March 1, 2011

Toyota suspends FJ Cruiser trip - maybe just as well

Toyota has suspended "indefinitely" its Top to Bottom run down New Zealand using as few sealed roads as possible. The trip was promoting 60 years of Land Cruiser and the arrival of the FJ Cruiser. Toyota decided to suspend the trip in the aftermath of the Christchurch earthquake. After two days of driving, the vehicle had reached Auckland.

But maybe the suspension's no bad thing. Check the video below, posted on the Top to Bottom website, (fast forward to about 1:07) and you'll see appalling recovery technique (well, it's more the attitude towards recovery), appalling beach driving and what looks like dangerous and thoughtless hooning in the sand dunes. Yes, I know they were lads out for a lark, just like Scotty and Barry in the good old days, but in 2011 this sort of thing just alienates 4WD people even further from the general public. I have huge respect for Toyota, its products and promotions but in this instance I'm wishing they hadn't bothered.

Here's an earlier posting.

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9 comments:

  1. AnonymousMarch 2, 2011 at 9:00 AM

    Pull you're head back in. Mark Ellis is a great guy and is just having a bit of fun. People like you down on everthing make me sick.

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  2. RacerMarch 2, 2011 at 11:54 AM

    What the other guy said x 100

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  3. AnonymousMarch 2, 2011 at 5:12 PM

    I cant see anything wrong with the video. Looks like they're just having a good time.

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  4. AnonymousMarch 3, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    Mark Ellice rocks, you dont.

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  5. Phil HansonMarch 3, 2011 at 12:16 PM

    Maybe, but at least I can spell your hero's name correctly.

    ReplyDelete
  6. AnonymousMarch 4, 2011 at 2:40 PM

    Actually a good thing it was postponed as the vehicle wouldn't have made it in one peice the way they were going. In two days all they did was drive two beaches and covered more miles on tarseal than sand or off road. It was a crock, hammed up for TV.
    I heard that Toyota had 3 of the FJ Cruisers done up exactly the same so that they could swap vehicles without people knowing when it got broken.
    Driving in the waves like that is asking for trouble. Weren't those Koreans killed 3-5 years ago on Muriwai Beach when hitting the waves at speed driving a Toyota?

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  7. Phil HansonMarch 4, 2011 at 8:16 PM

    Thanks, Anonymous. I thought I was all alone out there!

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  8. winter park toyota FJ CruiserMarch 9, 2011 at 11:05 PM

    I'm interested on buying one FJ Cruiser.
    Can you please details information about this Toyota model?

    ReplyDelete
  9. Phil HansonMarch 10, 2011 at 7:25 PM

    You can get all the info from Toyota's website, www.toyota.co.nz

    ReplyDelete

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