Update: We have received little evidence that this company is legitimate and would warn readers to steer clear, at least until they are past an initial concept stage.
The 70 series Land Cruiser has long been an unobtainable vehicle here in the States. A few 25 year old models have come within reach thanks to our importation laws, but anyone looking for a newer example of these rugged machines was simply out of luck… until now. It appears a company called L79 America intends to import and sell LEGAL versions of these diesel legends here in the states. While their site is less than descriptive, a gofundme page has laid out their plan to retrofit a BlackBox diesel emission control technology with approval from the EPA and DOT. Details are still fuzzy, and we aren’t getting out hopes up, but the possibility of a government approval process for retrofitting newer vehicles may open up a world of possibilities for overland enthusiasts.
“We received first-ever EPA and NHTSA/DOT approval to import, retrofit and confirm through government testing that the L79 America meets US requirements for sale in N. America.”
We’re always leery of gofundme pages, so we intend to contact the owners and report back with more details. For now though, we’d recommend holding on to your cash, as well as the hope that we might finally get the diesel Toyota pickup we’ve all been dreaming of.
For more information, check out the L79 Home page here, and the L79 America gofundeme page here. Then hop back on Expedition Portal to see how awesome these trucks can really be by reading our build story on the Hema 79 here.
