Toyota's "Meister" Working on Enhanced Land Cruisers: Constructing Paths for Vehicle Advancements (Part 1)
In the rugged landscapes of Hokkaido, Japan, lies the Toyota Shibetsu Proving Ground, a test site that has played a crucial role in the evolution of one of Toyota's most iconic vehicles – the Land Cruiser. At the heart of this development story is Takanobu Fukuoka, affectionately known as the "Land Cruiser Meister."
Fukuoka joined Toyota in 1971 and honed his skills as a test driver for passenger vehicles. His passion for the Land Cruiser, however, was ignited in 1985 when he joined the Land Cruiser development team. It was under the tutelage of Fukuoka's mentor, the late Shigeo Fukuoka, that he learned the vehicle's core values of "reliability," "durability," and "drivability on rough terrain."
The Shibetsu Proving Ground, home to numerous test courses, features one such course named after Fukuoka – the F-Course. Construction of the F-Course began in 2013 and was completed in 2014, led by Tetsuo Sawada and Takashi Fujita. The F-Course, built manually one at a time, offers terrain capable of "completely breaking" cars, testing their reliability and durability to the limit.
Sadayoshi Koyari, currently in charge of the Land Cruiser 70 Series and the Land Cruiser Prado at Toyota, has also been shaped by the F-Course. After visiting the F-Course, Koyari, also known as "Mr. Land Cruiser," stated that a car can only be called a Land Cruiser when it gets through the course.
Over the past 40 years, Fukuoka has been instrumental in the development of numerous electronic control systems for the Land Cruiser, such as KDSS, Multi-Terrain Monitor, Multi-Terrain Select, Crawl Control, Active Traction Control, Turn-Assist function, E-KDSS, and other functions that have improved the vehicle's drivability on rough terrain.
The Land Cruiser underwent a dramatic evolution in the 80s and 90s, transitioning from rigid suspensions and leaf springs to coil springs, which are normally used in passenger cars. This evolution, aided by Fukuoka's innovative electronic control systems, transformed the Land Cruiser into a vehicle that could be driven by anyone while ensuring its legendary reliability and durability.
The first-generation Celsior, launched in 1989, was a testament to the success of these developments. Praised for its performance, power, and silence, the Celsior's achievement was largely due to the completion of the Shibetsu Proving Ground.
Today, Fukuoka continues to be involved in the development of the latest 300 Series as Senior Technical Advisor at Toyota Customizing & Development Co., Ltd. (former Toyota Technocraft Co., Ltd.). His legacy, built on the foundation of reliability, durability, and drivability on rough terrain, continues to shape the Land Cruiser's journey into the future.
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