Eight-Seat Toyota Land Cruiser 79 Eats Land Mines For Breakfast

SVI Engineering, a South African armored vehicle specialist, has released a followup to the Max 3 armored personnel carrier that we've seen last year. While the previous version was practically a truck, SVI's latest release is a multi-purpose vehicle that can carry up to eight passengers aboard.

Meet, the SVI Max 3 Troopy – bulletproof and ready to face the end of the Earth. And yes, just like the truck version, the Troopy is also based on the 70 Series Toyota Land Cruiser.

While you might think that the Max 3 Troopy is a military vehicle, SVI actually released a civilian version of the armored machine without the mounting points for rifles and heavy artillery. That said, it doesn't need permits from South Africa's National Conventional Arms Control Committee (NCACC) and can be used for a number of industries, including but not limited to anti-riot, security, and convoy services.

The Max 3 Troopy's armored body plates are made of steel and rated to provide EN1063 BR6 minimum protection. This means it can withstand attacks from assault rifles. SVI also offers upgraded protection (up to BR7), which can withstand blasts and personnel mines.

Under the hood, the Max 3 Troopy packs a 4.5-liter turbodiesel V8 that makes 202 horsepower (151 kilowatts) and 317 pound-feet (430 Newton-meters) of torque. It has a top speed of 87 miles per hour (140 kilometers per hour). Other upgrades include a higher load rating, a set of upgraded suspensions, and the addition of a rear anti-roll bar.

In terms of pricing, SVI said that it depends on the configuration and the state of the donor vehicle. Prices, however, start at 1.8 million South African rand, or the equivalent of around $128,000 with the current exchange rates.