The Mega Cruiser was made for the Japan Self-Defense Forces. It is like the Hummer H1 from another world, but bigger, lighter, and with more space inside. Out of the 3000 military-spec Mega Cruisers that were made, it is thought that only 133 were made for private use, and less than 20 of those were left-hand drives. Toyota fans who love off-road cars will love the Mega Cruiser. The price is just as crazy as the car itself, but it has only been legal to import since 2020. It makes sense that the Toyota Mega Cruiser has been in almost every Japanese Godzilla movie for the past 30 years. The Japan Self-Defense Forces (JSDF) built the Mega Cruiser as an HMV (High Mobility Vehicle). It is a Kaiju. It often shows up as a supporting figure when Mothra and Mechagodzilla fight. When Toyota chose to sell it to regular people in 1996, it had already avoided life on military bases, even though it was very big and could go over any surface. This is one of the rarest and most unique SUVs ever made—only 133 were made for private use. And just so you know, the Lamborghini LM002 is pretty common. Even stranger is the left-hand drive model that is being auctioned off on Bring a Trailer. Both Bring a Trailer and Invoice pricing are owned by Hearst Autos. It is thought that less than 20 Mega Cruisers were built, and they were only meant to be used in Japan. Concepts of the Mega Cruiser were first shown at the Tokyo Motor Show in 1993. They were right away compared to the brand-new civilian Hummer. The HMV name alone shows that AM General’s car had an effect on Toyota’s makers, but the Mega Cruiser is not an exact copy of the original Hummer. Both cars are based on similar needs, and they’re more like a well-researched extension of the same idea (like the LM002). When the JSDF asked for one of these cars, Toyota made it. After the Gulf War, when Humvees were used a lot, Japan started giving the JSDF new gear and letting it take part in more foreign missions to keep the peace. The Mega Cruiser, which is officially called the “HMV,” was made in part to replace Toyota’s Type 73 three-quarter-ton truck from the 1970s. It needs to be able to carry up to ten men off-road and also be used as a platform for moving artillery. The 1993 design, which was supposed to be a military idea, clearly showed a domestic version. During the show, the company even hinted at possible sales to consumers by saying, “If there were enough demand.” The means used to figure out “demand” are unknown, but the vehicle was made as the military-grade BXD10 in 1995. The civilian BXD20, which came out in January 1996, had the same style. The Mega Cruiser and the Hummer look about the same size, but some changes become clearer when you look more closely. The Mega Cruiser is 16 inches longer, 5 inches taller, and has a 4-inch longer wheelbase than the Ford. It also weighs about 1500 pounds less. Many reports say that the bigger size makes the inside more roomy and makes the vehicle quieter and smoother while still being very capable. The specs look like they were made for off-roaders, but this is real military gear. Mega Cruisers have three locking differentials, 37-inch tires, inboard vented disc brakes, and portal axles. These give them up to 16.5 inches of ground clearance, which is a bit more than the Hummer. The tires could be deflated. The Mega Cruiser has a short turning circle of 18.2 feet because it has hydraulic rear steering, the same as the concept car. Under the hood, a 4.1-liter turbo-diesel four-cylinder engine paired with a four-speed automatic gearbox made 153 horsepower and 282 pound-feet of torque. There is a small engine in this big of a car, but it has more power than the first Hummer V-8. The fastest speed is said to be 81 mph. Also, Godzilla moves slowly. Of course, the total price of this gear is high. When it first came out, the private Mega Cruiser cost about 25% more than a similar Hummer and was about the same size as a Toyota Century. A pricey 13-mpg monster that’s too big to fit on some Japanese roads doesn’t sell very well, but it was unbeatable off-road. The government bought most of them to use in law enforcement, logging, and rescue missions. 2001 marked the end of making them. You can expect to pay a lot of money for the very rare and very powerful off-road vehicle or to build your defense against Mechagodzilla. The last Mega Cruiser that was offered on Bring a Trailer sold for $167,500. The sale ended on April 28th.
