This restomodded Toyota Land Cruiser 40 has a Corvette V8 engine

Remember last week when a Land Cruiser enthusiast in the country decided to pair the running gear of a Fortuner with the body of a classic LC40? The result is a classic Land Cruiser with modern running gear as well as better road manners. And since it has a 3.0-liter 1KD-FTV turbo-diesel under the hood, it now makes more power than the original stock engine found in the old-school 4x4 SUV.

Elsewhere around the world, however, US-based 4x4 specialist ECD Automotive Design decided to crank things up for the Land Cruiser 40 Series. While they mostly specialize in restomodding Defenders, Range Rovers and Mustangs, they decided to try their hands at modifying one of Toyota's most revered 4x4s, and boy were we surprised with what they have created.

First and foremost, they swapped the old-school carbureted engine for a 6.2L Chevrolet Corvette V8 engine. No exact output figures were revealed by ECD although since the engine cover reads LS3, perhaps the 6.2L V8 produces 436 PS and 576 Nm of torque. Power is then sent to a 6-speed automatic gearbox complete with a 4WD system.

Besides giving the SUV one heck of an engine upgrade, ECD also gave the V8 steel braided fuel lines and a stainless steel exhaust system to make the engine roar. Since the restomodded LC40 is meant to go off-road, the tuner installed heavy-duty axles, an upgraded suspension, front & rear anti-sway bars, a high-performance cooling system, and better disc brakes.

Inside, the lucky few who can afford the restomodded LC40 by ECD Automotive Design can have the dashboard's color match the exterior. There's also a Momo steering wheel available, hand-stitched leather seats, additional sound & heat insulation for better riding comfort, new air-conditioning, rubber floor mats, a premium sound system courtesy of Sony or Alpine with 4 JL speakers, and a reverse camera.

Want to get one for yourself? Well, if you live in the US or are looking to travel there soon, ECD Automotive Design will begin building the first examples of the restomodded LC40 in Q3 of 2024. First customer deliveries will begin in Q1 2025. Be ready to shell out quite a load of money, however, as ECD says the build will start at an eye-watering USD 229,995 (or around PHP 13.4 million).