It’s been a long and relatively successful 9-year run for Toyota‘s FJ Cruiser, but the time has come for this iconic on/off-road rover to take its final journey into the sunset. That departure is slated for the end of the 2014 model year, and as a fitting farewell Toyota created the 2014 FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Ultimate Edition. Loaded with a new batch of performance-enhancing components from Toyota Racing Development (TRD), it cranks up the go-anywhere potential of the current Trail Teams Special Edition to yield “the toughest and most capable FJ ever.” The automaker plans to build just 2,500 of these commemorative variants in addition to other standard-spec FJ Cruiser models.
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Envisioned as a conceptual successor to the legendary Toyota FJ40 that rolled onto the scene in the 1960s, the FJ Cruiser matches neo-retro style with modern mechanicals and has sold over 200,000 units since it was introduced. The Trail Teams Ultimate Edition pays visual tribute to its distinguished forebear with a unique white grille surround and special “Heritage Blue” exterior paint. Other Ultimate Edition touches include a roof rack, rock rails, blacked out bumpers/mirrors/door handles and a Trail Teams badge. Motivation for the Ultimate Edition comes from the FJ Cruiser’s standard 260-horsepower V6 that can be paired with either the 6-speed manual or 5-speed automatic transmission, but all Ultimate Edition FJs are 4×4-only and feature Active Traction Control (A-TRAC), Vehicle Skid Control (VSC) with off switch, an electronically controlled locking rear differential and Crawl Control on autoshifted models.
Tuned for high-intensity off-road running, the fully recast suspension on the Trail Teams Ultimate Edition incorporates competition-inspired TRD Bilstein racing shocks that feature increased travel along with fade-limiting remote reservoirs on the rear units coupled with stance-enhancing TRD race springs. New TRD 16.0-inch beadlock wheels wrapped in BF Goodrich A/T KO tires endow this distinctive FJ model with great grip in the dirt while a new heavy-duty aluminum front skid plate provides added protection from sudden impacts of the destructive kind and also improves its approach angle.
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Like the current Trail Teams Special Edition, cabin trim on the Ultimate Edition will include a “floating ball” type multi-information display, remote keyless entry, cruise control, rear privacy glass and 115V/400W AC power outlet. The 2014 Toyota FJ Cruiser Trail Teams Ultimate Edition will arrive in showrooms next February and pricing will be announced closer to the actual on-sale date.
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