JEDDAH: Abdul Latif Jameel Company (ALJ), Toyota and their Toyota Rally Team Saudi Arabia, have developed FJ Cruiser, a new cross-country rally car, which is set to enter the international Baja Hail Rally 2010.
Alongside its competition activities, Toyota Rally Team is also furthering the development of the new racing car with the clear objective of winning the upcoming Hail Rally. “It was a wise decision of ALJ to go ahead with its strategic partner Toyota to have a dedicated rally car,” Saudi rally champion and motorsport developer Abdullah Bakhashab under whose supervision the car was developed, said in a press release.
Continuing the build-up to the International Hail Rally 2010, the team has developed two versions of the Toyota FJ Cruiser — Toyota FJ Cruiser Proto and Toyota FJ Cruiser Racer. The FJ Cruiser Racer, the car built in Saudi Arabia, will be driven by Saleh Al-Saleh with additional driving support from Amro Al-Refai. The Toyota FJ Cruiser Proto built in Europe truly represents the most unique Toyota racing car in the world and is specially designed for this type of racing.
Toyota Rally Team Saudi Arabia Manager William Korban says he is pleased that Toyota could assist another feeder category in Saudi Arabia this year through the FJ Cruiser Proto. “Our aim from the beginning is to go ahead with ALJ-Toyota motorsport developments here.”
The FJ Cruiser Proto contains several performance and safety modifications including a revised suspension and heavy-duty roll cage among the most visible. It is powered by a Toyota V8 engine and a special six-speed gearbox in addition to 4X4 propulsion system as the car is equipped with the latest Multi-informational display which includes compass, inclinometer and temperature gauge in addition to IT systems to run the engine and monitor all incoming information at a very high rate (1,000 times per second) so that experts can analyze using computer software dedicated for such purposes.
The FJ Cruiser “Proto” chassis was built of steel tubing classified from the FIA. As for the body, it is made of high-performance materials including ceramic plates, carbon fiber, Kevlar, titanium, magnesium and aluminum helping to reduce and redistribute car weight in order to improve its stability on the road, and thus it would be the only Toyota FJ Cruiser all over the world with such specifications to suit the requirements of the World Baja Rally Championship.
