--- title: "Forget Toyotathon: This Left-Hand-Drive Civilian Mega Cruiser Is the Gift You Want" date: "2024-12-06" modified: "2024-12-06" authors: - name: "Ronan Glon" job_title: "Contributing Writer" link: "https://www.thedrive.com/authors/ronan-glon" url: "https://www.thedrive.com/news/forget-toyotathon-this-left-hand-drive-civilian-mega-cruiser-is-the-gift-you-want" categories: - "News" - "News by Brand" - "Toyota News" tags: - "Auction" - "SUV" - "Toyota" --- # Forget Toyotathon: This Left-Hand-Drive Civilian Mega Cruiser Is the Gift You Want ![1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser]() *\Cars & Bids\* It takes one hell of a truck to make [a Toyota Land Cruiser]() look a little small-boned, but the Mega Cruiser pulls it off with aplomb. Shaped like [a Hummer H1](), the biggest and most capable Japanese SUV of its era was built in relatively limited numbers, and most were [right-hand-drive models delivered to the army](). Auction site [Cars & Bids]() is selling a particularly desirable Mega Cruiser: It's a left-hand-drive civilian model. One of about 150 civilian units built, the 1996 Mega Cruiser that's looking for a new home has under 50,000 miles on the odometer, which is remarkably low for a big SUV approaching its 30th birthday. There's no word on where it was imported from or when it disembarked on our shores, but the auction description notes that it's located in Newport Beach, California, and somewhat unsurprisingly titled in Montana. The green and red livery is aftermarket, and the listing mentions numerous additional modifications. Outside, there's a folding brush guard, an LED light bar, and a full-length roof basket. Inside, you'll find aftermarket upholstery on a center console that's about as wide as a small creek, the cool-looking spring-type cupholders often seen in Japanese-market cars, a head-up display, and aftermarket parts in the sound system. ![1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser]() *Cars & Bids* ![1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser]() **Cars & Bids** None of these modifications are major, and the Mega Cruiser's off-road goodies are all accounted for. It's powered by a 4.1-liter turbodiesel four-cylinder engine, making about 155 horsepower and 282 lb-ft of torque. Pause for a second and imagine the size of those cylinders. Each one displaces about 1,025 cubic centimeters, which is roughly the size of the Ford Fiesta's 1.0-liter EcoBoost three-cylinder engine. The output reaches the four wheels via a four-speed automatic, a two-speed transfer case, triple-locking differentials, and portal axles. There's a four-wheel steering system, too, and with [roughly 16.5 inches of ground clearance](), it takes a massive obstacle to stop the Mega Cruiser. ![1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser]() *Cars & Bids* ![1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser]() *Cars & Bids* As of writing, bidding stands at $57,500 with about three days left in the auction. There's a reserve, meaning the highest bidder won't necessarily take home this behemoth of an off-roader. It's difficult to predict how much this Mega Cruiser will sell for because its configuration is pretty rare, but nothing suggests that it'll go for cheap. Context is useful here: Cars & Bids sold another low-mileage, left-hand-drive civilian model [for $310,000]() (!) in October 2022, while a right-hand-drive military model that looked unusually well preserved [went for $36,000]() in July 2023. ![1996 Toyota Mega Cruiser]() **Cars & Bids** *Got tips? Send ’em to [tips@thedrive.com]()* ## Author Ronan is a contributing writer for The Drive. He draws on over 15 years of experience to cover breaking industry news, cool one-off builds, and anything in between. He began writing for The Drive in 2021 and stepped into his current role in 2024. His obsession with cars started when a relative gave him a Majorette die-cast shortly after his first birthday. It hasn't flickered since. Ronan lives in France; He swapped Utah's Rocky Mountains, where he grew up, for the Alps. He's an avid hiker, mountain biker, and musician. He also restores classic European cars and mopeds, including a 1978 Citroen 2CV that he's rebuilding from the ground up. ### Author social links [Twitter]()