Toyota's retro-styled FJ Cruiser might lack appeal to most SUV buyers due to its lack of a turbodiesel engine, but it's certainly well endowed on the petrol front, its 4-litre V6 VVTi motor putting out 200kW at 5600rpm and 380Nm at 4400rpm.
And if that's not quite enough to make it the true performance SUV that you're after, help is at hand. RGMotorsport now offers a supercharged conversion for every 4-litre V6 Toyota bakkie and SUV in South Africa, including the new FJ.
Considering that the V6 engine in the FJ is nearly identical to that in the Prado (200kW/308Nm versus the latter's 202kW/381Nm) RGM claims that its supercharged conversion on the FJ will reap output figures similar to the mammoth 326kW and 540Nm offered by the Prado. Fun, but potentially dangerous in the wrong hands, given the FJ's bakkie-like underpinnings.
According to RGM's claims, a Supercharged Prado sprints from 0-100 km/h almost four seconds faster (8.6 seconds versus 12.4) at Reef altitude, while doing that same test with a 1100kg Jurgens caravan hitched to the back reduced the time from 19.6 seconds to 13.4 secs.
RGM says that its existing supercharging hardware will slot under the bonnet of the FJ with minimal re-engineering. In the words of RGM's Rob Green: “Obviously we will look closely at cooling and lubrication needs but there will be very little difference in these areas. Our Supercharged conversion is already packaged with its own cooling system that feeds cold water to the liquid-to-air intercooler, which cools the compressed air before it enters the intake manifold.”
This, according to RGM, reduces intake air temperature by up to 60 degrees and is the reason why the compression ratio of the engine can be left unchanged without sacrificing durability.
The tuner also offers a Stage One conversion - sans supercharger - that boosts output by around 15 percent. This kit comprises a big bore stainless steel exhaust, Unichip engine management system and a serviceable performance air filter.
The cost? A Stage One conversion will set you back around R14 500, while the Supercharged package (depending on model) retails between R84 000 and R95 000. And back-up? Well, naturally you'll have to sacrifice Toyota's warranty and service plan but RGM does offer a small compensation in the form of a six months/20 000km warranty, with a three-year/100 000km plan available at an additional cost.