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Toyota celebrates 30th anniversary of Land Cruiser 70 with Japan rerelease [w/videos]

It's a common refrain among auto enthusiasts to bemoan the current models being sold for being overly complex and expensive and to wish that automakers would just make vehicles like the old days. Sure, they might not have been as safe or efficient, but there was often a certain rugged simplicity that's gone today. Well, Toyota is actually doing it and thinks there's enough demand to put the Land Cruiser 70 back into production in Japan for its 30th anniversary. Sadly, it's only for one year.
The original Land Cruiser 70 served a long life in Japan from 1984 to 2004. Even today, the proven model remains in production in some regions abroad. People in its home country still love the vehicle though, and Toyota is brushing off the mothballs to give customers what they want. For the first time ever there, it's also offering the double-cab pickup version in addition to the traditional enclosed body. The company thinks that it can move about 200 of these classic trucks this year, which isn't too shabby for a vehicle that's three decades old.
Looking at the pictures above, these look like the same old Land Cruisers, but Toyota is updating them slightly to meet modern safety rules. The grille, hood and headlights are all tweaked, and they now come with airbags and anti-lock brakes. A 4.0-liter V6 is under the hood making 228 horsepower (170 kilowatts) and 266 lb-ft of torque (360 Newton-meters), and the only available gearbox is a five-speed manual. Part-time four-wheel drive is standard. If you're really afraid of getting stuck in the wilderness, locking front and rear differentials and a winch are available as options.

Toyota sells off Tesla shares, too

The incredible rise of Tesla's stock price has done little to now stop two major shareholders from ditching their stake in the American EV manufacturer. First, Daimler, parent company of Mercedes-Benz, ditched its four-percent stake, and less than a week later, Toyota is doing the same thing, selling off an undisclosed bit of its Tesla investment.
The move comes as Toyota winds down sales of the RAV4 EV, which gets its batteries and electric motor from Tesla at the company's Fremont, CA factory.
"We have a good relationship with Tesla, and will evaluate the feasibility of working together on future projects," Toyota spokesperson Kayo Doi told Bloomberg via email.

Watch the trailer for Amazon's 24 Hours of Le Mans documentary

Amazon's video streaming service is taking a cue from Netflix and filling its library with new, high-quality original content. This is great news for car enthusiasts, as the company seems interested in tailoring to our diverse tastes. After the successful debut of The Grand Tour, Amazon announced a new documentary based on an annual race in France. Le Mans: Racing is Everything is set to debut later this year. The first action-packed teaser just debuted. The limited series will explore the race's roots and what makes it such a grueling but rewarding place for teams and drivers and such an awesome spectacle for fans. New Black Films, the production company behind the series, embedded itself with the Porsche, Audi, Nissan, Toyota, Aston Martin and Rebellion teams, interviewing drivers like Mark Webber and Andre Lotterer. The series is set to debut on Friday, June 9, plenty of time to catch up before the 24 Hours of Le Mans later next month. Keep an eye and ear out for another Amazon project, a yet-to-be-named series on Formula 1. Related Video: News Source: Amazon, YouTube via The Verge Motorsports TV/Movies Audi Porsche Toyota Amazon le mans 24 hours