Toyota’s South African division sold its millionth Hilux truck last July. To celebrate the occasion, the car maker has built a one-off version of the roughly Tacoma-sized truck that’s powered by a potent V8 engine borrowed from none other than the Lexus IS F.
Based on the last-gen model, the commemorative pickup packs a 5.0-liter eight-cylinder engine that has been tweaked to make approximately 455 horsepower at 6,000 rpm and 442 pound-feet of torque from 3,250 to 4,000 rpm. The modifications include an intake manifold sourced from the Hilux that Toyota built to tackle the grueling Dakar Rally, a full sport exhaust system as well as an engine management system designed with input from well-known tuner Cosworth.
The 455 ponies are sent to all four wheels via a race-spec clutch built by AP Racing, a stock manual transmission lifted straight from the diesel-burning Hilux, and upgraded differentials on both ends. Performance specifications have not been published, but the V8-powered Hilux is fast enough to require bigger brakes on all four corners.
Visually, the one-off Hilux gains a custom red, black, and gray paint job, a bull bar, a pair of fog lights, fender flares, blacked-out tail lamps, and black alloy wheels wrapped by off-road tires. It also rides slightly lower than a stock model thanks to an upgraded suspension system.
All told, the truck cost approximately $73,000 to build, a sum that doesn’t include the cost of the donor truck. Toyota of South Africa has made it clear that the truck is a one-off model designed to celebrate an important milestone. However, several interested parties have reportedly contacted Toyota to ask how and when they can purchase a high-powered Hilux, so the company could offer one as a limited-edition model based on the all-new Hilux in the not-too-distant future.
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