Toyota placed a few of their Hilux pick-up trucks in the Antarctic to help setup a fuel depot, installing a weather station, and providing support to scientific expeditions and a ski race. And, after 70,000km of abuse, three Hilux (including two 6x6) set a new world record.
<!--more-->Known as the coldest place on earth, the Antarctic is no play ground. With temperatures capable of dropping to -50°C and terrain altitudes of over 3,400m, it is The most hostile driving environment imaginable.
In order to cope with the extreme conditions, the Hilux had to undergo several modifications that were handled by Icelandic 4X4 conversion specialists - Arctic Trucks.
Such mods included the integration of a crane to lift heavy equipment, the use of Jet A-1 fuel to cope with the extreme cold, a 280L fuel tank (800L for 6x6 vehicles), revised suspension and drivetrain, crawler gears and extra large tyres with pressures as low as 2-3psi (regular Hilux tyres have a pressure of 29 psi) giving a tyre surface area about 17 times larger than those found on standard tyres. Yet, the 3.0L D-4D diesel engine and transmission remain entirely untouched for the expeditions.
Although Toyota has done this some years back, this particular expedition covered over 70,000km where three Hilux set a new world record by covering 9,500km each; marking this particular expedition as one of the longest Antarctic journey ever in history.
Watch how Arctic Trucks stripped and modified the Hilux for the gruesome journey below.
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