That headline might seem silly but it’s something that technically isn’t outside the realm of possibility. While unlikely, there’s a very small, but real, possibility that BMW might develop an SUV that’s a bit more rugged than anything it currently offers. And if the Bavarians were to do so, such an SUV would be based on the Toyota Land Cruiser.
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According to this recent report from Car Scoops, who’s reporting off of Japanese magazine MacX, both BMW and Toyota are in talks about potentially sharing the Land Cruiser platform. The reason for this is apparently due to BMW customers in the Middle East and Russia that want something more rugged, something that can take on either deep sand or heavy snow, respectively. While the Land Cruiser can do that job perfectly, it’s not as luxurious as those customers might like.
So there’s a very small possibility that BMW might borrow Toyota’s body-on-frame platform for the Land Cruiser and build something more rugged and more durable, possibly only for certain markets. The two brands have obviously collaborated before, with the BMW Z4 and Toyota Supra, so it’s not impossible to think that the two might not work together again.
However, we don’t think there’s any realistic chance that this happens, despite being possible. Customers looking to buy a premium off-roader based on the Toyota Land Cruiser can simply look to the Lexus LX, which is almost bolt-for-bolt a Land Cruiser under its very luxurious skin. Or, if customers want something truly off-road ready but also incredibly luxurious, they should make the correct choice and choose the Mercedes-Benz G-Wagen. That last sentence might upset some BMW faithful, as I’ve just blasphemed by recommending a Mercedes-Benz product, but it’s the truth. If you want a luxury SUV with genuine off-road cred, there isn’t a better one than the G-Wagen.
So is it possible BMW makes a Land Cruiser. I mean, anything is possible. Is it likely? No.
[Source: Car Scoops]
Body on frame with two solid live axles will never have a BMW badge on it.
Hopefully BMW will deny this horrible idea.
Nothing is impossible…Toyota, was a very popular Toyota slogan in Germany in the early nineties. It should be rewritten in nothing is impossible… Bmw.
I have a Land cruiser 200. I also have a BMW X6 50i and a 2020 Z4. To say that the land cruiser US version is not luxurious enough is inaccurate since it has almost everything the X6 has and it drives amazing. Plus, if you want a more luxurious Land Cruiser, buy the Lexus 570 which I refused to do because I like the Land Cruiser more for what it is. I am a BMW loyalist but if I can only own 1 vehicle, it will be the land cruiser.
Why bother? I’ve been with BMW for almost three decades but never once had I considered an X Series for utility. That’s not the core of the brand, the Bavarians never had roots in the Camel Trophy – as for luxury without compromising offroad utility, there are few as capable as the 2019 Landrover Discovery.
Yeah they’re capable off road but they’re pieces of junk. You can’t compare them to the Land Cruiser pedigree. I’m not gonna buy a bmw discovery but I might buy a bmw Land Cruiser..
I’d agree that the Landcruiser has the pedigree but since the 90’s that utility/off-road prowess has been critically diluted.
The Landcruiser’s interior/luxury has no hope of winning over the designer-lipstick, glam wife and even the Lexus LX has a noticeable gap when compared to a Range Rover.
So, both categories lose to JLR. As a consumer I wouldn’t wax nostalgic and buy a product for what it “used to be” versus what it can do for me behind the wheel.
Good game Toyota.
I own a 100 Series 2006 LandCruiser (bombproof), a GS F700 BMW and a 2018 CP F80 M4 3 pedal manual. Stay true to what you do best – couldn’t be happier.
I was about to say that I would pick a Toyota over a BMW if the latter would build a rival.
For me, and probably most people, choosing the Toyota Land Cruiser is all about getting the job done without having to worry about reliability issues.
Luxury comes last (usually) in this instance, it is all about the car being utilitarian.
I would only touch a Series 105 or Series 80 (or earlier). IFS doesn’t belong on an off-road vehicle.
BMW has its own Land Cruiser, called the Cullinan. Yrs. ago called the Range Rover.
BMW can’t build a land cruiser, because the fundamental priority of the land cruiser is reliability. I don’t think Germans even have a word for “reliability” since they can’t manage to build a single reliable car. Vw, Audi, Porsche, Mercedes, bmw, they all have a reputation for having terrible reliability, which is why they can’t hold resale value.. nobody in their right mind wants a 10 year old German car, but… a 10 year old Toyota is just getting started…