The Toyota Land Cruiser left the North American market after the 2021 model year. However, what we got is only the full-size Land Cruiser and not the smaller Land Cruiser Prado. If you wanted one, you had to go to a Lexus dealer and opt for the GX. If you've always wanted a Land Cruiser Prado for yourself, this is your chance to own one, but there's a catch.

This Toyota Land Cruiser Prado Isn't What You Think It Is

What you're seeing here is a Toyota Land Cruiser Prado that's up for sale at Cars & Bids, but underneath that sheet metal is actually a 2010 Lexus GX. Since the Land Cruiser Prado and Lexus GX have been in production since 2009, tweaking the looks of either vehicle should be easy.

What the current owner did (who also seems to be a Prado aficionado) to his 2010 Lexus GX is to simply add the front grille, exterior lights, rear bumper, running boards, 18-inch wheels, and tailgate design of a 2018 update of the Land Cruiser Prado. The conversion job is easy enough that it looks completely OEM.

So, the exterior looks exactly like the Land Cruiser Prado, but how about the interior? Well, it manages to maintain the luxurious interior of a 2010 Lexus GX, from the infotainment to the gauges and wood finishes. The Lexus badge on the steering, however, has been replaced by a Toyota badge, though the center console, shift knob, and cup holders are from a newer 2021 Lexus GX.

It's Probably The Only "Land Cruiser Prado" In Existence With A V-8

Thankfully, the owner of this pseudo-Land Cruiser Prado has not replaced its 4.6-liter naturally-aspirated V-8, though the Lexus badge on the engine cover has been swapped for Toyota ones. For perspective, the Land Cruiser Prado came with a host of four-cylinder gasoline and turbo diesel engines as well as a gas-fed V-6. Said V-8 is exclusive to the Lexus GX 460, and it produces 301 horsepower and 329 pound-feet of torque, which is sent to all four wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission.

Going off-road with this thing should also be a breeze because the Lexus GX came with a locking center differential, Toyota's famed Kinetic Dynamic Suspension System (KDSS), and more than eight inches of ground clearance.

If you want to own a Lexus GX but with the exterior features of a Land Cruiser Prado, then you can bid for this vehicle at Cars & Bids. As of this article's writing, this Frankenstein of a luxury SUV is currently at $15,459, which isn't too high considering that it's a high mileage model with a tiny amount of cosmetic wear-and-tear.