gaps.

Nevertheless, all of the car’s functions worked without issue when the time came to take it out for a spin.

The hundreds of kilograms of armour did little to hinder the LC300’s V6 engine, and we were able to reach 120km/h on a quiet road in no time.

Where the weight becomes far more noticeable is when turning, and you do need to be careful not to tackle corners too aggressively, though in all fairness even the standard Land Cruiser doesn’t exactly handle like a Lotus.

However, one more benefit of the armour and reinforcements made to the vehicle is that it effectively functions as a roll cage, said Louw.

The top-spec LC300 has a starting price of R1,898,200, and when all is said and done, SVI’s modifications bring the final price of the armoured car to just over R3 million.


SVI Toyota Land Cruiser 300


Show comments
Read Now
Sign up to the TopAuto newsletter